This article was contributed by Dana Abbott
After catching a glimpse and hearing a Theremin on youtube.com, I was hooked. The sound is a like nothing I had ever heard before. I recommend that anyone interested in building/playing one to research and explore all information about them. You do not just “play” a Theremin; you “Express” yourself through the instrument.
To start with I ordered a B3 Deluxe Theremin from soundslikeburnes.com, which is a great Theremin for the price. After a week or two of getting to “Know” it I realized I had to build one from the ground up. In order to express yourself through the instrument, it’s best to grow together during the building process.
I discovered the PAiA kit at paia.com. I would have designed the circuit from scratch, but have no electronics background at all. As a side note, the PAiA assembly instructions are complete and easy to follow, but read through them several times before starting and FOLLOW their steps to the letter.
The entire case was designed with a drafting program and starts out with 6” sch40 PVC drain pipe with end caps and 1 ?” cap for the mike stand fitting. All of the case and antenna materials were purchased from Home Depot. The only “electrical” change I made from the PAiA kit, was I added a disconnect fitting for the power supply. The antenna incorporate ?” guitar plugs (from Radio Shack) to allow easy removal for transporting.
I could go on and on about the building and playing/expressing with the Theremin, and would be more than happy to share any and all the information I have. Just E-mail me. dda1800@comcast.net.
In the Lords Service:
Dana Abbott
PS. I would love to see someone build this out of all wood instead of PVC, maybe Cherry, Oak, or Walnut. I have a full set of drawings (A-Cad 2006) that I will be more than happy to provide.
