Etherwave repair question

I have an early Big Briar Etherwave that needs repair, so I'm planning on sending it off to Moog to get it fixed.  Are there any upgrades I should get done to it while it's there?  I know Moog has changed some things inside the Etherwaves.

Actually, I would call Moog and ask everything before sending my instrument there.

Some TW members wrote here about rather unpleasant experiences, like "we are not sure to have the needed spare parts" or "the person who knew this does not longer work here".

That seems to be a totally different attitude compared to the time where Dr. Moog himself was still alive...

Thanks for the information, Thierry.  You may have saved me from a lot of grief.

I'm going to try to get it fixed locally in Portland, Oregon.  I know this is a long shot, but does anyone here have any experience dealing with Portland Custom Shop on Morrison or Control Voltage on Mississippi?

In the meantime, I picked up a used Moog Etherwave as a backup from guitarcenter.com.  I can't tell if it's faulty or just badly tuned, but I think it's going back.  It's very difficult to find the sweet spot on the Pitch knob (about 9:00 on the Moog, compared to around 1:00 with more room for fine adjustment on the Big Briar).  Also, the Moog has more high end and less low end than the Big Briar.  Very frustrating.

Dmi,

We are in the same time zone which makes us neighbors. The EWS is very solidly built and my first choice or maybe only recommendation for a commercial build to any Thereminist.

If you are sending your box to a repair shop you have nothing to lose by doing a few adjustments yourself first. Have you ever taken the cover off? I think the low end improvement and tight pitch field are the two most straight forward features to easily dial in. Every Thereminist should get the feel for adjusting the IFT coil L6 and using the appropriate Potentiometer cleaner as time passes on.

A repair shop that has never worked on a theremin will not have a clue. )-'

Email me if you have any questions, I am not hard to find but try to be.

Christopher

Edit: After the shop takes the up front deposit and screw it up, they will tell you it costs more to fix than to buy a new one. Shops do not troubleshoot the little pieces, they replace boards!

Thanks very much, RS.  I was hoping the problems with the newer one could be remedied easily.

As for the old one, it's about 15 years old, so I'm not surprised that it finally needs service.  The output is very noisy, like I'm playing it through a very cheap distortion pedal.  Also, even if I keep my hand steady, the note seems to quaver between pitches, especially when I play in the mid- to lower register.

My electronics skills are essentially nil, but if you can recommend anything I can do with either of them first, I'd be happy to try.  Just please, dumb down the language as much as possible.  Photos might help.

I respect Thierry's troubleshooting skills and would hope he chimes in again on this thread. I am more a garage mechanic with lots of imagination. (-'

I notice Guitar Center sells the Big Briar used for more than later EWS used. The logic must be the older a theremin is the more valuable. hum...

Can you post a link to a sound byte of the Briar that demonstrates the noise issue, it will speak volumes. It is the trickier of the two to diagnose. This thread should be able to fix one if not both.

Do you have the diddle stick tuning tool that comes with the EWS theremins. It should be a 5/64 or 2mm hex tip.

Christopher

It was $250 + about $12 shipping from guitarcenter.com.

It didn't come with a tool.  Is it some sort of allen wrench?

By the way, there's no logic to the price of used gear on guitarcenter.com.  Some of their deals are amazing, some outrageous.  Great return policy tho: if you don't like what you get, you can take it to your local GC and they'll refund the price minus shipping.  If there's something wrong with the order, you can usually get them to refund the shipping, too.

Thierry Said: (Levnet)

The tool's original name is "Trituner" and it can be ordered directly on Coilcraft's website (they are the manufacturers of the adjustable coils in the EW):  http://www.coilcraft.com/tools.cfm

You need to order one of these (EtherWave Standard) coil tuning tools. An Allen wrench can work in an emergency but my concern is cracking the ferrite core.

Still waiting for that Briar noise sound byte, it might give an answer.

The price on the EWS from Guitar Center was appropriate. $200 to $250 is the range in this market.

Do you have the means to solder a wire or two?

I just ordered a Trituner and found Moog Music's FAQ about tuning the pitch antenna:

http://www.moogmusic.com/support/faqs

Is there anything I need to know about tuning that isn't covered there?

I probably won't be able to get a soundfile of the Big Briar up for a while.  I have a solder iron, but I'm a novice solderer at best, much better at burning myself with it than anything else.