Advice on buying a theremin

Hi!
I am trying to find a decent theremin to give to a close friend on his 40th birthday. Considering shipping costs, customs etc, I don't think I want to spend more than roughly $150US on the actual instrument.

What would you suggest I look for? The etherwave seems to be too expensive, even on ebay. I'd prefer it to have two antennas and if possible for 220 Volts. Still, I know very little about theremins and have never played on myself, so any advice could prove useful!

Thanks!
Roger

The Kees Enkelaar theremin might be a decent option in that price range. I haven't tried one personally.

Is your friend into kit-building? You could get a Paia Theremax for about that much, but you have to solder it all together & build the cabinet. It's a fun way to learn how the theremin works too.

Thanks!
The Enkelaar and the Theremax are the two interesting ones I've seen in this forum. I figured I'd put the kit together myself. Seems fairly simple to do.
Any other suggestions?

The Theremax is fairly easy to get together. It is a bit touchy to get set up the first time but it is doable. I got the add on cabinet hardware. It was worth it for the panel but the antennas are not real great.

I'm happy with mine.

Grasshopper

Hi, Grimnir.
I purchased recently a Theremin in the range of price you are considering, and I'm very satisfied. Maybe you could take a look at this link:
http://www50.brinkster.com/lilasmt/
They make a good sounding theremin for 130 Eu. (158 US$) and perhaps you could get it cheaper on ebay. Good Luck.
Microcat.

Thanks for the tip on that theremin. I hadn't heard of it before. I've added it to the Theremin Gallery (theremins.asp).