Modified Moog Etherwave Standard in cocobolo wood case

Photos of my recently-completed theremin:

link (http://flickr.com/photos/97827539@N00/3244878436/in/set-72157613235006060/)

The wood is a variety of rosewood called "cocobolo."

I had a few complaints with the Moog design, so I added some features.

It's beautiful... Love the mods you've done, too!

This is so fantastic! It has a classic, almost retro look to it...and the wood is so rich!

It's eye candy, that's what it is:)

Great job. I hope we all see and hear more of this in the future, eh?

I like the mounting for the pitch rod. Is it drop-in or screw-in, and did you lose the nuts on the volume loop too?

Outstanding job!

The antennae looks like they are slot-ins now, amirite? Did you add a smaller diameter sleeve into the rods?

And... the little pitch preview pcb add-on, definitely looks like a custom run. If so, any spares? 8-)

I've been thinking of making one but the LM3080 eludes me.

Great job ExclamPt! I have seen etherwaves gussied up to look like everything from space satellites to whores in a Bessarabian brothel but this cocobolo wood case is the prizewinner. It is skillfully crafted, tastefully conceived and it even looks great on the inside!

I didn't like the Etherwave Pro when I got it, because the only decent wood in it was the curved birds eye maple front. The rest of the instrument (which is the part the audience gets to look at) was some kind of flat black painted amalgam.

I ended up doing what you did. I took the whole thing apart and started from scratch. I kept only the front panel and the Cuban cigar, and replaced everything else. I stained the whole unit a honey color to give it a unified appearance and bring out the natural patterns in the grain.

http://www.peterpringle.com/pro.html

Thanks to all for the kind words.

At least half the credit for this project goes to a friend of mine, a master woodworker and electronics savant. He was an instrument maker (guitars and harpsichords) who once made a guitar for Julian Bream (a familiar name to our UK members, I bet). He provided the woodworking and electronics expertise while I provided the design and some labor.

Typically, we worked on this project one morning a week. It took almost a year to complete.

The wood was provided by a local hardwoods supplier that owns its own sources of wood in Belize. The board I used was inch-thick stock and cost about $60 USD.

To answer some questions...

GordonC - I did not like Moog's use of bathroom plumbing hardware for the antennas. In my instrument I used brass tubing with smaller rings soldered therein to provide stops for the insertion of the antennas. The antennas simply slip into the tubes. This makes their removal easy but provides a secure fit. A machine screw is tapped from the inside of the case into the brass tube for the pitch antenna, making electronic contact. The wooden pitch antenna housing, by the way, took a day to make.

Senkun - the pitch preview PCB was supplied by Mark Keppinger. I don't know if he has any left. I, however, have a slightly-used Moog case for which I have no use.

coalport - I beg to differ, but my theremin looks just like a Bessarabian whore (God bless her!) I once knew.