Gakken Premiun as first theremin?

I'm really interested in adding a theremin to my musical gear list. I feel that if I decide to get serious about it, I'll eventually get a Moog, but for now, the Gakken Premium has caught my eye for a couple of reasons: a) it's portable and battery-powered, which means lunch-time practice; b) the low price for an assembled two-antenna self-contained unit; and c) it is available locally so I could just pick it up.

Does anyone who has used this unit have any feedback on it? I'm not too worried about the quality of the sound just yet, as I can run it through effects and EQ for sound shaping, but I am concerned about the linearity and physical range of pitch response.

TIA!

I had recently the occasion to try a Gakken Premium after playing a Moog Etherwave Standard for a longer time.

I would rather classify it as atoy, not as a serious beginners instrument. I fear that people starting with the Gakken Premium will be so frustrated that they won't continue at all...

You can get a Burns B3 for roughly the same price as a Gakken, (US$150) and the consensus here at TW seems to be that it's the best choice for a low-cost entry level instrument.

(True, it is not battery-operated per se, but according to another thread here it can be run off of a 9v battery.)

But no speaker or headphone amp on a B3, so there's that. If it being a lunch-time toy is really important to you, you're stuck.

The B3 doesn't run on a 9V battery, but it runs on two 9V batteries in series.

Thanks for the feedback, guys. I think I'm just going to save for the Etherwave Standard.

Looking forward to being a theremin student...

Whoops, double post...

"You can get a Burns B3 for roughly the same price as a Gakken, (US$150) and the consensus here at TW seems to be that it's the best choice for a low-cost entry level instrument."

I wouldn't agree that it is a concensus. I think most here would agree that the Etherwave standard is the best choice for an entry level instrument.

I don't care for the B3 at all and would not recommend it to a beginner.

Hi Etherspiel, I have 3 B3s, and only the first one I ever got, which was the original B3 had poor linearity. The Deluxe, and Pro both have much better linearity. Allthough still non-linear, they're more like the Etherwave Standard's linearity, and infact don't posess the double nonlinearity of the Etherwaves. The Etherwave's lowest and highest octaves are closer together than the middle part of the plus zone.

The B3 Deluxe, and Pro are only nonlinear nearest the antenna in the upper 2+ octaves.

I do recommend the Deluxe, and Pro as first theremins because there's less bells, and whistles to distract a serious student.

Thiery, How long does a B3 run on two 9V batteries? and how did you link up your batteries in series?

Thomas -

Yes, but everyone knows you are the salesman for the B3's, which makes it difficult to take your comments seriously - or at minimum, it is hard to consider you an objective source.

Fascinating. Dear, oh dear.