Leon Theremin "Soloist Custom" Theremin , c.
1938
This is probably the very
last instrument Leon Theremin personally built before leaving the USA
Leon Theremin
"Soloist Custom" Model Theremin, c. 1938, made in New York City, dark
brown varnish finish, walnut cabinet containing fixed stamped steel chasis.
This is one of the few instruments that Leon Theremin personally built in his
New York workshop (as opposed to the RCA instruments made under license). It
had been discovered in the basement of a private home in Sheepshead Bay
Brooklyn in NYC. Theremin himself hand built very few instruments - perhaps ten
prototypes and soloist instruments of the electromagnetic variety between 1928
- 1938. Unfortunately there are no hard facts as to how this particular
Theremin came to be hidden away in a Brooklyn basement. Coincidentally,
Theremin's 2nd wife, Lavinia Williams, did live in Sheepshead Bay until 1953.
The instrument itself is quite unique to Theremin's work. Lev made a handful of
soloist instrument most notably for Clara Rockmore and Lucie Rosen. This is one
of only two instruments that he made with the speaker section built-in to the
lower section of the podium (all others, including those by RCA, having
separate speaker cabinets). One was made for a soloist named Juliet Shaw and at
this time, still privately owned - the other is depicted in a news clipping
from Tennessee c. 1940 being played by Evan McKinley of 'The Musical
Messengers' (also noted for performing on the "largest set of piccolo
bells and musical glasses in America." I believe that this is the same
instrument as in the news photo (see back).
Unlike most surviving instruments (both RCA and Lev made) nothing had ever been
done to alter or customize the original design and construction. Even the
original antennae survived! We've spent over two years painstakingly rebuilding
the instrument using NOS tubes and parts. It now works flawlessly - as it did
when it left Mr. Theremin's shop in 1938.
This instrument utilizes both voltage regulation and a rotary tone color
selector. Tone color switches were a feature of Lev's own personal
demonstration instruments in the 1927-28 era, but are not generally seen on
Theremins built for others, until appearing on this unit. The oscillator and
resonance coils employ the green silk-insulated windings a feature employed
only on Theremins made by Leon himself. "Bathtub style" capacitors
are used in portions of the construction, as seen in other Lev-built Theremins,
although this instrument utilizes fixed-value oscillator capacitors in lieu of
Lev's usual stacked mica capacitors.
This is the only currently known surviving instrument that employs both an
inductively-heated volume control tube, (in this case a UX-120 and generally
typical only on his earlier designs), and the "Type 53" dual triode
tube (employed in Lev's later custom instruments for Clara Rockmore and Lucie
Rosen). Lev's hand-written numbers appear on the chassis top.
Height is 44 in. (111.8 cm.), 20 in. (50.8 cm.) across at the widest point, and
12 3/4 in. (32.4 cm.) deep. Minor bumping and scratching to the cabinet.
Original finish with the exception of one section of replaced decorative
molding. Several replaced wax capacitors with the newer ceramic components
being fit inside the original paper sleeves to preserve the look of the 75 year
old components. Fully restored and operational. Excellent Condition.