Lev-built 1938 Theremin For Sale

[Peter Pringle]

RETROFRET VINTAGE GUITARS of Brooklyn, New York, is selling what they claim is a Lev-built theremin (circa 1938). 

http://www.retrofret.com/products.asp?ProductID=5165

The seller makes certain comparisons between this instrument and the custom theremins Lev made for Clara Rockmore and Lucie Rosen but the fact is they are very different. Here is a photo of the inside of Clara's instrument (top center inset) superimposed on the inside of the cabinet of the Retrofret theremin. They have little in common!

http://www.peterpringle.com/clarapix/clararetro.jpg

The Retrofret theremin seems to be a Teletouch type of instrument, housed in a typical Teletouch cabinet with integrated speaker. The TELETOUCH CORPORATION was started by Lev in 1933 after RCA had decided not to continue manufacturing theremins. Lev moved the company into what had been the Theremin Studio in the Rosen townhouse on West 54th St. in Manhattan, and continued making theremins on special order only. Most of what Teletouch was involved with had to do with Lev's other inventions (automatic door openers, fire alarms, burglar alarms, etc. etc.) No one seems to know how many Teletouch theremins were sold but it was not very many and the company did not want to follow in the failed footsteps of RCA. Most people find the sound of the Teletouch theremins disappointing in comparison with the RCA and Clara's custom instrument. 

For those of you who have not seen Reid Welch's talk on the Teletouch theremin that belonged to the late William A. Nickert, here is the URL. Uncle Howie can tell us more about Mr. Nickert as he knew him personally. I think our venerable Uncle Howie was also there when Moses came down from the mountain top!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YT-7ZhnSQrI

[Uncle Howie]

Leveren:
The William Nickert Teletouch theremin that I sold to Reid Welsh, to
my knowledge, was never restored by him.
However, along with this instrument that I sent him was a schematic
diagram that I painstakingly drew by manually re-engineering it from
the actual physical circuits.
The 22-1/2 volt battery was not used directly in the theremin's
tone-generating circuitry but in the audio amplifier portion of the
supply located in the bottom speaker compartment. It provided the
necessary bias voltage for the audio output tubes.
As you all have probably guessed by now, your Uncle Howie has been
actively involved in the theremin practically from my cradle.
Although my last name is a derivative from that of Moses (Moses's
man), I have not traced my lineage back to him, but the possibility
exists that Peter may be correct in his assumption.
Uncle Howie

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[Jesper Pedersen]

The cabinet of the New York Mystery Theremin does look almost identical to that of the Nickert Teletouch theremin as well as the Juliet Shaw threremin: http://www.silverminesom.org/images/12pianos-2.jpg The cabinet also bear some visual resemblance to Lucie Rosen's September theremin. On the inside (where it matters) the visual similarities seems to end though. Here it is the Nickert theremin superimposed on the inside of the New York theremin:

It is of course important to realize that the New York, Rosen, Rockmore and Shaw theremins are all older than the Nickert Teletouch theremin that supposedly was made after Lev left the US. Are there any recordings of the Nickert to get an idea of what it sounds like? Reid mentions that it has a flute like timbre very different from the rich timbre of the RCA. I'm wondering how it compares to the sound of Lev's later instruments built in Russia that also seems to have a more flute like timbre... 

I'm no expert on the inner workings of Lev's instruments but according to rcatheremin.com the green coils and mica capacitor stacks etc present in the New York instrument is a tell tell signs that it is a Lev built instrument; or at least that it came out of his workshop. It might not be a "hot rod" like the Rockmore theremin but Lev might have had his soldering iron in it none the less. It should be possible to determine if the pencil writing on the chassis is Lev's handwriting and settle it's origin once and for all...

It would be really interesting to hear what the restored New York instrument sounds like in the hands of a skilled player. It would also be rather interesting to see how this instrument compares to the instrument of Juliet Shaw. Does anybody have any documentation or specs on her instrument? On the internet it is as mysterious as Lucie Rosen's January theremin...

Btw Thorwald told me that asking price for the New York theremin is $75.000,- Yikes...! ;) Anyway I hope it goes to someone who will actually play the instrument.  

/Jesper

--

[Rob Schwimmer]

I played it. Didn't love it... Seemed short on red blood cells. Nothing like Lucie's

-----Original Message-----
From: Jesper Pedersen <jesper...@gmail.com>
To: levnet <lev...@googlegroups.com>

[Peter Pringle]

GULP!

$75,000.00...???????

They will be lucky to get $7500.00

[Jesper Pedersen]

Maybe they don't want to sell ;)

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Jesper Pedersen
www.slatur.is/jesper

[Peter Pringle]

That's possible Jesper. They may just want to keep the instrument in the shop as a curiosity and museum piece to attract customers. 

If someone actually buys the instrument for the price they are asking (which is extremely unlikely) they've hit the jackpot! 

[Uncle Howie]

Leveren:
Who, in their right mind, would even entertain the idea of buying this
device without hearing it?
Why wasn't an MP3 of its voice posted along with the ad?
I suppose that any prospective buyer would journey to where it is
located and have a good "look see" and a good "hear see"

Uncle Howie
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

-----Original Message-----
From: Peter Pringle <peterp...@cgocable.ca>
To: levnet <lev...@googlegroups.com>

[Peter Pringle]

If it is true that the sellers are asking $75,000.00 for the instrument, I think the question ought to be: Who in their right mind would buy this instrument for that kind of money regardless of whether they have heard it or not. 

It may have been a good idea NOT to publish an mp3 of the instrument on the RETROFRET website because it would probably have turned a lot of people off. 

The Teletouch theremins were "bare bones" instruments, made in the cheapest possible way. Uncle, do I recall correctly that Mr. Nickert was very disappointed with his Teletouch theremin and sold it so that he could get himself an RCA??

On the LEVNET COMPILATION CD VOL. 1, published in 1998, there is a recording of Nickert made in 1965 when the old boy was 88 years old, but he is not playing his Teletouch, he is playing his RCA. He was also a dreadfully bad thereminist but, like so many, he made up in enthusiasm for the instrument what he lacked in technique.

As for your family tree, you forget who you are talking to!! I know who you REALLY are!!

http://he-man.wikia.com/wiki/MossMan

[Uncle Howie]

Peter, and all:
Yes, Mr.Nickert was terribly disappointed in the Teletouch theremin's
sound. He felt gypped as he had traded his first RCA theremin, plus
cash, for it.
As a retired bank president, he was meticulous about everything in his
life. His home was a veritable museum of high quality art objects.
One thing I remember he told me was that anything he ever bought that
was not of the best quality caused him grief in the end.
Your research into my lineage was not accurate. My ancestors were a
form of giant living Chia Pets that grew moss on their heads. Sadly, my
moss has been receding for years.

Uncle Howie
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>


-----Original Message-----
From: Peter Pringle <peterp...@cgocable.ca>
To: levnet <lev...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Mon, Nov 11, 2013 3:11 pm
Subject: [levnet] Re: Lev-built 1938 Theremin For Sale