The Bob Moog Foundation Archives has received an exciting new addition, one of the very first R.A. Moog theremins, the Model 351, built in 1954. Bob Moog was only 20 years old when the company made this model available. It is preceded only by his first commercial product, the Model 201 theremin, released just one year earlier, and alongside the Model 305, a simpler, budget-minded version of the 351.
Tammy and Phil Niemeyer, supporters of the Foundation, generously donated the antique instrument, appraised with a value of $25,000. Tammy’s grandfather, James Gray Everhart, purchased the theremin in Sherman, Texas, around 1955. James, a lover of gadgets, music, and engineering, believed in the theremin’s ability to create beautiful music. He routinely performed memorized ballad compositions for his family members and close friends.
“We are thrilled to have this extremely rare R.A. Moog Model 351 theremin as part of the Bob Moog Foundation Archives. This stunning historical instrument helps us trace the evolution of Bob’s design ethic, while sharing the growth of his fledgling company.” — Michelle Moog-Koussa, Executive Director of the Bob Moog Foundation
The Model 351 theremin is a five-octave, vacuum tube-based instrument. As is usual for these vanguard instruments, they were hand-assembled by Bob Moog. His father, George, assisted him with his own woodworking and engineering skills while they worked together in their basement workshop. The 351 has a small mahogany cabinet with the standard theremin volume control plate and pitch-control antenna attached. Its silkscreened front panel featured a generous number of tone-control knobs, including three separate volume knobs. Interestingly, Moog omitted the specifics of volume knob applications from the operation manual, leaving customers to their own interpretations of creative amplitude techniques.
In the middle of the panel, there are two four-position switches, affecting what Bob called “Synthetic Format,” which were not included with the scaled-down Model 305. Mixing and matching the switch positions created a modest palette of tone possibilities. The first switch could be set at “Principal,” which was the same default tone of the Model 305, or to “Woodwind,” “Horn,” or “String.” The second switch was essentially a pitch-transposing selector, with settings for “Fundamental,” “Octave,” “Quint,” and “Superoctave.” The far-right “Pitch Adjustment” knob enabled more refined pitch control.
The self-contained nature of Bob’s original Model 201, which retained an internal amplifier and speaker, was changed for the Model 351 (and 305). This was replaced by outputs for external connectivity.
The Model 351 is the latest in a long line of rare, vintage Moog instruments added to the Bob Moog Foundation Archives, including Bob’s very first electronic instrument, The Rensitron, an original R.A. Moog Model 201 theremin, two Moog modular synthesizers from 1967, Herb Deutsch’s Melodia theremin from 1961 and his R.A. Moog Co. Minimoog from 1971 (serial #1094), a Musonics Minimoog, Gary Wright’s Moog Liberation keytar, the Moog Apollo Polymoog prototype, the first Minimoog Voyager ever sold, and much more.
Learn more about the origins of early R.A. Moog Co. theremins with these Google Arts & Culture online exhibits:
The Birth of Moog Theremins, 1953-1956
The Evolution of Moog Theremins, 1957-1964
Your support of the Bob Moog Foundation Archives is vital for preserving vintage electronic instruments like the Model 351 theremin, carrying forward Bob Moog’s legacy while welcoming a comprehensive look back.
