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Make |
various |
Model |
Ultra-rare Engels theremin-cello |
Description |
THEREMIN-CELLO (NB: I forgot to say this is US voltage, so needs a step-down transformer in Europe etc.)
Here's a unique opportunity to own a part of the legend : a rare replica of an even rarer instrument, the Theremin-Cello !
The theremin cello is one of Leon Theremin's lesser known creations from the 1930's. Instead of the Cello's strings, the Theremin-Cello has a flexible black plastic film fingerboard which produces a tone for as long as the finger is depressed, the pitch is defined by the position on the fingerboard and the volume is controlled by a lever. The timbre of the sound is controlled by two rotary knobs built onto the Cello's body.
The instrument was used throughout the 1930's by a number of musicians most notably Leopold Stokowski who commissioned Lev Termen (Leon Theremin) to design and build a bass Theremin-Cello which was later abandoned due to the side effects caused by subharmonic frequencies on the orchestra's string section. Edgard Varese used two of them as soloists in his 'Ecuatorial'. The original instrument was manufactured by Theremin's Teletouch company in New York City, USA. Nobody knows how many were made, but we do know that only two survived, and neither of them work.
This particular model is the 7th on 10 replicas produced by artist / maker / historian Floyd Engels in 2004, who is also known for making recreations of Clara Rockmore's diamond speaker. Engels meticulously reverse engineered the two broken models and developed this virtually identical reproduction, right down to the vintage tubes from the 30s.
This example was never played in concert. It was sometimes rented for exhibitions in museums and was cleaned and serviced last summer by a vintage electronic instrument specialist ready for this auction. It is in the private collection of an active musician known as one of the leading European experts and players of rare instruments such as ondes Martenot. He is its 2nd owner. The instrument is sold with spare tubes and the manual.
Here is a nice live performance of one of the Engel Theremin-Cellos, same model as the one sold here :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHXKQUs7EWM
To give you an idea of the sound of the instrument sold here, you can hear an improvisation made by the previous owner of this 7th model by Floyd Engels :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XhDCI_3Jbw&feature=related
The amp for the theremin cello is 41 pounds or 18.6 kilograms. It is 50cm tall, 26 cm deep and 36 cm wide. The theremin cello with case is 20 pounds, or 9 kilograms. It is shaped like a guitar. 114 cm tall, 14 deep, 44 cm at its widest point. We would highly recommend palletised shipping, or hand collection from near Strasbourg.
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Age |
n/a |
Weight |
n/a |
Condition |
Very good |
Location |
France |
Vat |
Not from a VAT-registered business. But VAT / duty may be due if importing from outside your trade bloc. |
Quantity |
1 item is available from the owner |
Options |
User manual : No |
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Service manual : No |
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First owner : No |
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Original boxes : No |
Plug type |
Usa standard plug |
Voltage type |
Internal 110V power supply |
Status |
Item is still available |
Sale type |
The item is on the auction rooms |
Ending on |
15/11/2020 |
Category |
Miscellaneous |
Serial number |
Unknown |
Sphere reference |
# 22036 |
Statistics |
Created on : 11/10/2020 |
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Changed on : 26/10/2020 |
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Published on : (Not published) |
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Displayed : 1445 time(s) by members and guests |
Safety |
All electrical items sold in VEMIA are deemed to be trade sales. No warranty of electrical safety is given or implied. Many items are vintage and would not pass current electrical safety standards. It is the responsibility of the buyer to ensure that items are safe to use in their future environment - if necessary by using the services of a professional. |
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Prices and conditions |
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The following section gives you the prices as well as shipment and payment conditions associated with the item. Payment is always requested in GBP. Converted price is shown for information and converted with Sphere standard currency rate.
Shipment and Payment links gives you access to an extended description of our rating :
Start price |
7605 EUR |
Converted price (1) |
6341.35 GBP |
Shipment |
International or local shipment to pay |
Packing costs |
0 GBP |
Payment |
Full pre payment needed |
Auction bid step |
50 GBP |
Auction highest bid |
0 GBP |
Converted highest bid |
0 GBP |
Leader or winner |
*None |
(1) Currency conversion |
Note that conversion rates were last adjusted on 10th October 2024 at 10:56 CET. They are there to give you a rough guide to the bid price in your currency. Please check for a more up-to-date conversion at https://www.x-rates.com/calculator.html. The bid price will be the actual price in pounds (GBP) at the moment the auction closes. This will be roughly converted to your currency for your information.
For technical reasons, we are unable to update the conversion from GBP to Euro during the auction, although it may change at any time. If you are in the euro zone please check the current rate at https://www.x-rates.com/calculator.html
Payments must always be in GBP. For more info please see the FAQ about exchange rates.https://spheremusic.com/Winfaq.asp?Question=91. |
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