Bob Moog Foundation Expands Archive With Rare Model 351 Tube Theremin
The Bob Moog Foundation is expanding its archives with the addition of 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.
Supporters Tammy and Phil Niemeyer donated the instrument, appraised with a value of $25,000.
Tammy’s grandfather, James Gray Everhart, purchased the theremin in Sherman, Texas, around 1955. He regularly played it for his family members and friends.
“We are thrilled to have this extremely rare R.A. Moog Model 351 theremin as part of the Bob Moog Foundation Archives,” said Michelle Moog-Koussa, Executive Director of the Bob Moog Foundation. “This stunning historical instrument helps us trace the evolution of Bob’s design ethic, while sharing the growth of his fledgling company.”
The Model 351 theremin is a five-octave, vacuum tube-based instrument, 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 silk-screened front panel features a generous number of tone-control knobs, including three separate volume knobs.
In the middle of the panel, there are two four-position switches, affecting what Moog called “Synthetic Format”. 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 Model 351 is the latest in a long line of rare 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 more.
The Bob Moog Foundation is an independent non-profit organization, dedicated to the preservation of Bob Moog’s legacy. Key projects include the Moogseum, a STEAM program for kids focusing on the science of sound, and preserving Moog’s archives.
