Burns B3 Deluxe. Bad decision?

       Hello everyone, I'm new to the forums, and I just want to say that this place has really helped in my research for a theremin, so thank you all. Now, I've been looking for a theremin for a good amount of time now, and i believe I have made a decision. I have settled on the B3 Deluxe, as opposed to any home built/kit, (I don't want to screw it up and be 300 buck in the pit) Etherwave, (I just can't bring myself to buy something that seems so close in quality to a 200 dollar theremin, for 400 dollars) or any other super expensive theremin. As far as I can tell, the B3 Deluxe is my best bet. Cheap, sounds great, durable, and looks nice. (BTW I already have a nice amp, plus a loop pedal, if I want to use that) But am I wrong? Keep in mind, I want to seriously take up this instrument, and I'm planning on spending a lot of time learning it, but I don't want to break the bank, I do still have to eat! I have read mixed opinions about the B3, some say it's amazing, others say the Etherwave is better for serious players, and I really need to get this settled once and for all. Thank you in advance for any and all help you can provide. Cheers!

Hi There,

The only way someone can give you input is for you to tell us where you want to end up in two years. We all have different opinions of what the word theremin represents.

Can you post a video or link to YouTube of who you would like to sound like eventually. If your budget is tight you want to buy right the first time, there are only a handful of choices. I think for many the first time hands-on theremin experience is not what they expected.

What country are you in, this may also have influence on a choice.

Christopher

 I want to be as good as Thomas Grillo! That guy is my inspiration. I may not play the exact same music style, but i want to be on his level. (I know this won't happen in 2 years, but hey, I can dream.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfz9aNapg-U 

I would like to be able to play classic, contemporary, electronic, jazz, blues, everything. (My amp can change a ton about the noise, and I have a few distortion pedals along side my looping one. 

And I'm in the US, if it helps.

Most often when I post I am advertising and yet not selling anything.

Yes, Thomas is a fine musician. After twelve years at this theremin stuff I cannot play a tune but that's inspires other ideas. My interest today has become selfish in the sense I am going to start sponsoring my own musicians who want to take up the instrument in my local which is So. California. If they have the basic musicianship skills that favor what the theremin asks for, then I will gamble that they might become a classical player. It will not cost them a thing other than time. For me the classic theremin is entertaining.

Let us see who else chimes in, it has been real slow in the theremin community the past few years, this may be the lull before the storm or the end of something beautiful.

Christopher

Edit: I do have a vague way of saying things. I would furnish the finest instrument and instructional material for a few classically trained musicians within my driving area that I felt had good potential at developing the skill to play the darn thing at no cost to them. Theremin fever can be a dangerous thing. 0-:

   Man, I hope the community doesn't die! I also don't really under stand your post. You're going to train musicians? Any way, what do you think about the B3? Good enough for beginner and professional play alike?

Hi there!

I'm a new theremin player, too, and would like to answer your question from my personal standpoint.  My husband bought me a B3 deluxe as a gift recently, I very much appreciate his kind thoughtfulness, but would have preferred to do my own research and made my own selection, as I have with all my other instrument purchases.  I don't know what your musical background is, how good is your sense of intonation, or how much you are willing to practice, or what your eventual performance goals are.  All of these things are important.  Also I think getting some lessons from someone whose playing you like is key -- Thomas Grillo offers skype lessons, which I'm hoping to sign up for soon.

Maybe my reflections so far will help your choice:

I am a classically trained musician, interested in playing theremin for my own enjoyment and possibly local performance.  The main repertoire I want to play is classical music from the romantic period, American standards, and possibly some Jewish traditional music (I am a cantor by profession.)

The B3 is portable and inexpensive.  Mine seems to have a useable range of only about 3 octaves.  If you connect with a good PA speaker or amp, and MAKE SURE THE WALL WART IS NOT DEFECTIVE, it will have a decent tone, but will not sound like the traditional RCA Tube theremeins.  It only has one tone.  No brightness or waveform controls to shape the sound.  The scale is not "linear" -- that is, as your hand gets closer to the antenna, the pitches get closer together.  My limited understanding is that this is true for all theremins, but the higher end ones improve in this area.  I spent a lot of time trying to figure out why I couldn't "fine tune" like Carolina Eyck, before I stumbled across a post here explaining that her method doesn't work if you don't have an EPro.  Other things some higher end theremins offer:  "pitch preview" to hear your starting note before the audience does; a mute switch; different timbres and different ranges of playable octaves; CV out -- other features as well, I'm sure others can speak more to this than I.

My most serious criticism of the B3 is that the volume antenna is really not sensitive -- so your expressive ability seems very limited.  Yet, Thomas Grillo gets a very nice, expressive sound out of his and I'm not sure if he's "modded" the volume on his B3 or if I just need some lessons and lots of practice.  I hope to find out soon!

Overall, I find the B3 is useful for practicing right hand technique and basic melodies.  Also for working on intonation.  It is a very reasonable price for a "beginner" instrument, if you are not sure that you are going to like this or stick with it.  But I don't think I will ultimately be able to do what I want to musically on it -- of all the theremin players I listen to and admire on YouTube, Mr. Grillo is the only one who seems able to unlock the potential of the B3, and he's got quite a collection of others that he plays, too.

I hope this lengthy post has helped. 

Beth

Thanks for the response! This has discouraged me quit a bit. Not from the theremin, but from the b3. I still may get it, but I'm not sure. Again, thank you for the help :D

I have decided to get an etherwave standard. It's my final decision, and I'm happy about it. thsnk you for sll the help, have a nice day (or night or whatever it is where you are)

Good luck!  If are purchasing an Etherwave, you might also want to have forum member Theirry Frankel install his bass module.  (Or you can install it yourself if you are technically adept).  You could also try to contact Thomas Grillo to find out his opinion on the B3 before you buy, as he is able to play it well.  My impressions may be due to my own technical inexperience.

Out of curiosity, what made you pic the standard over the plus?  Cost?

Beth

Unfortunately, I did a bit more research, and found that without mods, the standard really isn't up to par. Most of what I was seeing was the standard with mods, and if I have to buy the mods, I really can't afford the standard. When I was researching, I mostly glossed over the mods, passing them off as mere accessories. I guess it's back to the B3 for me. (And that's fine, I think I'll have a very nice time learning to play on the B3)