Sonica vintage synthesizer analog synth Serge moog arp


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Last updated on 01:51:55 PM PST, Nov 06, 2009 View all revisions

Up for auction is the extremely rare Sonica, built by Frank Eventoff. Only 650 of these were ever produced, making it a highly collectible electronic device. Very few are now known to exist, even fewer in working condition.

In 1979, the first Sonicas were produced, a collaboration with Larry Heller. There were 650 built, but very few are seen nowadays. Serge Tcherepnin of Serge synthesizers (producer of high-end modular synths!) did the oscillator design, and the oscillator inside the Sonica is indeed a Serge oscillator. The neck is incredibly comfortable, and easily fits into the hand, facilitating the sliding action used for playing the Sonica. Creator Frank Eventoff's neighbor in Silverlake was a modelmaker and carved the bodies - they produced them in runs of 24 at a time. The body is made from finely hand-carved mahogany. Donna Summer bought one of the runs of 24 and created a Sonica Orchestra.

The sound of the Sonica can best be described as somewhere between a sitar and violin. When run through a simple delay, an amazing array of soundscapes are derived. The front panel features a Key/Pitch Knob, and an On/Off Volume Knob. It also features three buttons. "Slider," which is a tremolo type effect, "Tone," which is actually a tonal boost, and "Half-Step," which raises the note an octave. It features a built-in speaker, with an 1/8 inch output to connect to an amplifier or recording device. It runs on one 9-volt battery which is installed by accessing a plate on the backside of the device. The Sonica really shines when sent through a tube amplifier, producing a crystalline sound unlike anything I've heard before.

This unit for auction is in very good shape cosmetically and works as it should. Because of the age of the electronics, it's being sold as-is with all sales final. Will ship this item worldwide. Free shipping is only for the US. International to pay actual postage cost.

Very conservatively, there are probably a couple hundred of these in working condition today, most of which have been abused in one way or another. This one is in great cosmetic shape and was purchased NOS from an original investor. Since being purchased, it has been played briefly.

This device includes the original carrying case, original owners manual, warranty registration card (unused), and a business card from Frank Eventoff at Sound Instruments.

A link to the history of the Sonica:
http://www.alsrecordsandtapes.com/sw.story.htm

Device sounds amazing and is incredibly rare. Don't miss out!

NOTE: With Buy It Now, you can get 8% cash-back via bing.com!

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any scratches, dings, marks, wear, on it?

Hi, the item is in out of the box condition. It has only been played for a couple of hours since being unearthed from its case. It was purchased from an original investor. Some of the Sonicas, even having never been touched, were malfunctioning/had lots of battery leakage, et cetera. I was given one that operates perfectly. This one is in perfect cosmetic condition with the following caveats:
-There is a bit of staining on the copper metal "bindings" to the left of the fretboard. The staining stems from the fifth fret to the seventh fret, not so much at all, and then on the eighth fret binding there is more discoloration. This may be able to be removed and just looks like a dirty thumb print. I haven't tried to remove it. It doesn't go into the binding, but is just a surface discoloration.
-There is a little discoloration on the Sonica faceplate in front of the built-in speaker. Very little and, once again, this may be able to be removed.
-The Sonica is in perfect condition on the wood except for a couple very tiny surface scratches, very slight crazes of the finish, not deep into the wood by any means.

any battery (acid) leakage)?

Regarding battery leakage, this is a well-known problem for Sonicas. This one has a little residue on the back of the faceplate that covers the battery (see photograph). In the actual battery cavity, there is a little of what looks like battery residue, but it is not a lot and has not eaten into the wood or anything awful. It is on the surface and is not a problem.

any issues with it of any kind?

I have not noticed any issues, other than the ones stated above about slight cosmetic issues.

do you have any sound samples?

Yes, send me a message with your email address and I will email you sound samples.

The sound sample consists of:
First of all, the sonica is amplified through an 1/8th inch to 1/4 inch adapter and sent through a tube amp. The beginning of the sample is the sonica clean, then I play with the slider function, then the tone function, then the half step function. Then you can hear the dive-bombs and swoops-up with the "key" function. Then I turn on a delay pedal and play with everything. You can hear how the Sonica shimmers with delay and generally sounds amazing, as a vintage analog instrument should.

Let me know if you have any questions, thanks.

You are purchasing the item when you Buy It Now. Ask any and all questions before purchasing.

Buyers with 0 or low feedback must contact me before buying. Thanks.

Shipping and handling

Item location: Los Angeles, California, United States

Shipping to: Worldwide

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Free shipping	United States	US Postal Service Priority Mail^®	3-4 business days after seller receives cleared payment

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#184/650 -- very rare to see this synth! - COLLECTORS