“The next time you hear the original recording of “Good Vibrations”, instead of just saying “that’s not a Theremin” also mention “it’s not a Tannerin”, an instrument that came later to be used as a substitute on Beach Boy recordings. What you do hear in the original “Good Vibrations” is called “The Box” a design that came about by Paul Tanner’s observation of Thereminist Samuel Hoffman in Hollywood having difficulty in setting up his theremin. The internet is full of myth and misinformation, why not give credit to the fine work of one musician, Dr. Paul Tanner who captured the voice of the theremin and put it in his box. This has brought more worldwide awareness to the theremin instrument than anything had before. Every good performer has his own set of onstage illusions. Dr. Paul Tanner is a true theremin success story!

“The Box” used tube/valves as its active component for oscillation & amplification and a potentiometer for pitch control with a cable & pulley configuration. This cable setup was similar to what antique radios use to move the tuning pointer in a straight line across the dial face.

Much later “The Box” as Paul still calls it today would be referred to as the electro-Theremin by Hollywood executives while today’s “simulations” are called a Tannerin. The Tannerin uses a resistive ribbon contact strip for the pitch control and solid state components for oscillation and amplification. After Good Vibrations was recorded with the “Beach Boys” using “The Box” they needed a way to duplicate the sound on the road. This is where Robert Moog was called upon with the first Tannerin and later on the “Beach Boys” used a design constructed by the talented David Miller.

Dr. Paul Tanner is more importantly recognized for his many years of trombone playing in the Glenn Miller Band and his teaching of music. He has taught over 75,000 students music and jazz in his 23 year career at UCLA.

Dr. Tanner today lectures on Cruise Ships about jazz and the big band era.”

http://www.oldtemecula.com/theremin/tanner/index.htm

The more you know…

The whole Universe is a large joke.
Everything in the Universe are just subdivisions of this joke.
So why take anything too serious.
– Frank Zappa

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Vibrations#Recording

it’s perfect. plus petra haden does a glorious a cappella rendition in which she sings all the instruments…
http://petrahadenmusic.com/God_Only_Knows.mp3
perfect as well.