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Sonic Wave

Jimmy Page British
late 1960s
Not on view
On loan to The Met
This work of art is currently on loan to the museum.
The theremin, invented in the 1920s by Russian engineer Lev Termen (Leon Theremin), was the first successful electronic instrument. Its pitch and volume are controlled by the proximity of the player’s hands to vertical and horizontal antennae, respectively. This version, owned by Jimmy Page, features a single antenna for pitch control. Page used the theremin, often with his Echoplex EP-3 tape delay, to create the dynamic soundscapes in Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” and “No Quarter.” He also incorporated the instrument in live solos and in his soundtrack to the 1982 action film Death Wish II.

Technical Description:
Metal housing and components; One vertical antenna for pitch control, one "adjust" control for sensitivity

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Sonic Wave
  • Artist: I. W. Turner, Inc.
  • Artist: Jimmy Page (British, Heston, born 1944)
  • Date: late 1960s
  • Geography: Port Washington, New York, United States
  • Medium: Metal, plastic
  • Dimensions:


    Antennae: 19 in.
  • Classification: Electrophone
  • Credit Line: Collection Jimmy Page
  • Curatorial Department: Musical Instruments