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A Note On My Microphones for sale

My motto has always been “I won’t sell a microphone I wouldn’t use myself”…and I even sell microphones I DO use for recordings and performances! Some of my mic customers include Charlie Musselwhite, Kim Wilson, Rick Estrin, Tom Waits, Jerry Portnoy, and Southside Johnny. I have been building, re-building, re-storing, and customizing vintage bullet style harp mics for about 20 years now, and own one of the biggest harp-centric microphone collections seen anywhere. I am still fascinated with them. OK, some say I am obsessed, but hey – who cares what “they” say anyway, right?? (also see – Bullet Microphone Collection page)

I am not currently taking custom orders, but I sometimes do have the time to build an inventory of microphones to sell and some build-to-order custom jobs. If you are looking for something in particular that you don’t see here, fill out the form at the bottom of the microphone section and I will reply when I am back at my workbench. You can also fill out that form if you have any specific questions about any of these mics I have listed for sale.

I list details of any microphone for sale, including: Manufacturer, Model, Element, Finish/Grill (condition grades include EX+, EX, EX-, VG+, VG, VG-, G+, G), Label details, Tone, and Volume (grading from A+ down to the occasional C if it is rare and has great tone).

PLEASE REMEMBER – loud volume is not always the best option, unless you have technique AND an amplified rig that can control the high output of the microphone. ALSO – meter readings don’t mean much at all when it comes to tone & output for amplified harp. Your best bet is to buy from someone who knows how to play amplified harp, and the better they can do this, the more qualified they can be to build and grade microphones for other players – if they know how to do the work. Think about it – if he had the skill, would you better trust B.B. King to build you a guitar pickup, or your neighbor (who took 3 guitar lessons when he was in puberty and now needs to raise money for his twins’ college fund)?

Also – testing any microphone out on only one amplifier is not a safe bet, the different circuitry and different speaker configurations can make a huge difference. In all my sample videos below, I use THREE amps so you get a realistic idea of how these microphones sound with a variety of amps – a 1965 Fender Princeton (1×10″ speaker), a 1956 Gibson GA-40 (1×12″ speaker) and a HarpKing (4×10″ or 6×10″ speakers model).

One More Thing – buyers beware when buying microphones from an amateur player, builder and/or antique dealer…especially “As Is” sales. “Working condition” does NOT always mean “good working condition for use with harmonica“!!  I lost track of how many microphones I had to re-build over the years for players who wanted to “save money” somewhere online (such as eBay, or from someone who “tested” out the mic with a meter). The actual microphones I have for sale are used in the videos I post, I stand behind all my microphones, and if any issues/questions ever arise, I work with the purchaser to resolve it in a timely fashion.

All microphones come with 1/4″ adapter attached (as pictured, so you can just plug in a guitar cord and play). Shipping is done with USPS Priority Mail at $18 each mic, which also includes packing & insurance. In all the years of doing this, I’ve had zero packages damaged in shipment, and only one microphone lost in shipment, which was covered by insurance (15 years ago). All mics are guaranteed to be working as described and as you see & hear in the descriptions, and sold as-is. These are vintage electronics and if treated with care should give you many years of toneful enjoyment.

INTERNATIONAL SALES – International orders are welcome. Keep in mind the shipping price will go up, and I will email you the shipping balance within a few days.

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•Microphones for sale:

#VM560 – Astatic 30 Biscuit – ORIGINAL crystal!

Here is a vintage model 30 Biscuit – chrome grille on brown body, with the stand. This has the ORIGINAL CRYSTAL inside (circa 1941), still working great! Has that killer crisp, warm, transparent crystal tone, really one the coolest ones I’ve had here in a long time. Gotta sell to get ready for my new CD! This one is for a serious player or collector – please give it a good home!

Manufacturer:	The Astatic Corp.
Model:	30 Biscuit
Element:	Original Astatic crystal
Finish:	Original Brown, VG+
Grill:	Original Chrome, EX
Label:	N/A
Tone:	Full, Crisp, Warm, Gritty
Volume:	Strong, A
Price:	$425.00
SOLD!	SOLD!

 

 

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#VM538 – Astatic JT-30

Here is a vintage JT-30 model that was dead, and now is brought back to a strong & toneful life, with a vintage full-toned Shure CM element. Lightning logo rivet label still very good. Has some scratches and marks (maybe this came from Chicago, it is vintage late 1940′s…!) but still looks good and is waiting for a home so it can start blasting them blues again!

Manufacturer:	The Astatic Corp.
Model:	JT-30
Element:	Shure CM
Finish:	Original Hammertone, G+
Grill:	Original Chrome, G
Label:	rivet label, B series
Tone:	Full, Gritty
Volume:	Strong, B+
Price:	$325.00
BUY IT NOW!

 

 

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#VM561 – Astatic W 30

Here is a cool rare version of an Astatic model JT-series bullet microphone – model W 30. This model has a brown body and chrome grille, circa approximately 1950. Brown wide-slot shell in very good shape, Lightning logo rivet label still very good. This one has an Astatic 151 crystal in it with a nice full tone. One of the more rare models of the JT-30 family.

Manufacturer:	The Astatic Corp.
Model:	W 30
Element:	Astatic 151 crystal
Finish:	Original Brown, VG
Grill:	Original Chrome, VG
Label:	rivet label, B series
Tone:	Full, Gritty
Volume:	Strong, B+
Price:	$375.00
BUY IT NOW!

 

 

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#VM533 – Astatic JT-30

Here is another nice early version of the Astatic JT-30 microphone. The original crystal was dead, but I was able to replace it with a correct vintage Astatic 101 crystal element. Shell is in very good shape, Astatic logo label looks very good. Nice full, round mellow tone on this bad boy. Grill is also in great shape.

Manufacturer:	The Astatic Corp.
Model:	JT-30
Element:	vintage Astatic 101 crystal
Finish:	Original Hammered Grey, VG+
Grill:	Original Chrome, VG+
Label:	Astatic logo, rivet, “B” series
Tone:	Fat, Round, Smooth
Volume:	Very Good, B
Price:	$345.00
SOLD!	SOLD!

 

 

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#VM543 – Shure 707A

This is the crystal Shure Bullet model 707A. It’s original crystal (very weak) was replaced with a vintage Shure crystal element (not an R7), with a nice full tone. Shell is in very good shape. Blue “Chicago” label looks very good. Grill is also in great shape, with a replacement cloth that matches the ID tag.

Manufacturer:	Shure Brothers, Inc
Model:	707A
Element:	Shure crystal 99A400 728
Finish:	Original Silver, VG
Grill:	Original Brushed, VG
Label:	Blue, “Chicago”
Tone:	Round, Full
Volume:	Very Good, B
Price:	$295.00
SOLD!	SOLD!

 

 

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•Vintage Accessories:

Vintage Amphenol inline On/Off Switch – $75

I have a vintage Amphenol  inline On/Off switch, which connects directly to the old-style screw-on microphone connectors (such as on the Astatic JT-30, and as installed on all my custom microphones) and an adapter or cable connects directly to the other end. Screws right on, and can be switched on or off at your discretion. A very cool vintage accessory, and very handy especially if you sing, or want to be able to turn your mic off without the hassle of running back to your amp.

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Microphone Inquiry Form

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•Low-noise cables for sale:

coming soon…stay tuned

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•Amps for sale:

I currently only have a few smaller amps for sale. I do hate to sell any amps I have, but from time to time I go through my collection & put some amps that I don’t use much up for sale to make room for more mics, records or bigger amps!  All amps listed for sale have been used by me for gigging and/or recording and are serviced prior to sale.

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Mid 1960′s Gretsch 6150 SOLD!!

• 1×8″ (Mojo replacement speaker – still have original Jensen)
• 1x6v6 power tube
• Very Good condition

I’ve seen a few of these amps go for big money (made by Valco), but most of them that I tried didn’t sound great for harp…until this one. This definitely had some extra “mojo” and after I replaced the speaker and some caps, WOW – this thing is a little monster! I love coming across cool small- to mid-sized amps that have awesome tone, but I just don’t use them enough to justify keeping them all. So I decided to also let this one go as well. Seriously killer small amp for practice or small gigs or recordings. No thin tone here – just dig the samples below.

Gretsch 6150 with Controlled Magnetic element:

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Gretsch 6150 with Crystal element:

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