Microphones & more
A Note… / Mics For Sale / Low-Noise Cables & Accessories / Amps For Sale
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)
part of the Gruenling Microphone Collection (click to go to the 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″ speakers model).
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:
#VM532 – Astatic JT-30 (written label)
This is an early version of the classic Astatic JT-30 model microphone. It has NOS Astatic MC-151 crystal element inside, with a nice full, rich, fat tone. Shell is in very good shape, hardly any marks, written out Astatic label (pre-logo label). Grill is also in great shape.
Killer diller mic!
| Manufacturer: | The Astatic Corporation | ||
| Model: | JT-30, “A” series | ||
| Element: | NOS Astatic MC-151 crystal | ||
| Finish: | Original Grey, VG+ | ||
| Grill: | Original Chrome, VG+ | ||
| Label: | Astatic Corporation rivet | ||
| Tone: | Fat, Gritty, Full | ||
| Volume: | Very Good, A | ||
| Price: | $375.00 | ||
SOLD!! |
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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 | ||
| BUY IT NOW! |  |
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#VM534 – Astatic JT-30 in box!
Here it is, a great example of the classic JT-30 microphone IN THE BOX, with the original full-toned working MC-151 crystal element. Shell is in excellent condition. Silver border adhesive label, also in great shape. This microphone looks like it was used VERY sparingly. A rare example of a great sounding and looking all-original Astatic JT-30 in the box!
| Manufacturer: | The Astatic Corp. | ||
| Model: | JT-30 | ||
| Element: | Astatic MC-151 original crystal | ||
| Finish: | Original Hammered Grey, EX | ||
| Grill: | Original Chrome, EX+ | ||
| Label: | Adhesive, silver border | ||
| Tone: | Fat, Round, Gritty | ||
| Volume: | Very Good, A | ||
| Price: | $395.00 | ||
SOLD!! |
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#VM524 – Shure 520 Green Bullet
This is the classic Shure “Green Bullet” model 520. It has the original Controlled Magnetic element inside, with a nice full, fat tone. Shell is in very good shape, not too many marks, dark green label looks very good. Grill is also in great shape.
| Manufacturer: | Shure Brothers, Inc | ||
| Model: | 520 SL | ||
| Element: | Cont Mag 99B86 922 HE | ||
| Finish: | Original Green, VG | ||
| Grill: | Original Brushed, VG+ | ||
| Label: | Dark Green | ||
| Tone: | Fat, Round, Full | ||
| Volume: | Very Good, B+ | ||
| Price: | $290.00 | ||
| BUY IT NOW! | |
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#VM525 – Shure 440 Bullet
Here is another Shure Bullet Mic – the 440. Has the original Controlled Magnetic element inside, with a strong, fat & round tone. Shell is in very good shape, with a few marks. Grill is very good, shows no signs of usage. Great alternative to a “normal” Green Bullet…this one is a little stronger than the 520 I have for sale here.
| Manufacturer: | Shure Brothers Inc. | ||
| Model: | 440 | ||
| Element: | Cont Mag 99B86 CB | ||
| Finish: | Original Grey, VG- | ||
| Grill: | Original Brushed, EX | ||
| Label: | Light Green | ||
| Tone: | Round, Full, Strong | ||
| Volume: | Loud, A | ||
| Price: | $295.00 | ||
| BUY IT NOW! | |
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•Vintage Accessories:
Vintage Amphenol inline On/Off Switch - $70
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:
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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
- 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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Fill the form below to inquire about the amps…
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