We all know how Elvis took the music world by storm, well not as well known but equally cool was the Stromberg-Carlson MD-41 Microphone.  Yep this was the same type of microphone that Elvis would sing into and drive the girls nuts.  The microphone was actually produced by the Shure Brothers and Stromberg-Carlson just added their own branding to it.  The MD-41 is basically the Shure 55C microphone designed for high impedance equipment.

Shure Brothers introduced the Shure 55 model in 1939.  It was big and it was bad.  The first model was called the Shure 55A and is known as the Fatboy or Fathead to microphone collectors and music lovers.  The Stromberg-Carlson equivalent is known as the MD-31 and is essentially the same as the Shure 55A.

Stromberg-Carlson History

Stromberg-Carlson was originally located in Chicago.  Stromberg heading marketing and getting out the word about their products.  Carlson was responsible and oversaw manufacturing.  They produced telephone equipment and in 1901 almost lost the company to a hostile stock takeover by Western Electric.  The attempt fail and Stromberg-Carlson decided to reincorporate in New York to better protect themselves from this type of action.  The company was purchased in 1904 by Home Telephone Company and operations were moved to Rochester, New York.  Prior to WWII the company became a major manufacture of consumer electronics (telephones, radios and receivers).  After the War, they would get into television sets and set their sites on the broadcasting market.  One of their first purchases was WHAM, a radio station in Rochester, which was also one of the first FM broadcasting stations in the US.  Sometime during this period, the Shure Brothers manufactured microphones for Stromberg-Carlson line.  I haven’t found exactly when this occurred, so I would love to know more about how Shure worked with Stromberg-Carlson and what their relationship was.

The initial fatboy models for Stromberg-Carlson were the MC-31 and the MC-32.  These were both manufactured by Shure after their model 55A and 55B.  The MC-31 was geared towards singers while the MC-32 was geared more for the studio, broadcasters and engineers.  You can read a little more about them from their 1950′s catalog.

After these two beasts were released the Stromberg-Carlson MC-41 was released.  The MC-41 was smaller and lost that Fatboy look, but retained the same overall style.  This is the microphone style that Elvis sang with and is known as the Elvis Microphone.

There isn’t a ton of information about these iconic designed microphones, so it is really hard to dig up much intel on them.  They are supposed to be rarer than the Shure brand microphones, but for whatever reason they don’t sell for as much.  The MC-32 seems to be the most rare of the 3, since it was more of a specialized microphone for radio announcers and studios rather than your generic singers.  The MC-41 had to be made after 1950, since the 1950 catalog doesn’t contain any reference to it.

One thing to note is that these early microphones didn’t have an on/off switch like many microphones do today.  To get around this Shure made an on/off switch called the A85C (A85C On / Off push button switch) and the A83B (A turn dial on/of switch).  These could be attached to the bottom of the microphone.

Another thing you might see on the early models is a Impedance Selector Screw.  The Shure 55S has a screw on the back part of the microphone that can be adjusted based on the desired Impedance of H,M or L and is written HML.

There are three general classifications for microphone impedance. Depending on manufacture, these guidelines may vary slightly.  Impedance is measured in ohms, shown with the Greek Omega symbol Ω.  A microphone with the specification 600Ω has an impedance of 600 ohms.

• Low Impedance(less than 600Ω)
• Medium Impedance (600Ω – 10,000Ω)
• High Impedance (greater than 10,000Ω)

L or Low impedance is generally the preferred choice.  Low impedance microphones should normally be connected to an input that has the same or higher impedance.  Connecting a microphone to a lower input impedance source will usually cause loss of signal strength.  The main rule of thumb is the lower the impedance the better the microphone.  Microphones that only come with a high impedance are normally less expensive and not as good.  The reason why you might want to switch impedance is to better match the input device the microphone is attaching to.

So far I haven’t seen any imitations out there, but as with most antiques, once the price starts to rise, imitations naturally hit the market.

Stromberg-Carlson MC-31 Microphone Shure 55A

Stromberg-Carlson Microphone – MC-32

Stromberg-Carlson MC-41

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When you think of Antique or Vintage microphones you probably picture the Shure Model 55.  It’s one of those iconic mics that just grabbed the attention of the music generation during the late 30′s and into the 60′s.

Introduced in 1939, the Shure 55 mic became one of the most sought after instruments for singers, musicians and announcers.  The looks appealed to young and old and the quality was top notch.  It possessed a single dynamic element, which was  cutting edge technology in the microphone world.

Shure History

Sidney Shure founded the Shure Radio Company in the mid 1920′s.  The company was mainly supplying radio parts throughout Chicago.  Once Samuel, Sidney’s brother came on board, the company changed their name to Shure Brothers.  Starting in the early 30′s, the company began to produce microphones for singers, musicians and broadcasters.  Their first model was the Shure 33N.  In 1939 they released the first single-element unidirectional microphone, affectionately known as the UNIDYNE aka unidirectional dynamic microphone.  In doing so, they revolutionized the microphone industry.

The first model to really capture attention of the music world was the Shure 55A, known as the fatboy or fathead by collectors today.  Along with the Shure 55A, the 55B and 55C were also produced.  These designs were an immediate hit and anyone who could afford them, bought them up in droves.  The design has been so successful throughout the years, that even today, Shure makes a similar model, albeit a little smaller, known as the Shure Super 55 Deluxe.  While the new model might have better internals as far as performance goes, the quality and craftsmanship of the older models will probably never be matched.  The shear weight and metal used in the older models has made them stand the test of time.  I guess it is something about the weight and size that just makes them feel like quality works of art.

When the Shure 55S debuted, it again became a very sought after microphone.  Gone was the bulky profile of the fatboy and replaced instead with a slimmed down version that was more refined and elegant.   This new model would be called the “Baby Unidyne” or the “Elvis mic”, due to Elvis Presley’s on stage use of the mic.  The postal service would even come out with a stamp of Elvis singing into the Shure 55.

Shure Unidyne Microphone Timeline For the Model 55

1939 – Shure introduces the “unidyne” cardiod dynamic microphone

• 55A – $45; cardioid; low impedance (50 ohms)
• 55B – $45; cardioid; medium impedance (250 ohms)
• 55C – $45; cardioid; high impedance (15,000 ohms)

The Fatboy or Fathead as they were called, were produced from 1939 – 1947.  These microphones need the Amphenol MC3M connector, since they will not connect directly to a modern XLR connector.  The 55C was designed for broadcast radios and other equipment with a high impedance input.

At some point in this timeline, the Sure Brothers also manufactured the Shure brand of microphones to Stromberg-Carlson.  The only difference I could see between the Shure branded microphones and the Stromberg-Carlson are the name plates and model numbers.  Stromberg-Carlson had model numbers that began with MC (MC-31, MC-32, MC-41 and so on).  They may have also manufactured the 55 type microphones to other companies, but I haven’t seen them.  Stromberg-Carlson’s microphones tend to be more rare, but for whatever reason don’t fetch as much on the market.

 1940 - Shure introduces the Broadcast 555 cardiod dynamic microphone

• 555A – $60; cardioid; low impedance (50 ohms); shock mount in lower portion of mic
• 555B – $60; cardioid; medium impedance (250 ohms); shock mount in lower portion of mic
• 555C – $60; cardioid; high impedance (15,000 ohms); shock mount in lower portion of mic

Along with microphones Shure released a bunch of accessories for the 555 microphone line.  The On-Off switch accessories were designed to allow radio announcers and recording studios to quickly turn the microphone on or off.  The A32A Elastic Isolation Unit would help reduce vibration during recordings and radio shows.

• A32A Elastic Isolation Unit
• A83A Microphone”ON-OFF” Switch
• A80B Microphone”ON-OFF” Switch
• A84A Microphone push button “ON-OFF” Switch
• A85A Microphone push button “ON-OFF” Switch
• A72A Call Letter Plate.

These new accessories all had a really nice Satin Chrome finishes with Bakelite nobs and made the microphones really stand out.

 1942

• 55AV – $46; cardioid, low impedance (50 ohms); increased high frequency response for voice clarity in paging and two-way radio systems
• 55BV – $48; cardioid, medium impedance (250 ohms); increased high frequency response for voice clarity in paging and two-way radio systems
• 55CV – $48; cardioid, high impedance (15,000 ohms); increased high frequency response for voice clarity in paging and two-way radio systems
• 556A – $75; supercardioid; low impedance (50 ohms); shock mount in lower portion of mic
• 556B – $75; supercardioid; medium impedance (250 ohms); shock mount in lower portion of mic
• 556C – $75; supercardioid; high impedance (15,000 ohms); shock mount in lower portion of mic

1947

• 55 - $55; cardioid; add three-position impedance switch (low-medium-high)
• 556 – $85; supercardioid; add three-position impedance switch (low-medium-high); add Cannon XL connector

1951

• 55S – $72; cardioid; add impedance selection switch (Low-Medium-High); “S” designation meant “Small”
• 556S – $100; supercardioid; add Cannon XL connector; add impedance selection switch (Low-Medium-High); shock mount in lower portion of the mic; “S” designation meant “Small”

1961

• 55SW – $85; cardioid; add on/off switch; “W” designation meant “sWitch”

1967

• 55S Gold – $93; cardioid; gold plated 55S
• 55SW Gold – $95; cardioid; gold plated 55SW

1970

• PE55SH – $112; cardioid; factory set to high impedance; add plastic carrying case

1979

• 55SH – $100; cardioid; replace Amphenol connector with XLR connector; eliminate impedance switch; internal high/low impedance choice on XLR connector

1989

• 55SH Series II – $189; cardioid; low impedance only; new mic element

2009

• Super 55 - $311; chrome case with blue foam; supercardioid; improved frequency response; low impedance only; no switch

2010

• Super 55 BRC – $354; black case with red foam; limited production run; supercardioid; improved frequency response; low impedance only; no switch

Here are some historical moments and the Shure 55 was there to witness and record the events.

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We love to dig into history and for Turner Microphones, it seems the history of their start began where dead people go.

Around 1925 in the town of Cedar Rapids, there was a mortician named David Turner.  Often during funerals, mourners would fill his dad’s funeral parlor beyond capacity.  At some point an idea came to mind and David urged his father to purchase some type of PA (Public Address) system to be used during funeral proceedings.  By using the PA system, regardless of how many people attended, everyone would be able to hear what the minister was saying.  Around 1931, the Turner’s started to manufacture their own PA systems.   Soon after David developed a pressure system for embalming fluid.  This new system replaced the old fashioned gravity flow system.  Sort of a weird bed fellows, pressurized embalming systems and PA systems.  None the less the company really started to take off.  By the mid 50′s the company was in full swing and hit it’s peak in the 1970′s when the CB craze hit the market.  Unluckily for the Turners, the gamble that this market would grow didn’t pay off and the company eventually had to sell it’s assets and went out of business in 1979.

Two common letters are used in many of the Turner microphones.  The letter X stands for Crystal and the letter D stands for Dynamic.  So for example 22X or 34X means the microphone is a crystal or piezo microphone.  22D or 34D means the microphone is a dynamic microphone.

While many microphones were rather boring looking in the 40′s and 50′s, the Turner microphones were stunning.  They had neat lines that made them exciting to look at and now have become sought after art deco pieces.   They sort of remind me of the Cylon troopers from Battlestar Galactica, with the fin looking tops.

Recently we received a really cool Turner 22X microphone.  It was sitting on an adjustable EMCO microphone stand and looks exactly like the one above.  Couldn’t find much on EMCO, but the microphone came from New York, so maybe EMCO was there.  Both the microphone and stand are probably from the 40′s.

Probably the most sought after microphone in the Turner line is the 34X.  It has fantastic lines and is immediately recognizable with it’s jutting out head.

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The Astatic 77 Microphone or sometimes erroneously referred to as the 77A was manufactured by the Astatic Corporation starting around 1945 and continued to be made into the 1960′s.  The “A” that people often mistake as part of the model number, actually stands for Astatic and not the letter A.  You can see this in their logo, where the 2nd “A” has lightning bolts emitting from it.  There were quite a few well known performers who used the Astatic 77 including Little Richard, Eddie Cochran, Bo Diddley, Gene Vincent and even Elvis Presley.  That said, Elvis was more known for using the Shure 55 microphone and the post office even made a stamp of him using the 55.

The Astatic 77 was designed for high quality broadcasts, recording studios and public addresses.  On the underside of the microphone there are three letters H,M,L that stand of High, Medium and Low Impedance.  Depending on what the microphone was being connected to, users could switch between Impedance levels.  The microphone was made out of polished satin chrome and many still retain their luster.  For a little bit more money the Astatic Corporation would add an optional gold finish.

When Shure released their 55 microphone, other companies like Astatic had to think fast and also come out with a great looking mic.  Astatic answer was the 77 Microphone.  As a testimate to the great design, other companies would soon try to capitalize on the looks by making similar designs.  Some of these companies included Calectro, Calrad, Claricon, & Lafayette.  Their designs however fell short in both quality and craftsmanship.  It was a time when American manufacturing was superior to their Asian counterparts.  Japan still climbing out of it’s war torn economy just couldn’t compete in the quality department.

History
The Astatic Corporation was incorporated in 1933 in Conneaut, Ohio by C.M. Chorpening (Vice President) and F.H. Woodworth (President).

From what I can tell, there were at least 2 versions of the Astatic 77.  The first version doesn’t have an on/off selection switch.  The second version which does, was probably released later and might have been released around the time that Shure released their 55SW.  The “W” standing for switch.  I have come across 2 other models including the 77-L & 77-G, but I am not sure what those letters designate.

The difference between the Astatic 77 and the 77-L had to do with mounting.  The 77-L just had the head only and was used to mount on desk top type G-Stands, where the lower portion of the microphone wasn’t needed.  The 77-L was most likely used for broadcast type settings, where the announcer would be sitting at a desk.

You will see many of the Astatic 77s missing their colorful 77A name tag.  These name takes weren’t that secure, so if the microphone got bumped around a bit, it could easily go missing.

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Time seems to fly by and a year before I was born, the Beatles made their debut in the US on “The Ed Sullivan Show”, Sunday, Feb. 9, 1964.  This then was the beginning of Beatlemania that spread across the US.  It’s hard to imagine a band or group having such a huge success after a single show in today’s ever changing news cycle.  Life was just simpler back then and people tuned in to watch shows like “The Ed Sullivan Show” on a weekly basis.  Now with Netflix, Showtime, cable and so many more options, it’s hard to get a large audience unless it’s the Superbowl.

I was never one to really like the Beatles, I preferred bands like the Eagles or Steve Miller, but as I get older I do often find myself singing along to a Beatles song.  I guess that is the genius of their music.  It doesn’t have that twisted feel to it, like so many songs do today. It seems happier and more upbeat.

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During the 1950′s and 1960′s Electro-Voice came out with some fantastic microphones known as the Electro Voice 726 and 731.  These were dynamic microphones that used what is referred to as a cardioid directional pickup pattern to help with noise and feedback reduction.  The 727 came with the “Cardyne I” tagline and the 731 had the “Cardyne II” tagline.

Electro Voice History

Electro Voice started out in 1927 manufacturing radio parts in South Bend Indiana. It was started by Al Kahn and Lou Burroughs.  In 1930, Al and Lou develop a public address system for the football coach of Notre Dame University, Knute Rockne.  Knute referred to the microphone as his ”Electric Voice”

In 1934 Electro Voice (EV) invents the hum-bucking coil, which allows the microphone to be held close to lights and other electrical devices without creating a hum.  Another advancement occurred in 1940, when EV invented the noise-cancelling microphone, that would be used by the military during WWII.  1954 saw the development and introduction of the Variable-D microphone technology.  This helped minimize the bass boost that would often occur during close up recording sessions.  This helped improve the microphone’s ability to improve vocals during performances, recordings and broadcasts.

Like the Shure 55 Fatboy, the Electro Voice 726 and 731 mics are extremely heavy, weighing in at over 2 1/2 pounds, giving them the heavyweight title.

Electro Voice 726 Microphone Cardyne I

EV model 345 shock mount

The Electro Voice model 731 Cardyne II originally sold for $80 and came with a shock mount, like the one above.  The 726 Cardyne I also came with a 345 shock mount and sold for $59.  The 731 Cardyne II was an improvement over the original Cardyne I, since it had a little better response and boosted output.  I believe both models had a improved modification done to the impedance selector when the Cardyne II was released.  For those that didn’t have the 345 shock mount, they could purchase one for $11.50.  The 345 shock mount helped eliminate unwanted vibration noise.

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Western Electric 639 is sort of a hybrid microphone, since it has both a dynamic moving coil and a ribbon element.  It used the 630A omni-directional dynamic unit with the addition of a crimpled bi-directional assembly.  There were two versions, the 639A and the 639B.  The 639A came with 3 switchable settings while the 639B include 3 additional cardiod settings .

639A and 639B

Altec 639B Switch

• R – figure of eight (ribbon/bi-directional)
• D – non-directional (dynamic/omin-directional)
• C – cardiod (combined pattern)

639B’s additional settings

• 1 – cardiod with little rear sensitivity
• 2 – cardiod with moderate rear sensitivity
• 3 – cardiod with heavy rear sensitivity

The microphones were designed by the Bell Telephone Laboratories, but the actual manufacturing was by the Western Electric Company. They were released in 1939 thus the 39 in the name.  The microphones initially carried the Western Electric branding and sometime in 1941 it was changed to Altec, the audio spin-off of Western Electric.).

The microphones have a unique 3 pin setup.  rather than a XLR 3 pin triangular pattern, the pins are all in a straight line.  To solve the problem on playing these today, you need to find an adapter that converts the 3 pins to an XLR.  Front End Audio carries the Coles 4069 adapter which convert the old Western Electric / Altec connectors to XLR.

The 639 microphone was nicknamed the Birdcage mic because of it’s size and how it resembles a birdcage. Since the microphone was a combo mic and as a result it made it quite heavy, weighing in at 3.5 lbs. It dimensions are approximately 7.5 x 4.5 x 3.5 inches.

Rather that have a really lengthy article on the Western Electric 639, I thought I would include a fantastic link to a great website called Coutant.org and their article on the Altec 639.

These microphones are pricy on Ebay.  They typically sell for $500 or more.  The ones that are in really good condition can sell for as much as $1200-$1500.  Often you will see otherwise nice 639′s with missing or broken grills.

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Recently I went to a Hamfest and picked up an amazing looking Double Button Carbon Ring Microphone called the New Universal Model X.  It also has the wording Protected Diaphragm on it.

First off you might wonder what the heck is a Hamfest.  Well it’s a get together of Ham radio operators and enthusiasts interested in Amateur Radio.  During these festivals, Amateur Radio operators or “hams”,  like to setup swap meets to buy and sell Ham radio related items as well as talk shop and provide ham radio courses and lectures.  Recently, as in this year, I discovered the term Hamfest and found out that people bring some of their older vintage and antique microphones to swap and sell.  This was my first ever Hamfest and I wasn’t disappointed.  Most of the stuff there was way over my head and I had really no idea what I was looking at other than it was related to amateur radio equipment.  This happened to be a perfect venue for not getting distracted when looking for mics.  I only had one mission, to find microphones, and as such, I could really focus on what to look for without getting too distracted and finding something unrelated.  Sure enough I spotted something in the clutter that stood out.  A 1920′s or 1930′s double button carbon ring microphone.  It looked absolutely gorgeous with springs intact, a stand and authentic cord.  Yep this is exactly what pickers look to find when on the hunt.  This particular microphone was the last in this man’s collection.  Apparently he had a heart attack and decided it was now time to part with microphone collection he had acquired over many years of collecting.  He said the microphone I was about to purchase had been with him for over 30 years and obviously from it’s condition was in fantastic shape.

Ring Microphones or Double Button Carbon Microphones or Spring Microphones are some of the most recognizable early 1920′s – 1930′s microphones.   These microphone elements are suspended by springs to isolate them from noise and vibration.  Even today you will find many broadcast microphones suspended by what is called a shock mount.  I have one that supports my Heil PR-40 mic called the PRSM.  These are now usually attached to some type of boom and in my case, the boom is a PL2T by Heil.

In the above picture you will notice there is some red over some of the screw holes.  I am guessing this was used to keep the screws from coming undone.

I couldn’t find out much about this particular microphone other than it was made by Universal Microphone Co. Ltd out of Inglewood California.  It appears they did manufacture microphones for the war time effort in WWII, but after that, I couldn’t find any more reference to them.

Many of these ring microphones had covers on both the front and back, which I assume was supposed to protect the microphone from damage.

The drawback to these early carbon microphones is their limited frequency response, giving them the inherent hiss during recording.  The advantage were they yielded higher output levels with low impedance, which eliminated the need for added amplification.  As better technology became available by the late 30′s, the ring microphones would be phased out for the newer better performing microphones.

Normally I can hook up my microphones to my Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, but it appears that with Spring microphones you need to do things a bit differently.  From what I have read, they need a little power running through them using something like a 6 volt battery.  When you look at the spring mics there are usually 3 wires connected to them.  Chris Sanchez over at Preservation Sound has a nice article that goes into a bit more detail on this.

Before the Double Button, there were what is referred to as single button.  These just had one circular plate verse 2 sandwiched together.  These single button microphones were generally found in the 1920′s and then replaced by the double button by the late 20′s early 1930′s.

Here are just a few of the manufactures who made Ring Microphones during the 1920′s – 1930′s

• American Microphones
• Continental
• Electro-Voice
• Lifetime Microphones
• RCA
• Shure Brothers
• Turner
• The Webster Company
• Universal Microphones
• Western Electric

Here is recent video with Justin Timberlake singing What Goes Around Comes Around.  He is using what looks like a Double Button Carbon Microphone.

Justin Timberlake – What Goes Around (Manon Dave Remix) from Manon Dave on Vimeo.

I have found one company that doesn’t make carbon mics, but does have a cool new aged ring microphone.
http://www.placidaudio.com/the-copperphone-mini

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Hamfests!  What Are They? Why Should You Go?

What Are They?
Well it’s a get together of Ham radio operators and enthusiasts interested in Amateur Radio.  During these fests or festivals, Amateur Radio operators or “hams” as they are called,  like to setup swap meets to buy and sell Ham radio related items as well as talk shop and provide ham radio courses and lectures.  Recently, as in this year (2014), I discovered the term Hamfest and found out that people bring some of their older vintage and antique gear including microphones to swap and sell.  For those looking to find vintage and antique radio equipment you might get lucky and find exactly what your looking for.

Why Should You Go To A Hamfest?
Many of the Hams are also very knowledgeable about early era radios and mics.  Because many Hams are of the older generation, at least for now, they tend to shy away from Ebay and Etsy, so you can often find cheaper deals on vintage equipment like microphones.  Another benefit to going is talking hams, since they are usually more than happy to share their knowledge on radios and often antiques.

The very first Hamfest I attended, I came home with a wonderful looking 1930′s Double Button Spring Carbon Microphone by Universal Microphone.  I am pretty sure  I wouldn’t have found one of these at an antique store, at least the ones in my neck of the woods.  Finding them on Ebay is pretty tough, since they don’t come up all that often and the ones you do find usually fetch a premium.  Beyond mics though there are all sorts of radio parts and people to gain knowledge from.  Heck by going to these you might just become a ham yourself.

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Bob Paquette of Milwaukee, WI has been collecting microphones for the last 60+ years, starting in the 1950s.  During that time he has amassed probably the largest collection of vintage and antique microphones ever assembled with well over 1100 different makes and models.  Beyond microphones he has volumes of microphone related material including specification sheets, patent copies, catalogs, advertising literature, technical papers and copies of articles that appeared in early books, magazines, and technical periodicals.  All these microphones, well almost all are housed in his Microphone Museum.

Bob has also written an extensive book on microphones called “The History and Evolution of the Microphone”  It’s packed full of great information, consisting of 840 pages that focuses mainly on microphones made in the USA.  The book currently retails for $100 + shipping and is a great reference for microphone enthusiasts.  Beyond actually collecting, finding good reference books on vintage and antique subjects is a fantastic way to become really educated on the subject.

Bob has a advertising poster on Turner microphones, which happen to be one of my favorite brand of mics that is totally retro. They were called Tuner Colortones Microphones and they were so ahead of their day. From what I understand these didn’t really go over that well. I need to contact Bob to find out more about the Colortone line of mics.  Check out my article on the Turner Mics.

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Image by John Schneider (jschneid93@gmail.com)

Around 1921 Western Electric developed what would be known as the Double Button Carbon Microphone.  The build and durability of these microphones would stand the test of time.  Even today with the right equipment you can get them to work.  The Western Electric 600A along with it’s earlier incarnation, the 387, are beasts.  They are roughly 3 1/2 in diameter and about 2 inches deep.  For it’s size it’s actually quite heavy being made from mostly nickel-plated cast iron.
The 600A was widely used in the broadcast industry, but realistically died off in the mid to late 30′s due to newer technology coming along.

The issue with Carbon Microphones is they require an external DC power supply (batteries), which most microphone setups today don’t supply.  Normally you have 3 wires connected to the mic, 1 for power, 1 for ground and the 3rd to receive the signal.

When the Western Electric 600A came out around the mid 20′s, it was designed and built for the professional broadcaster.  One famous event that used this mic was when U.S. President (Hoover) used it for his first inaugural speech.

The Western Electric 600As were often housed in the Western Electric 1-B desktop enclosures.  These provided a little more protection from the elements and the occasional banging that might occur when using the mic.

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Sometime in the early 50′s Turner came out with some very cool and very radical microphones named the Turner 5D Colortone microphone.  They came in eye popping Yellow, Orange and Green.  There tag line was “Microphones In Color”.

The problem with this microphone campaign was the US microphone market just wasn’t ready for these radical colors and they simply didn’t sell.  Like so many good ideas, these were ahead of their times and they just didn’t catch on.

Here is an excellent example of a green 5D.  The lower housing is similar to what you would see on a Turner 22X or 22D. The upper part of the mic unit was even more radical than the Turner 22 or Turner 33 microphones. In designing the 5D, turner sort of blended the 2 previous models.

Here is an ad that introduced these mics to the world.

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The Ellis Microphones were made by Ellis Electrical Laboratory Incorporated, Chicago Ill.  The only microphones I could find them making were the Spring Carbon Microphones out of the 1920s and 1930s.  It appears they also made a stunning tall microphone stand.

Some of the model numbers include the 29N and the 30N carbon microphone.  These were the 2-button or double button carbon microphone types.

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Here is another fabulous microphone by a company called Continental Microphone out of Inglewood California. I am not exactly sure how long they were around. My guess is somewhere in the 1920′s to 1930′s.

The history on this microphone is rather cool. The story begins in California. It was found in the attic of the old Palm Hotel, located in Carlsbad by the Sea, California and removed from that location around 1958. The W6LUB letters were a Ham radio call sign. As luck would have it, this particular call sign was recorded and we were able to looked it up. The owner of the call sign went by the name of Lawrence W. Felt. He got his call sign letters in 1954. His address at the time was 940 North Hill Street, Oceanside CA USA. A quick Google Maps search unfortunately finds nothing. I assume that the streets and buildings that used to be there have been replaced or renamed.

We tried to do a little more research on Lawrence, but nothing shows up.

Along with the call sign there are 2 amateur radio relay league (ARRL) logos. The ARRL started in 1914 when Hiram Percy Maxim got the idea to form a group of amateur radio enthusiasts who could communicate by setting themselves up as relays between each other and thus communicate over vast distances.  In 1915, ARRL became incorporated.  Amateur Radio enthusiasts, who are also known as Hams, operate their stations in good times and and bad.  Even today in some remote areas, a ham radio operator might be the only form of communication.  During major weather events and natural disasters such ice storms, floods, fires, tornadoes and earthquakes, when up-to-the-minute information can be spotty, ham radio operators can jump into action to relay crucial information.

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Here is another Antique microphone by Lifetime Corporation.  Unlike Continental Microphone and Universal Microphone who hailed out of California, Lifetime Corporation was based out of Toledo, Ohio.  We know of at least 4 different spring carbon microphone models produced by Lifetime including a model 6, model 8 and a model 99.  There is mention of them in in various Radio Craft magazines from 1933-1942, Radio Engineering November 1933 and in issues of QST in August, October, and November 1933.

David Letterman – Lifetime Corporation Model 6
David Letterman was given a Lifetime model 6 microphone by the CBS crew and staff of the LATE SHOW in recognition of his first 10 years on the show.

The Lifetime Corporation type 88 looks slightly different than the type 6 or type 99 microphones, showing a single bar across the front.  The early model 6 had eyelets that were attached to the microphone.  The model 88 and model 99 used screw on eyelets.  This setup probably made them a little more rugged and easier to repair should one get damaged.

The Lifetime Corporation model 99 looks very similar to the Ellis Microphones, both having a 3 bar front with the screw type eyelets.

Below are a bunch of Ads that show the Lifetime Corporation models 88 and 99 carbon microphones.  These were all showcased around 1933.  We are still trying to locate ads showing the earlier carbon microphone versions, model 6 and 8.

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The American Microphone Company was founded by Fern A. Yarbrough and they were based out of Los Angeles California.

Like many early microphone companies of the 1930′s, there isn’t a ton of information on American Microphone during the early years.

From the information I have been able to track down they made at least 3 types of double button carbon microphones including the model EL, model A1 and model CD.  The most common of these seems to be the EL model.  There were also a few variants of the EL.  The A1 model was expensive for a carbon microphone but also much bigger than the EL or the CD.

American Microphone Company History

The American Microphone Company was founded in the 1930′s by Fern A. Yarbrough and they were based out of Los Angeles California.  In the 1955, the American Microphone Company was purchased by Elgin Watch Company who then sold them to the General Cement Company of Rockford, IL.  The company was finally acquired by Electro-Voice who by the end of the 1960′s eventually retired the line.

American Microphone Models

Model EL

Model A1
An extra large two-button quality microphone extremely rugged in construction, built especially for all broadcasting purposes. The diaphragm is of aluminum alloy .002 thickness, with pure gold contacts on each surface under the buttons. This model is 3 Vz in. diameter by 1 % in. thick, the frequency range being from 30 to 7500 cycles; 100 ohms per button, requiring 6 volts with not over 10 mils per button. Brush nickel (steel) finish. Each unit carefully inspected and tested before shipment, and shipped you under the American Microphone Company guarantee.

Model CD
A two-button microphone, built only for voice pick-up faithfully reproducing all the notes and sounds within the audible range of the human voice. It is especially built for Public Address work; Amateur broadcasters and experimenters. Its frequency range is from 45 to 3500 cycles, impedance 100 ohms per button. This microphone is of brush nickel (steel) finish. Each unit carefully inspected and
tested before shipment.

American Microphone Company also produced a few microphone desk and floor stands in either three point or 4 point configuration.

MICROPHONE DESK STANDS
A Desk Stand of three point suspension, much superior to any now on the market. Ring is 5 in. in diameter, built especially to accommodate small microphones. The base is cast and sets upon four rubber legs, which protect polished surfaces, and eliminates any possibility of blasting while in use. Beautifully finished in Statuary Bronze Plate. Bear in mind that this Desk Stand is of three point suspension and not built for American Microphones.

MODEL AD
This Desk Stand contains a ring 6 in. in diameter, built to accommodate Models “CD” and “Al” and will also fit any large two-button microphone. Large four point suspension ring and other specials feature this quality product. The microphone cable passes through the base of the stand.

ADJUSTABLE FLOOR STAND
An extra heavy floor stand, with extra heavy base weighing 18 lbs., so that all possibility of tipping is eliminated. The top ring is 6 in. in diameter, four point suspension to accommodate all large microphones now in use. Total extended height, 6 ft. It is smoothly operated with very positive clamp lock, preventing falling of stand while extended. Finished in Statuary Bronze, making a fine studio appearance.

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The Universal Microphone Co. Ltd  was out of Inglewood California.  We couldn’t find a ton of information on these mics.  Just like American Microphone Company, information is rather sparse on Universal.

Universal Microphone made several different iterations of at least 3 different double button microphones.  The model X, model XX and the model BB double button microphone from the late 1920s – 1937.   The model BB were rather hefty spring carbon mics usually about 5″ in diameter x 2.5 deep.  The model X and XX were a little lighter.   From the advertising we have found, it appears the model BB was made prior to the model XX.  We are not exactly sure where the model X falls.  Ours looks rather old, so it may have been made prior to the BBs.

Here are some early ads from Shortwave Craft, Radio Craft and Radio World for the Universal Microphone.  These are from 1931 – 1934, but our guess is this microphone was made in the 1920s.

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The Webster Company was founded in Chicago in 1914.  They manufactured various types of stereo equipment, including amplifiers, record changers and reel-to-reel recorders.

Their first address was located at 3825 W. Lake Street, but their success in the market place allowed them to expand and built a large plant off of Bloomingdale Avenue.  Benjamin Franklin Olson designed the plant, which was a relatively unique piece of architecture.

A 1955 Tribune article indicates that the company operated five plants in the Chicago area at that time.   The Webster Company appears to have dissolved sometime in the 1960s, though the company’s later history is somewhat unclear.

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Hamilton Beach Milkshake Mixer – The Mint Green Machine

The Hamilton Beach Milkshake Mixer is synonymous with vintage and antique milkshake makers from the early 1920′s through the 1960′s.  Even today Hamilton Beach is known for their milkshake makers, but the true age of malts and shakes were over 50 years ago.  Thanks to a resurgence of everything old, classic diners are bringing back the vintage and antique look that made them the hang out spots of young adults.

Recently Kathleen and I added the classic Hamilton Beach Milkshake Mixer to our collection.  I am not sure if it was a milkshake we had earlier that day and the fact that we had eaten in a diner or maybe it had something to do with us watching milkshakes being prepared in a Hamilton Beach sort of way.  What ever it was, by chance or fate, we happened upon a Hamilton Beach milkshake Mixer (Jadeite Green Model 30 Malt Drink Mixer).

Kathleen and I were a little out of our element with a Hamilton Beach Milkshake Mixer purchase.   We knew that vintage and antique milkshake mixers typically cost around $80-$150, so finding one under that price is usually a good deal.  As it turns out the price marked was $72, so we perked up a bit.  After inspecting the mixer and looking at the cord wear, everything seemed in really good order.  There was no rust or other markings that would indicate a lot of wear or misuse.

Rule #2734 – Always ask for a discount.  We did and found out the mixer was actually 30% off retail price.  Instead of the $72 price tag, we got it for much less.  Love that!  Actually as an antique picker, one of the main rules of picking is to never pay full price.  Negotiation can be quite fun.

Hamilton Beach Milkshake Mixer – Overview

We have seen vintage / antique Hamilton Beach Milkshake Mixers in 4 different colors (mint green, white, silver and black).  The mint green ones are obviously the coolest looking ones of the bunch.  We haven’t seen any in red or blue and I am not sure any were made in that color.  I do know there are some competitors that had red colored ones.

The mixers approximate dimensions are:

• Width: 6.5″
• Depth: 7″
• Height: 18″

The antique / vintage Hamilton Beach milkshake mixer models are made from castiron and have porcelain finish and a chrome plated motor.

To operate a Hamilton Beach milkshake mixer, you need to do 3 things.  The first of course is to plug in the unit.  Next flip the “on switch”.  The “on switch” on our unit is located at the back of the unit.  Lastly is to place a stainless steel milkshake cup into the cup guide, which activates the unit.  We had the antique store clerk pug it in to see how it ran and it spun perfectly.

Hamilton Beach Milkshake Mixer – Determining Age

When ever possible, we always try to find patent numbers.  These give you an excellent idea of how to determine the age of a product.  Sometimes, patent numbers don’t exist, so then your left to your own devices.  When searching around the internet my go to tools are Esty, Pinterest, Ebay and Google Images.  If an image exists, you will probably find something that looks like your antique pick.

The Hamilton Beach unit looked older than many of the models I had seen before and I couldn’t wait to get home to see what the age was.  I figured it was probably 50′s or 60′s.  Upon inspecting the milkshake mixer, I found that there were a few patents submitted by T. B. Myers (225436) & A. W. Seyfried (2270480) that were dated 1941 and 1942.  Based on these, I put the Hamilton Beach milkshake mixer age somewhere from 1942 – 1950.  I haven’t found exactly when the model 30′s were produced, but I assume it was around that time frame.  This of course isn’t an exact science, since I don’t have all the facts.

I have seen several models of the Hamilton Beach Milkshake Mixer.  The lower the model number the earlier the mixer was made. Model 8 and 10s for example were probably made in the 1920′s, Model 25s were made in the 1930′s, Model 30′s were made after 1940.  The cords and pugs are another give away.  Early plugs are normally round and wide and the cords made out of cloth.

The milkshake machines prior to 1940 had fixed agitators with non moving parts.  The agitator is the fixed circular disc at the end of the mixer shaft.  The first mixers only had one.  As time went on a 2nd one was added further up the shaft from the first.

If you can find a model 25 or prior for under $100 it is a fantastic deal, since these are quite old.  Just make sure the mixer actually runs prior to purchase.

Hamilton Beach Milkshake Mixer – History

The Hamilton Beach Manufacturing Company was Founded in April 1910 by inventor Frederick J. Osius.  The company’s name is derived from Louis Hamilton and Chester Beach who were hired on by Frederick.  The first drink mixer produced by Hamilton Beach was called the Cyclone and was introduced in 1911.

Hamilton Beach Milkshake Mixer – Competitors

The Gilchrist Company produced a really nice milkshake malt mixer from 1902 to 1926 under the supervision of Raymond B. Gilchrist. Several patents pertaining to mixers were applied for in 1922 and were approved a year later.   These were pretty advanced when they came out. The mixers were white porcelain clad with a metal base and a chromed motor casing. I think these might have been originally equipped with glassware instead of stainless steel cups. In March 1925 a lawsuit ensued between Gilchrist and Hamilton Beach.  Hamilton Beach appears to have won the lawsuit and I guess the rest is history.  Gilchrist’s company ceased in 1926.  One important note was Gilchrist created some really fabulous ice cream scoopers.

Horlick (William Horlick Jr – Horlick’s Malted Milk Company) Dumore produced a milkshake mixer.  The mixer consisted of 3 parts.  The cup, the motor with a single agitator and a housing stand.  The motor was made by the Wisconsin Electric Company.  William Horlick from Racine Wisconsin was most famous for inventing the U.S. Patents 278967 (Jun 5, 1883) & 627119 (Jun 20, 1899) – for Malted Milk.  I found a site that has a lot of information on Horlick History.

In the 50′s another company by the name of Premier Industries Corporation produced the Champion Mixer.  I have seen a few of these, but I don’t know much about them.

To find out more about the Hamilton Beach Milkshake Mixer visit their website.

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The time was 1977 and I was 12 years old and a movie called Star Wars was released to the big screen.  The movie blew me away.  There were all sorts of neat gadgets that even Jame Bond would have been jealous of.

One of these gadgets was called a Droid Caller.  In the movie the Droid caller was a handheld transmitter device that was used to summon droids or activate their restraining bolts.  In the movies Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and those funny little creatures called jawas carried these Droid Callers.  Like many props used in the Star Wars movies, they were built using parts of existing products.  I didn’t know it at the time, but most of the Droid Caller units were built using the hand held part of the Kobold BC flash.

BC stands for Battery Capacitor, which basically means that the Kobold Flash used both a battery and capacitor.  The battery was used to charge the capacitor and the capacitor would ignite the flash.  The manual said the 22 1/2 volt batteries typically had a life span of about 1 to 1 1/2 years.

The Kobold Flash was made in Germany in the 1950s by a company called the Kobold Camera Equipment Company.  I am not sure what happen to the company and there doesn’t appear to be any indication what happened.

When removed, the Droid caller resembled something quite futuristic and played a role in controlling R2-D2 and C3PO.

The Kobold Flash or Droid Caller usually came in 2 colors.  Black with silver on the top and a Silver with a black stripe.  The Kobold text was either silver or red, depending on the model.

People have made resin casts of the Kobold and are selling those on the internet for $20-40.  You can also find the Leitz Leica Flashgun, which can work as a substitute for the Kobold.  These are much cheaper and can be found with flash screen for $10 – $30.  Dark Energy Creations makes a reproduction for $150+, but you’re better off trying to locate the real thing.  With the rise in 3-D printing, people will soon be able to print their own right from home.

Star Wars is very collectable, so finding a Kobold flash on the cheap will mean you can turn around and sell it for well over $50 – $100 or you can do what I want to do and turn it into a Droid Caller.  The droid caller is considered a Greebly for the Han Solo and Luke Skywalker belt/holster.  There are also other items that make up the Greeblies on the belts and holsters.

Kobold Flash connected to a Exakta camera.  It sold for $8.20 marks in 1956.

Dark Energy Creations is creating a Droid Caller based on the Kobold Flash design.

Here is a resin Droid caller made to look like the Kobold Flash.

This Droid Caller was made from a Leitz Leica Flashgun and slightly modified to look as it does.  The top was cut down, a chrome plumbing adaptor was added to the top and part of an acrylic ball was added to the top.  The side switch and D-Ring were also added so the caller could be hung from a belt.

Here is what the Leitz Wetzlar Flashgun looks like.

Another West German camera company called Linhof also had flashes that looked almost identical to the Kobolds.  I believe these were made by Kobold for Linhof, but I can’t be certain.

When searching for a Kobold Flash, which are very rare, you can use the following searches

• Kobold Flash
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• Kobold Bulb Flash
• Droid Caller
• Kobold Droid Caller
• Linhof Flash

If you can find a Kobold Flash under $50, it’s a bargain and you should snatch it up.  You could probably double your money if you want to sell it or be happy that you found a really cool piece of Star Wars memorabilia.

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