Rare Rare Rare 1968 John Lennon SONY C22 FET Condenser Microphone -Like Neumann AKG Shure Sennheiser

You are looking at an extremely rare SONY C22 with some serious music history.

A year or so ago, I purchased this mic from the estate of a deceased Boston rocker who was said to have bought this among other pieces of gear at the closing of famed studio, The Hit Factory (NYC), in 2005. As it was a busy studio, Hit Factory was known for keeping it's microphones and equipment for years on end, so most of their equipment that was sold in 2005 had been in the studio for decades in some cases. Because of this, this microphone is believed in good faith to be the same SONY C22 FET that was used by John Lennon in 1980 at the studio when recording his final album, Double Fantasy. (See photos & the YouTube video clip starting at 12:23).

Condition:
It's in good to average condition, though for it's age and high usage, I would say it is in excellent condition. It does have minor nicks and scratches, but there are no loose parts. There is some scratchiness when switching the high pass filter, I assume from some dust. The scratchiness only occurs when switching, otherwise, it is quiet and operating properly.

It is important to note that this is not the SONY ECM-22, which looks physically similar. The ECM-22 is an electret condenser. The SONY C22 is a true FET condenser microphone.

Sound:
Classic SONY condenser sound. In other words, a great microphone! :) SONY's are truly some of my favorite mics. Transformer-balanced, buttery sound; not harsh with a slight upper-mid boost. Especially excellent for vocals and stringed instruments. 

Features:
Frequency Response:  20 Hz - 20 kHz
Connector: Cannon XLR Connector
Transformer Output: 50/200/600 ohm impedence switch

"Why are you selling something so historic?"
I wrestled with this question for a bit. Part of me wants to keep this, not only for the music history, but because it's an excellent, well-rounded mic. However, on the flipside, as much as I respect them/him, I am not much of a Beatles/John Lennon fan, personally, so it seems another music creator and Lennon fan may appreciate having this more than I. Make me an Offer and we can go from there. :)

Shipping:
I usually ship the same day, if purchased before 6pm Pacific Time.
Shipping to the Continental USA, Alaska & Hawaii is Free, insurance included.
International shipping varies. Please message me first so we can work that out prior to purchase.

Thanks for looking and have a great day!