Hello and welcome to the House of Chrome.
You are looking at a very nice and rarer Astatic WR-20 dual crystal microphone from the mid 1940's or mid 50's. It comes with the period Astatic "G" desk stand as well which makes a very nice combo. This was a high end Astatic crystal mic as most mics only had one element and this model incorporated two for an even stronger signal.
This microphone also came as the WR-40 which looked identical but incorporated 4 crystal elements and was considered superior to the WR-20 model.
Pic # 2 is from an old 1940's catalog I have showing the mics characteristics.
This mic has been thoroughly cleaned and tested. While it's a beautiful example this WR-20 models it no longer works. That's pretty common for these older crystal microphones and I very rarely come across one that still does work. This should be used for display, prop or repair purposes only. This would actually make an excellent ribbon mic if one chose to go that route and there's plenty of room inside to install such an element.
This microphone has the unique dual stack crystal element arrangement set up and again, while they no longer work the elements are still present and firmly in place. I have left the mic alone as the elements are undisturbed.
As you can see the cosmetics are very nice with typical small wear. The satin chrome finish shows an absolute minimum of pitting. The polished chrome frame shows the same and really glows. The black cloth screens are perfect with zero holes or rips. No fading and the color is dark and even. The Astatic badge looks great and is completely legible. The clutch mechanism has plenty of resistance and you can tilt the mic forward and backward at will without any slippage. They very rarely come as nice as this mic does and I would rate it a true 8 + on a scale of 1 - 10.
This mic will really stand out in the vintage mic collection. Display it proudly anywhere in the home, office or studio.
MICROPHONE STAND SHOWN IS PART OF THIS SALE...
The WR-20 comes with it's original early style "push to talk" G desk stand. The stand is non-functioning as well and will need to be rewired if you ever plan on using it with a functioning mic.
It does have nice original paint and the chrome is quite good for being 80 + years old. Even the riveted badge is quite nice. It makes for a stable platform and really compliments the WR-20. It has a short cable with an old female 1/4 inch end connector.
Please let the detailed pics be your guide. The original black felt pad is present with typical wear. Total height with stand and mic is appx 14 inches.
As with all my vintage microphones for sale...
I have a no hassle return policy. The return shipping will be on you as I believe that's fair but the purchase price would be refunded. Simply return in the same nice condition...period. Check my rating. International buyers are welcome as well. BUYER MUST PAY WITHIN 24 HOURS or will lose rights to this item, unpaid item report will be filed and will be relisted. If you don't intend on buying this...do not commit to buy please. Domestic buyer will get priority shipping.
If you have any questions feel free to ask and...thanks for looking.
| Condition | Non Functioning (Used) Non-functioning items do not work as they should. All known issues should be described in the listing description.Learn more |
|---|---|
| Brand | |
| Model |
|
| Finish |
|
| Categories | |
| Year |
|
| Made In |
|
Product safety information may be available here.


















