VINTAGE ORIGINAL AKG-C414 EB SILVER MICROPHONE. AUDIO UPGRADES. AMAZING TONE. EXCELLENT CONDITION.

Here is a one-of-a-kind true vintage AKG-C414 EB Silver with original case and clip. Components and circuitry fully upgraded by Audio Upgrades and Audio Effects and has been kept pristine and perfectly maintained for decades.

You'll never find another one like this—not another C414 more special, clean and balanced. Owned its entire life by an award-winning music producer.  

A lot have written in, asking about the capsule. According to the original owner/seller, the capsule is a limited run maximum density teflon frame around a brass capsule that AKG developed with feedback from recording industry professionals (like this owner). It was only made in limited quantity before AKG settled on the nylon capsule it ultimately used for subsequent 414s as a cost-cutting measure, called the 2072 Z 0005.

However, the capsule in this particular C414 is, according to the owner, a hybrid of the 2072 Z 0001 and 2072 Z 0003 capsules with the frame made of a very rigid teflon formulation that was meant to be a transition from the brass. But AKG found the process to make this hybrid to be too expensive, defeating the whole purpose of transitioning out of the brass. So they went with the cheapest nylon capsule they could create after this transition hybrid capsule's cost was assessed.

Many at the time, including this owner/producer, felt the brass wasn't consistent, too tinny at times and caused distortion or transients that weren't desirable. It's ironic that now everyone looks at the brass capsule as being the more desirable version, claiming so because it's "more musical" or "unique" etc. But of course people want the brass—because AKG stopped making it years ago and you'd have to buy an aftermarket version (anywhere from $200-$2,000) and have it installed in order to get that aesthetic, one that can't be seen from outside of the microphone. Humans also find themselves preferring genuine leather, even though synthetic leather is cheaper, more sustainable and in many instances, stronger and more practical—and in most cases, can't be distinguished from real leather.

What you maybe should know about this particular C414 EB is that...it was more or less a prototype that is even more rare than the brass capsuled versions. It was actually tuned by AKG and the people at Audio Upgrades and Audio Effects to present all the fullness that the brass capsuled version of the C414 supposedly had with none of the inorganic metallic or tinny high end that translates to distortion at the level of the human ear. We do know that in A-B tests of this very mic for sale here—one that has been used to record some of the greatest voices in music history—more people preferred this over one with the original brass capsuled version and especially the newer generations of 414s from the late 80s onward with the lightest and cheapest plastic components. In fact, many preferred it over the owners U87 and other tube mics on hand.

The owner also adds that this mic was used instead of the Telefunken or U87 at the owner's studio to record not only male lead and background voices of either sex, but also to record female leads. It could then immediately afterwards, be thrown onto a $10K acoustic guitar for overdubs, and then used in a pair for overhead cymbals. 

The owner is selling because he's donating a lot of his gear to charity and liquidating the rest to raise money for charity, through representatives like A-List. His Telefunken and U87 are being donated to a recording industry museum, for a new exhibit now in the works. This particular C414 EB is far better than any we've heard before and it's available until it's gone...and we haven't seen any quite this special before. We wouldn't carry it, otherwise.

Our concierge service commissions received on this rehoming will go to our arts education initiatives here and across the country. We will add supplemental information if we find any, as we add more guitars from this seller's collection. Don't let this one slip away.

A lot more gear to come. Thanks for looking.

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