A super clean, plug and play specimen of one of the most coveted, vari-mu compressors of all time. This is the feature-rich “C“ version, which has added variable threshold and release control (opposed to paying a tech a grand to overhaul this and finally “get to it” 12 months from now). Hailed by Abbey Road studios as the key unit that helped achieve the sound of the Beatles, this iconic compressor has found its way into almost every top tier recording studio on earth.

This particular unit, serial #4838 was pulled from a sealed rack in a 100 year old church basement and is incredibly clean without a scratch on it. You certainly won’t find a cleaner one out there. This is not an unmolested dog in need of hundreds and hundreds of dollars in repair. This is restored, modified and ready to go. All the work needed to make it the studio gem they are known for has been completed. It does not have the full EMI conversion (which requires gutting the unit and installing an entirely new topology of components) but much of the work has been done and it sounds awesome on any source run through it.

The unit has been upgraded in a few different ways including hand selected NOS RCA tubes, brand new P2 and P3 potentiometers and knobs from Mouser (25k and 100k), new volume knob, new bulb, repaired wiring, brand new hardwired terminal XLR Pigtails, reflowed solder, new components where needed and a deep chassis cleaning; all completed July 2023. The unit now functions flawlessly and sounds better than ever. The VU is finicky and intermittent and needs attention but we’ve taken it as far as we can afford to at this time. VU calibration screw works annd andjusts the VU needle and the VU is entirely intact, so I am sure it’s something very small, but I’m on to new projects. It sounds amazing. Plug it in and enjoy!

Any questions please ask.

Pick up is available in northern New Jersey, 15 minutes from Port Authority Manhattan, New York City. In person demo available upon request. Commercial Studios: we actually have 5 of these in stock (as of July 25) and more coming if need be. We also have a fully restored and modified pair that has the full EMI conversion. They took 2 years to build and were a large undertaking (and considerably more expensive). Check my shop for more details.

Message me about package deals and combined shipping. Will be shipped with a white glove and packed to withstand an atom bomb. Thanks for looking and have a great day - JML