Hello and welcome to The House of Chrome.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  You are looking at a beautiful 1940's era Shure Brothers 556 model (1st generation) dynamic cardioid microphone often referred to as the "Fatboy" made famous by several musicians including a young Elvis Presley himself. Classic, clean deco lines give this mic the attention it deserves. Made in Chicago, Illinoise and comes with the period stand shown. 

 This 55 series mic made it's debut in 1939 and had a run of 11 years until the second generation of smaller 55 S mics came along in 1951. A cast zinc body with a glossy satin chrome finish. 

 Pic # 2 shows an old World War II era Shure catalog showing this very model with it's original price and all of it's characteristics.

 Pic # 3 shows a young Elvis using this model as well.

 The regular Shure 55 model had the adjustable impedance switch while the 55A, 55B and 55C did not and were factory set at a particular OHM setting. The 556 came with the impedance setting switch. This was the more expensive 556 of all models sold and came with the lower built in shock mount giving the 556 model a little extra flair and it protected against unwanted feedback from bumps and thumps while live. That being said this microphone has been tested and it no longer works though it's 100% complete. There are wiring issues inside the lower pistol grip where cables have come completely loose so this mic may or may not have a working element but the inner wiring on the lower section of the mic is no good.

 This is being sold as a non-working mic. It will make a great display or prop piece however due to the very nice physical condition and again, comes with the stand in which to display.   This example is in the top 15% from what I have seen over the years.

 A nice early 55 is getting hard to find. This particular 556 has typical lite wear but far above average compared to most 55 Fatboys you'll come across on Ebay. The ribs are free of any fractures or dents. Both the front and rear black silk screens look very nice with a minimum of discoloration. There is a small rip on the rear left screen towards the bottom that is very hard to see. 

 The satin chrome finish has an incredible luster. There are just fine scratches and fine pitting on the head of the mic but zero dents, nicks or engravings. The Shure badge shows no wear and completely legible.

 The shock mount reduced unwanted feedback while live and give the mic a more aggressive look. The shock mount looks pretty good with lite wear and still works like new. It does have the most subtle lean to it but the resistance is very firm. The mic has a built in short cable that I shortened for cosmetic reasons. It's just 7 inches long. It's soft, pliable and has an older Cannon female XLR connector. Cable connector is wired correctly in case you plan on replacing the inner element with something that works.

 This 556 still has the original front and rear grills. No mix matching on my mics. This mic is an easy 7 + on a scale of 1 - 10.

       MICROPHONE STAND SHOWN IS PART OF THIS SALE...

 The stand is a very nice older Atlas model DS-5 from the 1950's era and perfect for just about any older vintage microphone. This DS-5 model was the industry standard for decades having a heavier & wider cast iron base allowing it's user to mount just about any screw on mic or mic clip. These were quite hard to tip over regardless of what mic was sitting on top.

 This DS-5 desk stand was made in Brooklyn, NY. There are no scratches, scuff marks or chips in the on the original grey paint. There are very lite rust stains on the bottom of the base. This is a very nice older DS-5 overall. Still has 3 great original rubber pads on the bottom.

 Total length is 4 inches high x 6 inches wide. With mic on top it's appx 12 inches tall.

 The chrome stem shows no wear. Please let the detailed pics be your guide. 

 This 556C will screw onto any desk or floor stand you have if you don't want this sitting on the Atlas desk stand provided.

                  And as always...

  I can promise you will be happy with it for the price paid. If not...I have a no hassle return policy. The 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 an unpaid case will be opened and item relisted. Domestic buyer will get priority shipping.

  If you have any questions feel free to ask and...thanks for looking.