Vintage C414

Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 3:49 pm

I have the opportunity to buy 1 or 2 vintage C414, the original model with the thumbwheel on the bottom that connects it to the base/cable.

Any idea what they're worth?

Will one match fairly well with C414 B-ULS mikes for narration?

Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 4:33 pm

your answers are yes and no. If you like it, buy it. Beautiful microphone of any year vintage.

But beware!

You can't just take any old 2 as a stereo pair. Too many permutations of this model. You need to purchase 2 identical models as the capsules and electronics had very different sounding characteristics and may not match in any way. The one you are looking at is extremely colored sounding by comparison to the 414B-ULS which meant it was the second permutation of the 414 P48 and included a different capsule with a flatter response and called it the Ultra Linear Series. So it sounds nothing like the original. You can't ever have too many of them however, so buy a few.

Just the way it goes
Ms. Remy Ann David

Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 5:58 pm

He had a world class studio and is liquidating. Is $700 a fair price? A great deal? Mezzo-mezzo?

I don't need stereo pairs, but still could see buying both if the price is right.

Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 6:42 am

bump. Sorry to just drop in here with questions, I'm a studio owner and just looking for some quick help. Thanks to anyone who can help.

Anyone have any idea if &700 is a good price for a first generation C414 with the thumbwheel connector on the bottom for the XLR cable/housing attachment?

Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 7:09 am

Ebay is a good place to look for the going rate on various mics and gear. You can do a search on just about any item, whether it's waiting to be sold, recently sold, by highest price, lowest price, etc. It's all there if you dig. I haven't checked lately, but I'm sure there have been lots of 414's of various vintage sold over the years there.

Most people think Ebay is just for selling stuff NOW, which it is, but it's also a very good guide for what people have been paying and bidding for stuff. You can check on how many people have bid on an item, how the bidding went right up to the final sale, and so on. It goes deeper than you'd think, if you poke around a bit, it's all right there in the search software parameters available to any user.

For technical info, there's the AKG website. That might have some history for you there.

Also, Eddie Ciletti recently did a pair of articles on the 414 and its restoration, in Mix Magazine. (Just go to Mix's online website and do a search for Eddie Ciletti and AKG 414's.) As I recall, it was a good start in explaining some of the mysteries of this mic and its history, repair, etc.

I will tell you one secret of savvy mic owners: If you get a good vintage mic that's in great shape, for a good price, you're essentially "parking" your money in the mic. Chances are, you'll get your initial investment back someday, should you keep it in good shape and want to sell it someday. This only holds true for certain mics, of course, so look before you leap. But as long as you know & like the mic, are comfortable with what it will do for you for the price, sometimes it's better to grab a valuable mic - if only for the investment - before someone else swoops in and takes it instead.

Gear lust rationalized, indeed. Twisted Evil

Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 8:15 am

Thanks! ebay hasn't been any help, found 414's of many other vintages but not these.

I think i'll buy both!

Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 3:59 pm

So I bought the mikes. Did an A/B comparison with a C414 B ULS this morning and they sound very similar.

We do narration recording only, so I spoke into both trying close proximity, distance, sibilance, then listened to the two tracks. Noise floor was similar and if there was a subtle difference in tonal quality the old C414 might have been a little warmer. But all in all I could even use them to match to the newer mikes for the type of work we do.

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