Hello Mike,
I have a friend who owns a recording studio and has a number of vintage mics. I told him what I had and asked about the value of it. He told me to call Clarence Kane who is an authority on vintage mics and an expert repairer. I called him because the mic is not in working condition and I wanted to get a value on it. The issues with the mic are that one side is slightly caved in and the other side is a little more so, plus, it doesn't work. He told me to replace the ribbon is $140 and he can get the contour back to it's original shape. Depending on what else might need to be done, he said $300 or so should cover it.
When I asked about the value, he told me that that mic with those call letters, or any call letters for that matter, is very rare. In his opinion, in working condition, the value is $3500. In non working condition, $3000. I was just going to put it on ebay, but I thought first I'd tried to sell it to someone who would really appreciate it. Maybe you're that person. If not, maybe you know of someone who might be. I've attached a picture for your review. Please note the KXOK logo runs down both sides of the mic. Thanks for your time and I look forward to hearing back from you.
Respectfully, Rory Strentz
In 2007, a similar mic, repaired and re-ribboned, without station markings, was offered for $1800. $3k seems a bit high. Clarence Kane, an acknowledged RCA mic repairman mentioned above, no longer has a website so I cannot guarantee his appraisal.
It's interesting to note that this microphone was said to have once been owned by the guy, Wilkie, who preceded me as morning man on WIL AM & FM, although I have no provenance to cover the claim.
Maybe Bob Heil can shed some light on this item? I bet he could install some 21st Century Heil guts, repair the frame and bring it to life for sale at a lot less. Or repair it cosmetically and donate it to Frank Absher's STLMedia Hall of Fame as a prized exhibit.
