At the Vintage King Tech Shop, we’ve had the privilege of restoring and selling countless vintage Neumann U47s over the years. They’ve come to us in every condition imaginable, from busted and broken to clean and pristine. But nothing compares to the three extraordinary microphones that arrived this week.

"This is like uncovering dinosaur bones in my backyard," says Vintage King's Microphone Technician Tim "Timmo" Johnson. "In my 27 years of working on microphones here, I have never seen anything like these U47s."

These three Telefunken-badged Neumann U47 large-diaphragm condenser microphones are in truly astounding condition. They appear to have never been used—no thread wear, no signs of connection—and most remarkably, the body screws on all three microphones remain factory-sealed.

"All three of these U47s are still factory-sealed, and I can tell because they use the same seal as the old capsules, the M7, M8, and M9. The very top of those mics has one screw, and you can still find them sealed like that today," explains Timmo. "I was asking around, and Doug Walker told me, 'That's the Neumann factory seal—you can see the N in there.' It's just a piece of aluminum foil with glue on the back, and while they sometimes get mushed down, a pristine one still shows the N. I recognized it from other microphones, but I’ve never seen a U47 like this, let alone three at once."

These U47s have remained untouched since they left the factory floor in the late 1950s or early 1960s. Everything about them is in absolutely mint condition, a fact that is immediately apparent from their exterior. But it’s even more evident once Timmo cracks open the screws and reveals the insides of the microphones. The internal components are flawless—fresh, clean, and in unreal condition.

One clear sign that these microphones have never been used is that the padding around the tube is still soft. Typically, years of exposure to the heat from the tube would cause this padding to harden, but in these cases, it remains fresh. Another indication of their untouched status is a tube with the letter M stamped on the side of each microphone. This stamp signifies that Neumann approved the tube for recording music. Bootleg tubes are often used with vintage U47s, but only the original has the stamp on the side.

Additionally, each microphone features a red dot on the external serial number plate, indicating that all three mics are wired for 50 Ohms. Although this can be easily switched internally, all three microphones remain in their original 50 Ohm configuration.

"Out of 10, I’d rate these a 9.5," Timmo states. "See how the grill has a flat top? That’s how they were originally made, but over time, people would often bump them out. The flat top is the first part to get damaged if the microphone falls. These originals still have that flat top. And, of course, if you look at the threads and the connector, these had never been connected to anything until I ran the signal through them today."

Now that these U47s have been opened, Timmo will replace the one internal component that needs to be swapped out—the capsules. Many U47s originally featured PVC capsules, which, over time, would degrade and crack. That’s the case here, as these microphones are at least 60 years old. U47 capsules were later switched to mylar, which holds up much better over time.

Jacob SchneiderWant to learn more about Neumann U47s? Contact a Vintage King Audio Consultant via email or by phone at 866.644.0160.