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[RuudNL]

Today I received a microphone for repair.
It was announced as a 'Vintage U87'. Neumann badge has a black color, this suggests a tube microphone.
But the inside looks different than any U87 I have seen before!
There is a small transformer inside the battery compartment and the PCB doesn't look like any U87 I have seen before.
The PCB looks 'Neumannesque'. Is this a kind of 'Frankenstein U87' or what could it be?

[soapfoot]

It looks quite a bit like a U77 inside.

Could this be a U77 to which someone has added a transformer (perhaps as part of a conversion from T power to P48?)

Our U77 has a black badge also. Does this mic not have a model number listed on the ring at the bottom, near the connector?

[RuudNL]

Thank you!
On the bottom ring it says: 'Neumann Microphone Type U87 Made in Western Germany'.
But IMHO it isn't!
It looks indeed like a U77 with an extra transformer!
The owner will be surprised, because he thought he bought a 'vintage U87'! 

[soapfoot]

On a positive note, the U77 (if that indeed is what we're looking at) is a fantastic microphone

[RuudNL]

But who wants 'Tonader Speisung' nowadays?

[Kai]

The added transformer points to, someone might already have modded the mic to P48 / 48 V Phantom Power.

[soapfoot]

But who wants 'Tonader Speisung' nowadays?

Not ideal, but we just treat ours the same as we treat our U67s... we have an external T-Power supply, and we connect it whenever using the U77. Not as convenient as P48, but not the greatest burden either, all things considered!

[RuudNL]

All well and good, but the owner feels cheated because he thought he bought a 'vintage' U87 and not a converted U77...

[David Satz]

> But who wants 'Tonader Speisung' nowadays?

In general almost no one, but if the microphone is really a U 77 and were restored to its original condition, I'm sure there would be a market for it. Plenty of battery power supplies for T12 are on the used equipment market for cheap, left behind by film and video sound people who switched over to phantom powering.

[Kai]

Not to forget, it can be powered by an internal standard 9V battery, even a rechargeable one.
This might be attractive for some situations.

[RuudNL]

No, not this one. Because they placed a transformer in the (partly removed) battery compartment!

[Kai]

No, not this one. Because they placed a transformer in the (partly removed) battery compartment!

”...if the microphone is really a U 77 and were restored to its original condition...”.

I already suspected that it’s converted to P48.

[radiovinhet]

I don't own a U77 (yet), but how does it sound versus a U87A? I think that U77 are transformerless... or not?

[David Satz]

Right, the "fet 70" microphones (KM 73/74/75/76 and U 77) had transformerless, balanced output circuits.

[soapfoot]

I don't own a U77 (yet), but how does it sound versus a U87A? I think that U77 are transformerless... or not?

Subjectively, I'd say it compares favorably. I think you'd have to hear one to gauge whether you agree, and what you feel any distinctions may be. I'm not sure how useful sommelier terms would be from me.

[hayes0444]

Not to derail the thread but I also recently had a U77 that, when I contacted Neumann about dating it, supposedly was made "special order" in 1983. 

Has anyone else heard of that? That's much later than I thought they were made.
 
thx
hayes

[klaus]

The latest U77 I have on file: #17929 delivered June, 1972.

Get the serial number! It may add information to that claim.

[hayes0444]

serial is 27736
purple badge, made in western germany, U77 on the base
maybe the tuchel was replaced by a later xlr?
neumann says ordered special in 1983. Asked twice for clarification

[klaus]

The head is a late model replacement, probably due to the brittle plastic used in the mid 1970s (see typical cracks of the material in the amp head, which had not been replaced)