Electro-Voice RE15 & 654A Pair - Frank Zappa Owned and Freshly Serviced (Julien's Auctions)

Dramatically downsizing to help fund farm operations. Listing more than 40 pieces in the coming days. Please check my other listings. This is a very rare opportunity to own a pair of vintage microphones acquired directly from a lot originating from the collection of the maestro himself, Frank Zappa. A quick Google search will bring up the Frank Zappa Estate auction via Julien’s Auctions last year in New York, with a specific lot entitled “Frank Zappa Assorted Microphones (Sony, EV, Phillips, and others) - Lot 293". The original buyer hit the motherlode, picking up a vintage U47, a pair of KM84s, and a collection of legendary utility dynamics, including these two Electro-Voice mics. He meticulously had the entire lot professionally serviced—including the U47 and a set of KM84s directly from Neumann—to ensure they were fully functional studio tools, not just museum pieces. I was fortunate enough to purchase a subset of these mics directly from him, and it is now time to pass this particular pair on. I am selling these together as a pair for the collector or studio owner who wants to secure a pair of Zappa's historic utility mics, but I am willing to break up the lot if you are only interested in one. Just send me a message. Both microphones show their age cosmetically with plenty of blemishes, scratches, and wear marks across the bodies—exactly what you want to see on Zappa-owned gear. 😈 However, functionally, they are in spectacular condition. Much like the Neumanns, both of these were sent to the absolute pros at Cole’s Pick Vintage in Nashville, one of the premier restoration houses for classic dynamic and ribbon microphones. They function flawlessly, sound incredible, and are ready to go right back to work. Microphone 1: Electro-Voice RE15 The RE15 is a legendary studio workhorse, heavily utilized in the 70s because its Variable-D design effectively eliminates proximity effect. This specific unit still retains the original, often-lost plastic vent. Cole's Pick Vintage meticulously went through this mic, giving the diaphragm a proper cleaning, installing new interior foam, and repairing the grill (see the attached photo of their service tag). Acoustic Design: Dynamic microphone with Variable-D technology to reduce proximity effect. Polar Pattern: Supercardioid / Cardioid for excellent off-axis feedback rejection. Circuit: Built-in hum-bucking coil for superior noise and hum rejection. Extras: Features an easily operated "bass-tilt" (bass roll-off) switch for boom use. Construction: Rugged steel outer case with the exclusive non-metallic Acoustalloy diaphragm. Microphone 2: Electro-Voice 654A The 654A was originally designed as a high-end broadcast and studio microphone, known for its rugged extruded aluminum body and extremely smooth, natural omnidirectional response. Cole's Pick Vintage gave this mic a full structural pass as well, cleaning the diaphragm and installing new interior foam (see attached service tag dated 10/29/25). Acoustic Design: Dynamic microphone designed for professional broadcast and studio recording. Polar Pattern: Omnidirectional (captures a broad, natural sound from all directions). Diaphragm: Features EV's exclusive non-metallic Acoustalloy diaphragm, known for its smooth frequency response (50 to 15,000 Hz) and absolute indestructibility. Construction: Rugged extruded aluminum case with a non-reflecting gray finish. Impedance: Matches all low impedances, 50 through 250 ohms. Let me know if you have any questions. As I mentioned above doing serious liquidation to help support the horse sanctuary so will be listing a lot in the upcoming days. re: PROVENANCE / JULIEN'S CARD Please note that the physical Julien’s Auctions card is NOT included with this listing. It will be staying with the other microphones I am keeping. re: RETURNS I have noticed in recent years here and on other sites there seems to be an increase of buyers that purchase an item, practically invent some sort of problem or issue, and then hold the seller's feedback ransom in order to get a few bucks back for free. That is why I am making it perfectly clear in my listings that I do not accept returns. Please ask all questions up front (additional condition details, request more pictures, etc.). However, if you check my feedback both here and on a popular auction site ( jmarsh45 ) you will see that I have a perfect 100% feedback rating of over 1,500 across both platforms over the past 20+ years. I take my feedback and my gear very seriously even though I am a hobbyist. So please know that if there is a genuine problem, I am sure we can work something out. Just reach out before or after with any questions or issues.