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☆Vintage 1960s National WM-701 Ribbon Dynamic Microphone - Japanese Dual-Element Dynamic Microphone | Altec 639A 639B STC 4033 Kinap
£932
Price dropped from £934
Very GoodReverb1mo ago
Sold by
J
JR's Audio Gear
Details
- First Seen
- 28 September 2026
- Last Seen
- 10 November 2026
- Times Seen
- 33
About this listing
☆Vintage 1960s National WM-701 Ribbon Dynamic Microphone - Japanese Dual-Element Dynamic Microphone | Altec 639A 639B STC 4033 Kinap is a used item in very good condition, listed on Reverb. The asking price is £932. It is offered by JR's Audio Gear through Reverb. It is in our Microphones category. Used Gear Hunter first saw this listing on 28 September 2026 and last saw it on 10 November 2026. It has been seen 33 times in our scans. Prices are converted from the seller's currency when we scan the listing, so the amount you pay may differ slightly. The seller sets shipping, and import duty or VAT may apply, so check the final cost and the item's details on Reverb before buying.
From the seller
Cleaned, Tested, & Serviced w/ a New Ribbon
Working to specifications - Sounds just like it should with a full frequency response!
Extremely Rare Model - Imagine this microphone being the needle and the haystack being a ton of RCA 77's!
This is the rare National WM-701, a Japanese dual-element dynamic microphone. National was the company that became Panasonic, and they produced a variety of different microphones. The WM-701 uses both a bi-directional ribbon and a unidirectional dynamic in tandem to create a cardioid polar pattern, like the Altec 639a, STC 4033, KINAP 10a1. Its design is most comparable to an American DR330, with the moving coil dynamic element positioned directly below the ribbon. Unlike the DR330, the WM-701 doesn’t share that same “honky” midrange. It still has a pronounced midrange, but is also well-balanced in the low and high frequencies.
This microphone works really well on guitar amps, bass, and vocals. Another difference between the WM-701 and other dual element designs is that it does not have the ability to switch between ribbon (for figure, dynamic (omni) or both together (cardioid)), and only provides a blend of both at the output for a cardioid pickup. Like many high-end vintage Japanese mics, the WM-701 is really well-engineered.
The perforated grill is beautiful and rugged, the yoke and stand mount are wonderfully machined, and it is durable and easy to position. It is important to note, the grille did have the top areas on both sides fixed with epoxy because there was some damage. This microphone has had the original ribbon replaced, so it is nice and full again, sounds excellent!
Information above is from Mike Bridavsky at Russian Recording or Soviet American Audio Systems. They have a lot of cool mics and information you can take a look at!