Early 1940s JT31 Bullet Harp Mic, 1961 Shure Element 99A86 BK

Rare Early 1940s Astatic JT-31 from Youngstown, Ohio.
Crunchy Blues Exterior Finish
Newly rewired
Great lows, crisp highs
High-Impedance Harmonica Microphone
Vintage 1961 Shure Controlled Magnetic
99A86 BK element
Fully Tested and Working

A JT-31, that’s right “31” built by Astatic in Youngstown Ohio pre-1946 (when Astatic moved to Conneault.) This mic is in cool, dirty cosmetic condition, with chipping and peeling paint, dents, and scuff marks, but still showing that original Youngstown badge. And look at those streamlined grill screws! I’d love to have a box of those!

I’ve installed a vintage Shure controlled-magnetic element from November of 1961. It's newly rewired, with a Switchcraft 5/8” cable connector, and new element gasket. It reads out at 1093 Ohms! I’ve also added a dual windscreen behind the grill featuring marine-grade stainless steel mesh and white nylon cloth.

Tone-wise, this mic has great booming lows, and crisp, crunchy highs. Better than any of the new harp mics available today. This early CM element sound is what’s great about this mic!

The exterior finish is poor, or great depending on your opinion. It was painted blue at some time, and that’s chipping a LOT. This mic has been around, but I really love the look.

The mic features:
– Vintage 1961 Shure 99H86 BK element
– Dirty Gritty Paint
– New wiring
– Switchcraft 5/8” screw-on connector
– 1093 Ohms, Strong, Gritty element
– Custom stainless steel mesh

The mic has been tested on a Mission Chicago 30 watt amp, and on a lovely little Kalamazoo Model Two amp. It performs great on both.