It’s a fitting kind of tribute: honor one of rock’s rawest, most electric voices with the very tool built to capture it. That’s the idea behind Neumann’s new U 47 FET Bon Scott Edition, a limited run saluting the late AC/DC frontman. The German mic-maker launched it on July 9 — what would have been Scott’s 80th birthday, since he was born July 9, 1946.pr
At its heart, it’s the U 47 FET that Neumann has kept in production since 2014 — “identical in sound and performance to the current reissue,” the company says. So this is a real, working studio microphone, not a wall-hanger. What sets the Bon Scott Edition apart is the dress: a matte-black finish with Bon Scott graphics, his name and signature on the body, an exclusive black wooden presentation box, and a collector’s booklet featuring an interview with producer Harry Vanda. Each of the 300 units worldwide is individually numbered.
It’s a collector’s piece, and it’s priced like one — $4,999 in the U.S., €4,949 in Europe. For that, you’re getting a genuine studio classic dressed up with some rock history and a low serial number, which is exactly the sort of thing that tends to hold its appeal for the people who go in for these.
The history behind it is the good part. Vanda and his partner George Young produced AC/DC’s early records, and the U 47 FET — a solid-state mic introduced back in 1972 — was a studio workhorse built to take a beating from loud, punishing sources without breaking a sweat. Neumann says it’s the mic that captured Scott’s vocals on records like Let There Be Rock (1977), with Vanda recalling that it let Bon’s voice “sit best with the guitars.” Anyone who’s heard Scott tear through “Whole Lotta Rosie” can hear why that pairing worked.
And it’s still built for exactly that kind of job. The mic handles 137 dB SPL — 147 dB with the pad engaged — which means it won’t flinch in front of a cranked guitar amp or a kick drum. In other words, it can still do the work it was famous for.
There’s a nice touch on the way out, too: Neumann and Scott’s family say a portion of the proceeds goes to Support Act, the well-established Australian charity that helps musicians and industry workers in crisis. In North and South America, the mic is sold exclusively through Sweetwater and Guitar Center; buyers in Europe and Asia can find it through select dealers.pr
With only 300 made, it’s a small, deliberate gesture — a working piece of gear that also happens to be a keepsake. For the engineer or the AC/DC fan with the means, it’s a rather charming way to keep Scott’s name in the room, forty-odd years on from his passing in 1980.