It's not really an appliance, but I thought I'd share......

[andy]

For the gameshow lovers. A genuine Sony ECM-51 telescopic microphone, used by Gene Rayburn and Bob Barker and other hosts in the 1970's and 80's.

As far as I know, this wasn't used on a gameshow, I bought it from a recording studio. It's not a replica, and not a reproduction mic, it's the real deal. Came in it's original case, (case not pictured)

Mic at it's shortest length.

 

[andy]

Get ready to match the stars.......

Mic telescoped to it's full length.

 

[rp2813]

Awesome!  I remember those from local TV shows as well.  Looks just like the one "Mayor Art" used on his kid show on channel 4 here in the Bay Area back in the early 60's (although it may not have been a SONY).  Not to be confused with Art Linkletter, who also used that type of mic.

 

[tolivac]

Very nice!The place where I work for doesn't have any microphones like this in their feild dept.You would think they would.

 

[cornutt]

I've read somewhere that at some point during the run of the '70s version of Match Game, Rayburn's mic got broken and they couldn't get another one. So they improvised something out of a a lav mic that looked the same.

I will admit, grudgingly, to being one of the game show fanatics here...

 

[andy]

That happened in the Match Game '78 year, I believe.

I think what they did was, they used a Sony ECM-50 lavalier mic, fed the wiring through the tube, and spot welded the capsule to the solid tube that measured about the same length as the genuine ECM-51 mic, fully telescoped. It was slightly fatter than the genuine ECM-51. As far as the bottom of the solid tube mic he used, I don't know what was used for the holding part, I don't think there's any episodes where you can get a real good look at it, not even in the Syndicated Series 1979-1982 version.

 

[tolivac]

Yes-the microphone isn't an appliance-but a TRANSDUCER-like a speaker.Converts acoustic energy to electrical energy.(microphone)