AKG414B-ULS - worth picking one up?

I'd say the ULS is the "flattest" of the 414 variants. Sort of like comparing a U87 to a U89. It's probably never going to wow you but it's a great utility microphone. I have 4 of them. I like them on toms especially, but I think they make nice overheads if you have overly bright cymbals, banjo, some vocals, room mics. Depending on the price, definitely worth owning. I know some aren't fans, but I use mine often.

If you come across them for a short time they made an AKG 414B-ULS TL (not TL II) which is a transformerless version and is a little "faster" and more "open" sounding.

yeah BULS is a great mic, I wish I still had mine. it's fairly flat and clean, terrific all purpose stick anywhere on anything mic. not bright at all.

I have a pair of tlm107 I use in that role these days and I'm really happy with them.

I think $500 is a stellar deal for a BULS, $6-800 is good, 9 and above is ok but maybe too much......

Good utility mic. I'd pick it over the AT mics you mentioned for most things. I really like them on toms and they are pretty solid on guitar cab, acoustics, drum rooms, etc... Lot's of people love them on OHs (just OK to me there). Prices on Reverb are a bit inflated, IMO, for what they do. For a vintage mic that may have problems, $900-1K is a way too much. As another poster said, $600-800 is probably fair if it's in good shape.

Or just get a BZ C12a FET.
If single Pattern is OK.
Maybe sell the Cremona/get the Tube Multi-Pattern C12a?
Chris

I used a pair of 414b-uls for many years as drum overheads.  I thought they did a great job there.  I've used them as room mics, also banjo, acoustic guitar, and on vocals and in some cases it is the best mic for that singer.  but I also recently sold them.  One thing to watch for is the rotary switches for the patterns and pads.  They can break (although apparently Derek at Vanguard loves to fix them lol).  One of mine had a broken tab on the switch, but the switch was still able to move and function and it was only for the pad so I didn't use it much.  Anyway, I found that I could get a similar drum overhead sound out of the Lauten  Audio LA-220V2 mics (with the filter switches set) and they were way cheaper so I recently sold my 414s.  I had been using the Lauten mics above the kit for a year thinking I would then use the 414s somewhere else, but I didn't and I hate to have mics just sitting around so if i don't use them, I move them and buy something else.

I had one for a while, and there was one singer that it worked best on. I didn't like it on many people's voice. I did like to borrow mjau 's so I could use a pair on overheads. I was to the point where it was either going to buy another, or sell the one I had, and I decided to sell it. That was quite a while back.

Even over Legendary Brass 414?
Grasshopper asks.

Thanks for making my point.  At 1/2 of a "low going price" they are not worth it.  IMO of course.

I had a 414 TL with the c12 capsule in it back in the 90's, it sounded hifi, i liked it

So many of the original’s were Hacked for that brass Capsule or were work horses and suddenly have Nylons.

NPR uses 87’s.

Guitar Center??