Neumann marks Bon Scott's 80th birthday with a U 47 fet edition

Neumann has announced the U 47 fet Bon Scott Edition, a limited version of its U 47 fet studio microphone created together with the Bon Scott Estate. It honors the AC/DC frontman and goes on sale on July 9, 2026, which would have been his 80th birthday. Only 300 units will be made worldwide.

Why this microphone

Back in the 1970s, the U 47 fet was the choice of producers Harry Vanda and George Young to record Bon Scott's vocals on the early AC/DC albums, Let There Be Rock among them. They needed a microphone that could handle his loud, rough singing style, and the U 47 fet's headroom and midrange let his voice stand out against heavy guitars. Vanda recalls that with it Scott's voice would "sit best with the guitars."

Neumann introduced the U 47 fet in 1972 as a solid-state follow-up to the tube U 47. It became a common choice for loud sources, and the company brought it back into production in 2014. Since then it has been used on vocals, guitar amplifiers and drums.

What the edition includes

The special edition is based on the current U 47 fet reissue and sounds and performs the same. It handles up to 137 dB SPL, or 147 dB with the pad switched on. The differences are visual and in the packaging:

• a matte black finish with Bon Scott graphics;
• Bon Scott's name and signature on the body;
• a collector's booklet with an interview with Harry Vanda;
• an individual serial number on every unit.

Charity and sales

Neumann and Bon Scott's family will give part of the proceeds to Support Act Australia, which helps artists and music industry workers in need. In the United States the edition will be sold only through Sweetwater and Guitar Center. Neumann, founded in 1928 in Berlin, joined the Sennheiser Group in 1991.