Ah yes - a sow's ear into a silk purse can make the K3. I have a woodworker nearby, built a perfect example of an RCA 44 - except the internals are a RadioShack electret element. Runs it through his EQ on the K3 and it sounds like the real deal. It is in use every day and you cannot really tell it from the looks of a real RCA. Bill W2BLC