Turner Microphone Company
An American microphone manufacturer known for affordable general-purpose, public-address, and CB radio microphones.
Last updated August 25, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Turner Microphone Company was an American microphone manufacturer based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Founded in 1931 by David Turner and Everett Foster, the company began producing microphones and public-address systems during a period when commercial sound reinforcement and radio communications were expanding in the United States. Turner remained comparatively small in corporate scale, but it developed a broad reputation for producing well-made microphones at modest prices. The company expanded its manufacturing capacity in 1936 by opening a larger factory in Cedar Rapids. Its output included general-purpose bullet-style microphones, public-address equipment, and microphones intended for communications applications. Turner products became particularly associated with the appearance and construction of microphones made during the 1940s and 1950s. Many of these models used Art Deco-inspired forms, brushed or polished metal finishes, and the company's distinctive raised shark-fin ornament on the top of the microphone body. Turner's product range served several overlapping markets. Its microphones were used for public-address and general audio work, while later products and related models were associated with citizens band radio and other communications uses. The company emphasized practical performance and relatively accessible pricing rather than positioning itself as a luxury or specialist studio brand. This combination helped Turner sell substantial quantities despite operating on a smaller scale than the largest microphone manufacturers. By the 1970s, Turner had grown to approximately 1,200 employees. Its historical importance is also connected to the distinctive industrial design of its mid-century products. The Model 22, the CD, BD, CX, and Challenger family, and the Model 33 are among the best-known Turner microphones. Several were available with different transducer elements, including crystal, ceramic, or dynamic versions, allowing the same basic product concept to serve different technical and user requirements. The Challenger models in particular later attracted collector interest because of their Art Deco styling and association with blues harmonica players. Turner was sold to Telex in 1978. The company ceased operations in 1979, ending the original manufacturer's independent production. Its surviving microphones remain visible in vintage equipment and collector communities, where their metal construction, period styling, distinctive shark-fin motif, and historical connection to early public-address and communications equipment continue to distinguish them.
History
Turner Microphone Company was established in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 1931 by David Turner and Everett Foster. Its formation coincided with the growing use of microphones in public-address systems, radio, commercial communication, and entertainment. The company soon moved beyond basic microphone production into public-address equipment, developing a product range aimed at practical users who needed dependable sound or communications hardware without the pricing associated with more specialized manufacturers. A larger factory opened in Cedar Rapids in 1936, giving Turner additional capacity and supporting the production of microphones in significant quantities. The company became known for general-purpose bullet-style microphones as well as communications microphones used with citizens band radio and related equipment. Its products were generally positioned as well-made but moderately priced, allowing the company to serve a broad customer base while maintaining a relatively small-company identity. Turner's strongest visual identity emerged in its 1940s and 1950s products. Many models used Art Deco-influenced shapes, metal finishes, and a raised shark-fin detail that became an immediately recognizable design feature. These microphones were not limited to one technical configuration: several models were offered with crystal, ceramic, or dynamic elements. This enabled Turner to adapt familiar external designs to different performance requirements and applications. The Model 22 became one of the company's most popular microphones during the 1940s and 1950s. It was available with crystal and ceramic elements and used a brushed-nickel finish with an Art Deco body and shark-fin top. The CD, BD, CX, and Challenger family was produced from 1940 to 1948. These models were offered in brown or brushed chrome and could be configured with crystal or dynamic elements. Their styling, together with later associations with blues harmonica players, has made Challenger examples especially desirable among collectors. The Model 33 was another large, chrome-finished Art Deco microphone produced during the 1940s and 1950s, also with crystal and dynamic versions. Turner continued expanding through the postwar era. By the 1970s, the company reportedly employed approximately 1,200 people, demonstrating that its manufacturing operation had grown substantially from its early Cedar Rapids base. Its products continued to span general audio, public-address, and communications uses rather than being confined to one professional niche. In 1978, Turner was sold to Telex. The original Turner Microphone Company ceased operations in 1979. Although the company is no longer active, surviving Turner microphones are preserved and traded as vintage audio and communications equipment. Their continuing recognition rests on both their historical function and their distinctive industrial design, particularly the mid-century Art Deco appearance and shark-fin motif.
- 1979
Operations ended
[1]The original Turner Microphone Company ceased operations.
- 1978
Sold to Telex
[1]Turner Microphone Company was sold to Telex.
- 1970
Workforce reached approximately 1,200
[1]By the 1970s, Turner had grown to approximately 1,200 employees.
- 1940
Challenger family production began
[1]The CD, BD, CX, and Challenger microphone family entered production, continuing through 1948.
- 1936
Larger factory opened
[1]Turner opened a larger factory in Cedar Rapids as the company expanded its manufacturing capacity.
- 1931
Company founded in Cedar Rapids
[1]David Turner and Everett Foster founded Turner Microphone Company in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Products and positioning
A practical, modestly priced American microphone manufacturer whose products combined functional communications and public-address use with distinctive mid-century Art Deco styling.
General-purpose microphone
Model 22
The Model 22 was a popular Turner microphone during the 1940s and 1950s. It used a brushed-nickel finish and an Art Deco-inspired body topped by Turner's characteristic shark-fin detail. The model was offered with crystal and ceramic elements, giving buyers different transducer options within the same recognizable product design. Its combination of decorative styling, metal construction, and general-purpose utility made it one of the company's most recognizable vintage models.
Vintage general-purpose and communications microphones · 1940
CD, BD, CX, and Challenger
This related group of Turner models was produced from 1940 to 1948. The microphones used an Art Deco form with the distinctive shark-fin feature and were available in brown or brushed chrome. Crystal and dynamic element options were offered. The Challenger versions are particularly associated with collector interest, including interest from blues harmonica players, because of their period styling and surviving historical use.
Large-format microphone
Model 33
The Model 33 was a large microphone with a chrome finish and Art Deco styling. Turner offered it with both crystal and dynamic elements, reflecting the company's practice of adapting its microphone designs to different technical configurations. It belongs to the company's 1940s-to-1950s product era and is now encountered primarily as vintage audio equipment and a collectible example of American mid-century microphone design.
Public-address equipment
Public-address systems
Turner began making public-address systems alongside microphones soon after its founding. These products extended the company's business beyond standalone transducers and served the practical sound-reinforcement market. Available source material does not identify specific system names, configurations, or dates, but public-address equipment was an established part of Turner's early and continuing manufacturing scope.
Radio communications microphone
CB radio communications microphones
Turner produced microphones for CB radio and related communications uses. These products formed an important part of the company's later identity and complemented its general-purpose and public-address offerings. The available reference material describes the category but does not provide a complete model list or detailed launch chronology.
Brand decisions
1978
Sale to TelexM&ABackground
After decades of independent manufacturing and expansion into general audio and communications microphones, Turner reached the end of its independent corporate period.
Action taken
Turner Microphone Company was sold to Telex.
Aftermath
The original Turner operation ceased in 1979.
1936
Expanded manufacturing with a larger factoryStrategyBackground
Growing microphone and public-address production created a need for more manufacturing capacity after the company's establishment.
Action taken
Turner opened a larger factory in Cedar Rapids.
Aftermath
The expansion supported larger-scale production and the company's later growth into a substantial employer.
Recent events
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/turner-microphone-company · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled