I agree that the stock Pearlman TM-1 is a beautiful mic. I thought long and hard whether or not to mess with it. The reasons I finally opted to paint it were because:
a. I knew that I could.
b. I already had the PPG automotive paints in the garage.
c. I didn't care for the way the satin black finish picked up fingerprints
d. I didn't care for the way the black finish "disappeared" visually in my dark vocal booth. I want to be able to better see this mic to better admire it - even when I'm sitting at the console looking through the booth window.
But hey,
different strokes for different folks, and so on and so on and shooby dooby dooby.
Incidentally, I was never trying to make it look "vintage". I would have looked for a nickel finish if that was the case. I kept the black basket and shock mount, and might fabricate some additional bodies out of brass tube stock unless Dave will sell me some spares, with the idea of being able to change the look of the mic whenever the mood strikes me. Maybe have a Crystal Red Tintcoat body that I pull out and swap in for the Holidays. Maybe another one that I'll have chromed for New Years. Whatever the "look", it will be something that I love - and that's all I'm concerning myself with. It's microphone art. And the beauty of art is always in the eye of the beholder.
