To quote the master Jon Brion: "There is nothing an SM-57 does that plenty of other mics don't do much better."
I'm looking for something instead of an SM-57. Something that'll work on just about everything, but won't sound just mediocre - I know mic placement and I'm well aware of how my preamps behave around instruments and mics. I record voice (something between Rufus Wainwright and Fiona Apple is a wishful comparison), electric guitar (clean and distorted and weirded), acoustic, bass, ukulele, electric organ (and the gloriously old drum machine therein), acoustic piano, handclaps, tambourine, and anything else I feel like. Also would be nice to have something to throw on a drumkit somewhere should the opportunity arise.
Price limit would be around $100-150. Would be nice to have something older - maybe not the newish "Look how cheap this is!" dynamic, something with character potentially but NOT single-use. I don't want something that'll start revealing its price on everything I record (like the crap-ass Studio Projects C1 I'm seriously considering chucking from a roof).
Thanks in advance, peeps!
That man is wearing a silly hat. Silly man.