MDN problem (Massively Dented Neumann)

[darjama]

I picked up a Neumann U89i off of eb*y, and was quite happy with it, getting better recordings of my upright and room tones than I'd managed previously. I don't have a properly fitting shockmount for it, but as long as I'm careful it will be okay, right?

Well, apparently I'm not that careful and it the body of the mic got a big ol' dent in it. It didn't fall that far (about 2.5 feet), but hit the leg of the mic stand in just the right place. Everything seems to still be working okay, but I don't think I can unscrew the body at this point.

I wasn't planning on keeping the thing once I finish my current project due to budget constraints, but I'm sure I'd take a bath trying to sell the thing as is. Anyone have any recomendations for this type of mic repair? I don't know if they can do work on the body like it was a '57 Chevy bumper or if it would just have to be replaced.

[Jay Kahrs]

Ehh...that's rough one. Off the top of my head I don't know anyone who fixes mic bodies, usually it's just the guts. If it really matters to you that much I'd start by calling the usual suspects like Bill Bradly @ the Mic Shop or even Neumann directly.

Though, there's a pretty good chance you'll have to live with the dent. If anything, it would have to be replaced, you can't exactly use Bondo on a microphone! And I'm sure the cost of fitting a new body (with serial numbers etc.) would probably not be inexpensive.

FWIW, I saw a U87ai take an 8 foot fall from a mic stand onto a wood floor and it survived with a dent. Come to think of it, I've seen lots of dented mics but I've never heard about anybody fixing a dent unless it was in the screen.

[darjama]

Yeah, I could live with the dent, but I guess the fact that the body can't be removed scares me. I dunno, maybe I could remove it, but I didn't want to be too forceful.

[Gregg Sartiano]

I rented a U 87 from L.A. FX here in town -- Lex gave me the one with the pretty big dent on the body. He said the dent was from an Alex Van Halen drumstick. Oops.

It still sounded...well...like a U 87...

Sorry to hear your story. Y'know, you're still gonna sell it at a "discount" from the new/reg. price (i.e.: it's a used mic regardless) -- maybe just post some .wav files to prove that it's still a hot mic.

[jomo1234]

Vintage Loop (www.vintageloop.com) apparently fixes dents in mic bodies and grills. I've never done business with them, but it mentions it on their website.

[jomo1234]

If you are able to remove the body from the mic, they are certainly fixable. I forgot to mention this in my earlier post, but about 8 years ago, I took a dented U67 body to a machine shop with a small English press. I paid about 20 dollars and they removed the dent in about 5 minutes. There is still a small ripple in the metal, but it was well worth the money, not to mention the fact that the shockmount now holds the microphone.

[john caldwell]

Originally Posted by Gregg Sartiano

... He said the dent was from an Alex Van Halen drumstick. Oops.

It still sounded...well...like a U 87...

I like this idea of weaving some elaborate story around the dent, and how some celebrity put it there. That might enhance value at sale time!

John-

[echorec]

I bought two "MDN" U89s a long time ago. I removed the bodies, put a thick wood stick (broom stick or larger size) inside the housing and hit the stick gently with a hammer. Voilà - dents gone!

[darjama]

hmmm...sounds like a good tip. The question is can I coax the body off without damaging anything.

[echorec]

It was a long time ago so I am not sure how I disassembled the mic but I don´t remember it being difficult.

[XSergeantD]

I used to save up all the mics the assistants bashed to the point I was unable to return to normal and send em out to Korby Audio in pittsburgh