What to look for in an SM57 ?

[MooWahmBah]

HI ....I`ve heard about used 57`s having issues .Mostly abuse on stages ...etc,, I want to get this right with a new pair for cab recording .Are there differences that make the older models better ? Can I buy new and get the goods ?
Are there tell tale signs of one that might not be up to spec? I have one now (very funky looking) that seems to break up at not so loud speaker volumes.

thanks for the wealth of info here .

[NesNeedsGear]

some will argue that the older Unidyne labeled 57's (american made) sound CONSIDERABLY better than the new mexican made ones. Shure might have found ways to cut expenses, thus cutting quality. at least theoretically.

Some think that abuse the older ones have been through actually makes the 57's sound better.

* I * say there's a bigger audible difference depending on Preamp choice as opposed to whether the 57 was made in America vs. Mexico.

[krs]

Unidyne III made in the USA is the one you want

[digibird]

The new ones are great. All 57s sound relativly the same, except when you run them thru a Great River preamp. Then they really sound good.

Buy your 57s from: http://northernsound.net/Sales/mics/frame.html

Call the toll free # for your price. They are a great company. I've been extremely pleased with many orders from them. Make sure to get the free t-shirt, very comfortable, black t.

[MooWahmBah]

Could anyone say what year they were Unidyne and what year they went to Mexico ?
Gracias .

[Tibbon]

I'd just make sure there's no marks on it where it has been used as a hammer.

The SM57/58 are the mics i WOULDNT worry about their condition. That's the thing, they will almost always work unless someone seriously killed it (and you could tell really quickly).

I'm putting the 'vintage 57' thing in the bandwagon with the rest of the "All companies used to not care about money, and theirfore didn't cut corners, and thus the old rare ones are obviously the best although no one can tell in a doubleblind a/b test which is best, but yet they will pay more for them and think that vintage is better when it just sounds different from 20 years of smoke on the capusule or the caps drying out" myth.

[krs]

Spoken by some one who obviously hasn't tried them side by side

[zarembo]

I don't know man, we've got both and frankly, sometimes I prefer the sound of the newer 57 on certain things compared to the UIII.

but what do I know?

[not_so_new]

Originally Posted by digibird

Buy your 57s from: http://northernsound.net/Sales/mics/frame.html

Call the toll free # for your price. They are a great company. I've been extremely pleased with many orders from them. Make sure to get the free t-shirt, very comfortable, black t.

Interesting..... I used to do a ton of live sound stuff for these guys back in the day, I didn't know they had an on line store.

Anyway if you order something from them I think they would do you well, they were pretty honest guys all in all (but don't come looking for me if you don't like the transaction)......

[ben_allison]

Wow.

Talk about being myopic.

It's a 57. Go make some music.

We make Gods of our gear.

[GregoryC]

Originally Posted by krs

Spoken by some one who obviously hasn't tried them side by side

Just make sure they're wired properly. 6 out of 10 we tested (Mexican) were wired wrong. We switched the wires and boom; the mics started singing....

[David Lee]

Originally Posted by Tibbon

The SM57/58 are the mics i WOULDNT worry about their condition. That's the thing, they will almost always work unless someone seriously killed it (and you could tell really quickly[/I] myth.

have you ever listened to an SM58 that has been used for 1 or 2+ years at a live music venue, night in/night out?

from experience, they get trashed over time, just from spit and breath of singers.

[Bat Head Sound]

A buddy of mine has both new ones and old ones and he can't tell the difference (he's got great ears too). The point is "it's a fu¢kin' '57."

[orksnork]

this seems simple...
you want to get this right for recording with a new cab....then buy some new ones...

as far as ive seen, you'll only end up saving a few bucks buying a 57 used and like it's been said, you dont want one that's been spat in for years on your cab

[madstrat]

Originally Posted by GregoryC

Just make sure they're wired properly. 6 out of 10 we tested (Mexican) were wired wrong. We switched the wires and boom; the mics started singing....

well, this has me a bit intrigued

i must run to the studjo and check the wiring on all my 57s

i knew there was somthing more than my lack of skill,

fubar-ing all my recordings

[Tim Farrant]

What to look for in an SM57 ?

Spiders, if it has spiders inside, then it has not been used much. Spiders hate loud music. They crawl in through the slots in the head.

[khp]

Originally Posted by GregoryC

Just make sure they're wired properly. 6 out of 10 we tested (Mexican) were wired wrong. We switched the wires and boom; the mics started singing....

What the??? really? 60% wired wrong from the factory? Sure ought to give you a freebie for pointing it out. That's crazy!

[orange]

Originally Posted by GregoryC

Just make sure they're wired properly. 6 out of 10 we tested (Mexican) were wired wrong. We switched the wires and boom; the mics started singing....

what about them was wired wrong ? I can only imagine that they were wired out of phase ? if so then the sound wouldn't be any different, just out of phase.

pic of internal wiring

Originally Posted by GregoryC

Just make sure they're wired properly. 6 out of 10 we tested (Mexican) were wired wrong. We switched the wires and boom; the mics started singing....

You have to be joking, right?

Originally Posted by MooWahmBah

Could anyone say what year they were Unidyne and what year they went to Mexico ?
Gracias .

Originally I posted early 90s but went to Shure's site and they said it was in 89. That was a blur for me. All I know is that I worked for one of the largest Shure dealers in the SouthWest, and the whole thing went under the radar as far as the customers were concerned. Back then there were a couple of Chinese companies manufacturing knock-offs of gear, so we saw it as a better move than moving everything to China. Plus, the whole political/economic benefit created a market where it cost too much to manufacture here and the government made it worth the trouble to relocate to Mexico. Back then WalMart was moving down there...heck, many large companies did.

The Unidyne III, according to Shure's history page was released in 1959, and was the predecessor to the 57.

[Drumsound]

I look for somewhere to put the 57 to get it out of my way so I can store the real mics. You know, the ones that I'll actually use.