Doug Siddons Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Do bear in mind if you get a battered SM58 a new replacement grill works wonders cosmetically. As a cheaper alternative check out the red 5 audio deals here. They are well worth the money, bit "holey" in their response, but robust and have performed well in non critical applications Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Gruner Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Don't even go there. Find the extra money and buy the proper thing. Simple. Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostinvegas Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 I recently bought 4 SM58's from a well known hire company for £50 each, they all had clips and new grilles. If you want a cheap mic SM58 equivilents do have their place. When I was 15 I bought a budget 2nd hand PA from our local music shop and 4 x budget mics which I was told were like SM58's. I still have those mics 15 years later and they still work after being carted around the country with various bands I have been in over the years. I don't have a clue which make they are as all the logos have rubbed off. But I guess what I am trying to say is if its for your own personal use then a lesser known cheaper brand might work out fine for you. I use those 2 old mics in my rehearsal room now with my own band and they work fine. As others have said when I am at work with rider requirements to meet I would never consider going for anything but the stock Shure and Sennhiser mics we regularly get asked for. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PDS Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Buy new, always, every time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChazHS Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Buying the copied SM-58s is encouraging piracy - I wouldn't do that if I were you. If you want a cheaper vocal mic then the Shure PG range should fit the bill, and I think you will find that for little to no more money than the rip of SM you will get a better capsule in the Shure PG - not to mention the Shure reliability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sound In Gloucestershire Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 the original poster has not clarified whether he meant FAKE SM58's or SM58 similar mics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightsource Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Come on people, we're talking less than £80 quid here. If the OP wants to spend less, then best of luck. I don't see why we should waste our time on someone (no offence) who wants to buy sh1t to use sh1t. He'll probably come back to the forum in a couple of months asking why his gigs sound so bad. If the OP wants an alternative to the SM58, then look at the Sennheiser Evolution series. Anything else or cheap nasties.....well we're really not here for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Riley Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Having said that, we use the behringer xm8500 for our karaoke stuff and they're not that different to the sm58. Pretty rugged as well - definitely worth the 12 quid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamieG Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 That last comment was a little harsh. I have recently bought a couple more SM58's and tired them up against one I have had for over 25 years...and do you know what....the old one sounds just as good as the brand new ones. OK maybe my hearing is 25 years older now, but I can still hear the difference between a good mic and a bad mic. Notice I didn't say "the difference between an expensive mic and a cheap mic". There are a number of very good mics around these days for relatively small amounts of money. I recently bought a couple of Superlux S241 condenser mics ; these mics list at around £80. I A/B'd them against my AKG 451's and was astonished at how great they sounded...and I mean not just good...GREAT!! And there is over £100 difference between the Superluxes and the 451's so it does pay to shop around. I agree though with a comment that was made earlier in this discussion that you will have forgotten the cost of a real 58 in a years time but a bad copy will hack you off every time you use it. My 25 year old 58, although scratched and battered and probably harboring a large number of fabulous bacteria still sounds as good as the day I bought it. Save up and by the real thing...it would be like buying a Japanese copy of a Harley Davidson...it's just not right...get a Harley!! JG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Siddons Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Come on people, we're talking less than £80 quid here. If the OP wants to spend less, then best of luck. I don't see why we should waste our time on someone (no offence) who wants to buy sh1t to use sh1t. Last time I looked both the SM57 and SM58 were under £80 does that mean their sh t? :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J Pearce Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 The thomann lookalikes are meant to be quite good.I've used the Thomann MB75s and had good results with them, had 3 out with 1 real 57 and couldn't distinguish between them on headphones. I haven't tried the MB85 or MB85 Beta. I do think there's a big difference between these lookalikes and the pirate copys, mainly in that they are not being sold as Shure products. I wouldn't want to buy pirate, you get no guarantee, no quality assurance and you're encouraging them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostinvegas Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 Buy new, always, every time. When is comes to 58's I would say the exact opposite especially if your on a tight budget. As one of the above poster says a 25 year old one sounds the same as a new one. Buy 2nd hand, but buy from someone reputable. I saved a fortune buying 2nd hand and have had no problems and no complaints. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
revbobuk Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 So where (apart from eBay, where the chances of getting a cheap clone, or even a used, battered cheap clone seem pretty high) would you go for used stock like this? Whybuynew I know, but where else is there that sells on old stock? (I'm looking for a couple of Beta58 at the moment, as it happens) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Jeal Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Check the hire companies that sell used/exhire stock, gumtree, sound on sound classifieds, loot. Also if you have a look on ebay or the Shure website there's a guide to picking out the fakes. Basically if it's on ebay and looks too good to be true it usually is do n ot buy them from the far east. Charlie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamieG Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 There are a number of the bigger rental companys who turn around there stock on a regular basis to keep it all looking tidy. They often have links on their websites selling off second hand gear....here are three to get you started. http://www.sseaudiogroup.com/sse_audio_gro...xhire_stock.asp http://store.adlibaudio.co.uk/index.php?ca...8e97904f2a58ef0 http://www.sflgroup.co.uk/second-hand-list.aspx Hope this is helpful. Cheers JG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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