Sennheiser e604 tom mic repair

[Stuart91]

We recently encountered a clumsy, yet violent drummer, who managed to hit all three of the Sennheiser e604 tom mics that were on the kit. What seems to have happened is that the grilles have popped out, but are deformed in such a way that they won't just slot back into place.

 

Otherwise the mics are working fine, they still sound OK (and we noticed nothing during the gig itself). Unfortunately there's foam behind the grille which acts as a windshield and has also disappeared.

 

I've approached Sennheiser for a repair, but their fixed-price repair service is almost the same cost as a new mic - there's about £10 in it. I can't find the grilles available as a spare part (and I suspect that replacements wouldn't fit anyway) Without the foam, or a grille to hold the foam in place, the mics are vulnerable to wind noise and probably lacking physical protection.

 

Does anyone know of any other source of repairs / spares for these mics? It seems a shame to bin them when it should be an easy fix, and I'm sure we can't be the only people that this has happened to.

[TonyMitchell]

Hi Stuart

 

If replacements are the most economical option, the E604 featured on Sennheiser's 20th Anniversary "Mic of the Month" promotion recently, so you may find distributors/stockists with promotion stock.

Also there is a three pack which gives a further saving over the individual unit price.

 

But would it be timely to think about 904s instead? The paragraph below I have copied from elsewhere on the web, it was written, albeit 12 years ago, by Sennheiser's Product Manager.

 

"Both the e 604 and the e 904 are both quality mics and you likely won't be disappointed with either purchase. That being said, here are some key differences: The e 904 features all metal construction while the e 604 is a fiber glass composite with a stainless steel sound inlet basket. The e 904 is physically a bit smaller (though heavier) and features a more robust sound inlet basket - some drummers that have less control are prone to hitting the e 604 with upstrokes on the snare or toms, denting the grill. The e 904 features gold XLR pins and an additional 3 - 6 dB greater gain before feedback over the e 604. The e 904 will have more attack and snap than the e 604 due to its increased transient response time, it also has a roll of that starts around 140 Hz (ideal for larger PA systems) with a freq response down to 40 Hz."

Tony

[Stuart91]

Hi Tony,

 

Yes, I've already bought some replacements - took advantage of the promotional pricing. I think this is the first time we've broken 604s in 10+yrs so hopefully the new ones will hold up.

 

It's just a shame to have to bin mics that are perfectly serviceable. I might resort to just attaching some windshield foam over the front with cable ties or something, and then give them away to someone. Better than chucking them out.

[Alec]

Take a look at this post from ProSoundWeb, where a guy was making replacements for around a fiver. Last post was a year ago, but worth trying to make contact?

[Chris Grimshaw]

Hi all,

I'm the guy that was making the grilles. Thanks for your interest!

I'm in the process of moving house (again), and the place I've moved into is currently a building site, so everything is stored away in what will be the workshop.

Once things are a bit more in order, I'll start making these again. Probably a month of two from the date of this post.

Cheers,Chris