TBird
10 posts
Jul 28, 2013
10:28 AM
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As a novice player, for a long I have tentatively been considering starting to play amplified. A big part of my tentativeness comes from the financial investment involved. For that reason (and because I like to make stuff) I have been considering building my own mic. (I’d be going for a Bottle-o-Blues clone type thing.) I think I’d like to simplify things by ordering a ¼ jack and Pot combo kit like this:
http://www.harpmicshop.com/servlet/Detail?no=98
but which one is designed to work with a cheap element like this one:
http://www.harpmicshop.com/servlet/Detail?no=154 ?
What’s the difference?
Also… could someone provide me with diameter measurements across the grills of some popular mics like the Green Bullet, JT-30, or anything else that you may have lying around? If I ever end up going with something like that I'd like to be able to practice holding and forming a nice tight cup around a cup or something with a similar diameter.
Thanks in advance!
Tom
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fred_gomez
138 posts
Jul 28, 2013
12:18 PM
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the wiring harness is for a crystal mic, that element is a controlled reluctance i think. so you would need a pot for a magnetic mic. and that element is 259.00 not really cheap. just buy a fuctioning mic.
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tookatooka
3414 posts
Jul 28, 2013
1:12 PM
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TBird. If finance is a major problem at the moment I made a perfectly reasonable mic from an old phone ear speaker (150 Ohms) and an old electric light fitting (where the bulb screws in). Sounds fine.
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MakaInOz
88 posts
Jul 28, 2013
5:57 PM
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TBird,
This works:
http://www.planetharmonica.com/ph2/VE/TMI-micUK.htm
Cheers
Maka
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jbone
1315 posts
Jul 28, 2013
8:44 PM
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I guess the big q for me is, high or low impedance? You can get a low z mic pretty cheaply depending on where you are and if you use fleabay, craigslist, etc. Audix made the fireball which seems to have bombed, maybe for good reason, Nady has a bullet mic, as does Peavey and Superlux, probably used you could find one fairly inexpensive. Same with Shaker, which makes several models of low z as well as a high z or two.
There is always the DIY route, which can be fun or crazy-making depending on how well you plan and execute!
For a high z mic, $30 to %50 will get you a Shure 585 or similar ball mic which is about the size of a bullet mic. there is no hard rule that says you HAVE to have a bullet mic.
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Greg Heumann
2282 posts
Jul 29, 2013
9:34 PM
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@Jbone re: "I guess the big q for me is, high or low impedance"
Why is this a big question? To me it is a small one. Hi and lo impedance mics can both be great for harp, and can both be connected to anything. I wouldn't lose sleep over this one. Go for a mic that sounds the way you want and FEELS the way you want. Comfort/ease of cupping DOES matter - especially over a full show.
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***************************************************
/Greg
BlowsMeAway Productions
See my Customer Mics album on Facebook
BlueState - my band
Bluestate on iTunes
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capnj
134 posts
Jul 29, 2013
10:16 PM
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TBird don't worry be happy,build your own or buy the bottle of blues,which ain't bad.You will learn to cup anything that you feel like,ain't no biggie.Become a mic junkie like me,and yes different mics have sound variations with whatever amp or channel you hook them up with.Know a guy who has been playing many years,good acoustic player on vocal mics,still trying to dial in his bassman sound,but when I played through it,dam thing sounded hot.Now I'm thinking ain't got my amps dialed in,never ends.
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Kingley
2942 posts
Jul 29, 2013
11:50 PM
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I'd say don't bother building one. Just buy an SM57 and get an impedance convertor. Best mic investment you can make. It's one of the most versatile mics around, is an industry standard and has been for decades. Good for vocals, micing up amps, drums, etc and also a killer harp mic.
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TBird
11 posts
Jul 30, 2013
10:19 AM
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Thanks for the sage advice everyone. I think I'm just going to keep trolling the interwebs, snatch up the first cheap thing that seems cool and functional, and be happy!
Thanks again! Anymore insight anyone may have is still welcome.
Tom
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Kingley
2944 posts
Jul 30, 2013
10:36 AM
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That's a very good idea. You should manage to find a bargain. Don't worry about the impedance too much as you can always get convertors. The only other thing I'd suggest is to stay away from crystal mics. In general the old ones have elements that either don't work or are a very low output. Also avoid ribbon mics and condenser mics. They aren't suitable for harp in most situations although there are always exceptions to the rule. Stick with dynamic or CM/CR elements and you won't go far wrong.
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TBird
12 posts
Jul 30, 2013
10:47 AM
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Ooooo! I just found a Shure 245S "Uniplex" microphone on Craigslist. Anyone have any experience?
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Kingley
2946 posts
Jul 30, 2013
10:51 AM
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It's a ceramic mic similar to the Shure 777. The element may or may not have decent output. Ceramic elements are similar to crystal elements and degrade over time in a similar fashion. Personally I'd leave it alone and look for another mic. Better to be safe than sorry.
There are quite a few Shure 545 mics on ebay at the moment around the $80 mark. They are truly superb mics for harp. There are also some Shure 585 mics on there that are reasonably priced. The 585 is another great mic for harp.
Last Edited by Kingley on Jul 30, 2013 10:54 AM
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capnj
136 posts
Jul 30, 2013
12:31 PM
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TBird I agree with Kingley the 57 is versatile and can be had new under a 100,watch out there are knockoffs selling cheaper over the net.
You want a cheap dynamic bullet that ain't bad,Musician's Friend has the Red Howler at 99.99 with a 50.00 dollar rebate,so for 49.99 you got a functional practice,and gigging mic that don't break the bank Got mine for 60,and have used it,plays well through cheap amps,and has VC.Also has a 20ft mic cord attached,saves you another 15 bucks.
Last Edited by capnj on Jul 30, 2013 12:37 PM
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MP
2871 posts
Jul 30, 2013
12:44 PM
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"From capnj-
TBird I agree with Kingley the 57 is versatile and can be had new under a 100,watch out there are knockoffs selling cheaper over the net."
yeep, $80 and a transformer ($15) will set you right. Plus, 57s have other uses. Like micing amps, and can be used for a vocal mic. It has resale value and is practically indestructible. It has high output too.
What's not to like?
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MP
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Greg Heumann
2287 posts
Jul 30, 2013
2:49 PM
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When you see a $49.99 rebate on a $99 mic, you might ask why they have to do that.....
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***************************************************
/Greg
BlowsMeAway Productions
See my Customer Mics album on Facebook
BlueState - my band
Bluestate on iTunes
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