Bugsy
50 posts
Jul 08, 2015
6:12 PM
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I am playing with a band and I need to get a mic soon. I play harmonica some (surprise!), but it also should be able to pick up on percussion like tambourine and egg shakers, as well as some backing vocals. I know different mics are good for different things, and a bullet mic might not be best for those things, but I wanted to tell you all I'd use the mic for.
The main thing is I do want a quality mic, but I am poor and can't spend multiple hundreds of dollars for the Rolex of bullet mics. I am not even good enough to justify that. My price range is somewhere around $100 max, but hopefully less; I imagined spending about $60-80.
Anyways, suggestions would be appreciated.
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rogonzab
765 posts
Jul 08, 2015
6:24 PM
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Superlux? they go for $80 or so. Not bad, not great, but not bad for the price.
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Sorry for any misspell, english is not my first language.
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Meaux Jeaux
88 posts
Jul 08, 2015
7:49 PM
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If you want to use it for vocals, hand percussion instruments, as well as harmonica, I wouldn't recommend a bullet mic. A used Shure SM57 stick mic
will serve you much better for the various needs you have listed. The bullet might have a "cool factor" vibe, but the SM57 overall will sound better.
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TetonJohn
250 posts
Jul 08, 2015
8:17 PM
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Given all the uses, most of which would go straight to the PA, are you using the microphone into an amp at all?
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shakeylee
309 posts
Jul 08, 2015
9:25 PM
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i have said this a gazillion times. i think everyone should own a 57 and a 58 before they own anything else.
if you have your heart set on a bullet,you can get a bushman/nady to your door for $85. it is not the best harp bullet,but it would do vocals and percussion better than most other bullets.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nady-VHM-7-Bushman-Torpedo-Vocal-Harmonica-Microphone-/131551303799?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1ea1119877
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www.shakeylee.com
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Dragonbreath
59 posts
Jul 08, 2015
10:24 PM
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I agree about the sm57. They are great to buy used because they are pretty cheap and built like tanks and you should find one for $60-80 without a problem. With a bulletizer they are easy to grip and cup and work great.
http://www.blowsmeaway.com/bulletizer.html
It's more expensive but still only $49 and don't forget you can get creative and just make a bulletizer of your own, with the use of some stuff you'll find at home depot or wherever, then maybe buy a real bulletizer in the future.
Don't forget sm57 is lowz so good straight into PA. Works great to put on stand and play accoustically into as well.
The cheapest way to get a good real bullet mic is to buy a bullet mic at a garage sale or something, if you're really lucky you will find one dirt cheap with a working element in it, otherwise you have a good bullet shell and next thing is to just buy a shure cm element and put it in the shell. You just need to solder couple wires. And might need to buy a gasket to make the element fit snuggly in your shell.
Last Edited by Dragonbreath on Jul 08, 2015 10:37 PM
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SteveTech
31 posts
Jul 09, 2015
5:06 AM
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+1 for SM57.
It will do everything you described, and it's inexpensive.
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-Steve
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Philosofy
713 posts
Jul 09, 2015
7:49 AM
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I'm expecting delivery of a custom mic from Front and Center microphones, so I will have a Blues Blaster and an SM57 up for sale soon. I could sell either below what your budget is.
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dougharps
962 posts
Jul 09, 2015
9:08 AM
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An SM57 can be used for vocals, harp (cupped or in a stand), mic'ing amps, etc. You can put a Bulletizer on it to cup it better, or use it as a stick mic in cupped hands. If used with a guitar amp or harp amp you need an impedance converter in line transformer to convert low-z to high-z.
If you eventually settle on other mics for vocals or harp it is still a very useful mic to own, even if brought to gigs as backup or for people sitting in.
+1 for SM57!!!
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Doug S.
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Bugsy
51 posts
Jul 09, 2015
9:48 AM
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Mainly I wanted to get a bullet mic because I like to think of myself as a harmonica player first that does all of those other things, but I can understand if my wishes to be cool don't really line up with what would be effective. I was hoping to get one so my harmonica would sound better and just make it pull double (triple?) duty.
I hadn't heard of the bulletizer, or thought of making one myself. I'll definitely check that out.
I had a feeling you guys would crush my microphone dreams, though.
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2chops
402 posts
Jul 09, 2015
11:01 AM
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@Bugs... Don't think of it as a crushing. More of a horizon expansion.
The SM57 with a Bulletizer is a great way to go. You simply can't go wrong with a 57. Oh. Get the low to hi z transformer too. That way you can plug into an amp as well as a sound board.
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I'm workin on it. I'm workin on it.
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Mirco
279 posts
Jul 09, 2015
2:32 PM
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Keep in mind that, if you get a SM57 instead of a bullet, you can't do the awesome "vocals through a bullet mic" thing.
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Marc Graci
YouTube Channel
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Baker
413 posts
Jul 10, 2015
5:56 AM
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Another +1 for the SM57. It'll work really well for all of the stuff you mentioned and with an impedance transformer is a great mic for amplified playing too.
I'd also add that cheap bullet mics don't sound great, even for harp. You need to spend a bit to get a half decent one, and it's not going to do it for percussion, and vocals in general.
You should be more concerned about what you sound like than what you look like, but if you're worried about the cool factor, it's very similar looking to the Shure 545-S mic that Butterfield used.
Last Edited by Baker on Jul 10, 2015 5:59 AM
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hvyj
2704 posts
Jul 10, 2015
6:31 AM
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Consider a Shure 545. $99. Great for harp, vocals and whatever. Not a bullet, but if it was good enough for Paul Butterfield.....
The SM 57 is probably a better all around mic, but IMHO, the 545 is better for harp.
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blueswannabe
569 posts
Jul 10, 2015
7:28 AM
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SM57 will do what you need. It is also a great harp mic.
if you can find a vintage 545 with the older transformers, that will also work very well.
An EV RE-10 works as well too! You can' tgo wrong with any of these!
Last Edited by blueswannabe on Jul 10, 2015 7:30 AM
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mlefree
334 posts
Jul 10, 2015
11:37 AM
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It's a bit over your $100 limit, but it's a genuine 1960's Green Bullet harmonica Mic' that I just put up for sale at $150 on the "For Sale 2015" thread. That's $30 more than the new Shure "Hecho In Mexico" GB's. Great shape, killer element and set up with a 2' pigtail chord with a Switchcraft female 1/4 jack so any guitar cable will work. This mic' really honks and eats those Mexican GBs for breakfast. More details and pic's on the For Sale 2015 page. Please take a look!
Thanks,
Michelle
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SilverWingLeather.com
email: mlefree@silverwingleather.com
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doctom
23 posts
Jul 10, 2015
2:02 PM
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That Green Bullet looks cool but I'm with the SM57 crowd for its versatility. The Bulletizer works great and you can also get an in-line volume control which works really well.
You don't have to buy everything at once and none of this stuff will break the bank anyway.
Good luck!
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SuperBee
2725 posts
Jul 10, 2015
4:14 PM
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There's one in every crowd...
I finally got rid of my 57 after I a:b'd it against my 58.
I know 1 million harp players can't be wrong and the 57 is clearly a great mic, but I never found a way to even like it as a harp mic. I never tried very hard though, and after I spent some time specifically testing it against my 58 (which I had never regarded as anything special either) I decided it could go. It's personal I guess. I already had a bunch of pretty good bullet mics before I got the 57. Don't quite recall why I got it but suspect it was probably acknowledgment that so many positive voices had to be on to something...but every time I picked it up I soon put it back down. I'm sure that if I'd persisted I'd have eventually got it sorted, but when I found the 58 actually sounded much more up my alley I thought 'why bother'. With a PA or other solid state amp I'll be happy enough with 58 or 585 even, I just don't really like the sound of the bullets so much. but through an amp where the bullets sound ok those stick mics are not what I prefer. I suspect I was just used to the bullet early on and found handling the 57 particularly off putting. The ball on the 58 and 585 I find more comforting. I remember a gig with The Beards and they had Beta 57s...that was the best stick mic I used in terms of good to hold. Good shape and a bit shorter than the 57/58 etc.
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dougharps
966 posts
Jul 10, 2015
8:02 PM
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@SuperBee
Well, I recommended the SM57 because it is so multi purpose, reasonably priced, and durable, but I have to agree with you. I only occasionally use a bullet mic, and these days I seldom use my SM57, though I have it for mic'ing amps and as a backup for vocals or harp.
I most often use my Ultimate 58 if singing and playing through the PA, and if I am playing through an amp or just playing harp in the PA with few vocals, I use my 585AV w/ volume control.
I still think that the SM57 is a good multipurpose mic and a good first purchase, but I found that I prefer the 58 or 585, too. However, you can't use a Bulletizer on a 58. Some people don't like ball mics due to issues with cupping, but I like them just fine.
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Doug S.
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Buzadero
1237 posts
Jul 11, 2015
9:27 AM
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"i have said this a gazillion times. i think everyone should own a 57 and a 58 before they own anything else."
This echoes my feelings.
The whole time you're building your mic chops with these two, you can be saving for one of Greg's bullets.
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~Buzadero
Underwater Janitor, Patriot
MBH poster since 11Nov2008
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6SN7
557 posts
Jul 11, 2015
10:01 AM
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MIchelle that looks like a great mic and is a steal at 150$.
If you want to go thrifty, go to craigslist and buy a shure 57, maybe 50-60$.
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jbone
1981 posts
Jul 11, 2015
4:24 PM
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Bugsy, I would not get hung up on a shape. These guys are steering you in a good direction. SM57 was made to mic instruments. It slaps in a stand so both hands are able to cup and do effects, and hold shakers, tambo, whatever. A tight cup on a sm57 will also give you a nice bark on a harp as well.
I use a Shure 585 a lot, it's a ball mic like the sm58 but it plugs into a tube amp and impedances match. It has a nice warm tone and they can be had pretty cheap, well under a c note. That's if you happen to have a tube amp to go into, I doubt the 585 would sound good in a low impedance p.a.
Really a great first mic will be the SM57.
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http://www.reverbnation.com/jawboneandjolene
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000386839482
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbTwvU-EN1Q
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SuperBee
2726 posts
Jul 11, 2015
4:43 PM
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re the 585, Jbone is right about the HiZ, but there is also a LoZ version, which is what I have. Lotsa good old sticks out there really. I reckon with the naked 57, which I didn't pick up on until I had moved mine on, it's important to maintain some gap between mic and harp. Rather, it's easy with that mic to hold it too close to the harp, whereas a mic with a ball or a bullet might kinda naturally settle a good distance off the harp. I reckon that's where I went wrong when I was messing with mine.
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Greg Heumann
3045 posts
Jul 12, 2015
8:21 AM
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58: Wider pickup pattern, harder to fully cup - great for chromatic, acoustic harp and vocals, small dirty amps where adding distortion from the mic isn't necessary
57: narrower pickup pattern, easier to cup harder - great for blues, jazz, rock and larger amps where adding more overdrive distortion is desired.
But then - neither are bullet mics which is the original question.If it were me I'd beg, borrow, steal or otherwise obtain a beat up old bullet shell (Shure or Astatic JT30) for next to nothing at an antique shop, garage sale or flea market. Then I'd buy a decent element - single impedance CM or The Heumann Element (about the same price and both sound great).
Michelle's GB above is a great deal too.
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***************************************************
/Greg
BlowsMeAway Productions
See my Customer Mics album on Facebook
Bluestate on iTunes
Last Edited by Greg Heumann on Jul 12, 2015 8:25 AM
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mlefree
335 posts
Jul 12, 2015
9:57 AM
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Thanks for the compliments, fellas. It is a killer mic'. I priced it thataway 'cuz I need to raise some bucks for SPAH. 8^)
Michelle
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SilverWingLeather.com
email: mlefree@silverwingleather.com
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