I would be interested in hearing comments about Shaker harp microphones. I should say that even though I'm almost 61 (where did the time go?), I'm still just a beginner and I haven't played with a mic at all before. I have been watching mics on eBay and, frankly, the classic mics that should be good are just too expensive, IMO, and you really don't know what you are getting. I have watched many of the videos on YouTube by the guy who demonstrates various microphones and I really don't hear that much difference between most of them. I came across the Shaker microphones a while back and I'm wondering about them. In particular, I'm interested in knowing what people think of the Madcat and the Mad Dog mics since I like the idea of being able to use hand techniques but I would like to hear about all of their mics. I'm sure they would be good enough for this beginner and I certainly don't want to fall in the trap of obsessing over mics when fine differences wouldn't make much difference to me anyway.
Hey mate, I'm an intermediate and I got a basic crystal shaker a few months back, and so far so good! It seems indestructible, yes has that desirable tone,and the price was right. Eventually I will spend more on the next one and have the shaker as a practise/back up. My hands are not small so hand techniques are possible. Go for it ......... :~)
The best thing about a Shaker mic is the weight and cup size. nice to have volume control at a touch.
Lately though, mine has stayed in the case. There is a noticeable 'flabbiness' to the response with my more aggressive technique that just gets lost as compared to the no-name stick mic I modded. Would use the Shaker for jazzy stuff. Otherwise, it has fallen to pedestrian status. I would use my vocal/cab mic Audix i5 for a harp mic for a gig before the Shaker now.
Still looking to get the $$$ to have a 545 converted. Have a 1973 element, but no shell. Greg H. is on my list of destinations.
Size wise they,re a nice fit but the element in them is very cheap.I,ve reloaded mine with a better grade element and it made a big difference,although I prefer bullets with cm,s or cr,s,just my preference.
I have a dynamic and a crystal, the latter of which has had a transformer added by Harveyharp to give it more gain-it's hotter now! I echo the previous posts:they're about indestructible and very comfortable to hold. The two I own have seen years of use, but I've moved on. As with any mic/amp combination, some mics sound great with one amp, and then not so much with another. It's not wasted money IMO to own one, but I don't think there's a definitive be-all end-all harp mic that suits every player.
I saw touring harp player Harper(Peter Harper) last year and got a chance to chat with him. He openly endorsed the Shaker RetroRocket, and it sounded plenty ballsy to me thru his Bassman. He said he'd been thru so many JT and Bullets that got dropped and broken and he was tired of the costly expense of replacing them. The RetroRocket was his solution. Might be worth a shot. ----------
Crescent City Harmonica Club Todd L Greene, Co-Founder
Last Edited by on Jun 28, 2010 5:16 AM
Don't mean to hijack this thread but I was wonder what people, especially Todd G think of the Bottle o Blues mic which I own. I don't really have anything to compare it to except a Radio Shack mic I own.
Joch, bang for the buck, the Bottle O Blues is a fantastic mic. Weighs nothing and sounds pretty decent as well. I think it's a good mic to have in your collection, and a perfect first(if not main)microphone. Won't get any oohs or ahhs from the vintage mic aficionados, but oh well. I like the BOB over my two Shakers for sure. It'll get pretty gnarly with a tight cup, which is a plus. Also dropping it or either of the Shakers I own won't hurt them. I've lost a couple of pricier bullets(their elements, anyway) due to accidental droppage.
On the OP, I've never had a chance to try the MadCat or MadDog mics, but I've read/heard that they have a cleaner sound to them . Both look like they'd react well to acoustic hand-cupping effects, too-and qualitywise, Shakers are TOUGH. ----------
Crescent City Harmonica Club Todd L Greene, Co-Founder
Last Edited by on Jun 28, 2010 10:37 AM
Sorry for not thanking you guys for the replies sooner. I was busy today. I appreciate your help. Joc230: No need to apologize for mentioning the Bottle of Blues mic because I was about to ask about that one too.
i had a shaker dynamic many years ago. before i knew what to really do with a harp. but even back then i knew the tone was not what i wanted. seemed very flat, no depth.
i went the green bullet route for many years, then began trying different mics. the gb went by the wayside- beware pawn shops!- and i found myself with various stick mics for a while. i still have and sometimes use a shure 545 "pistol grip" mic, on a stand, usually through a p.a. i also got hold of a custom crystal mic, built into a motorcycle turn signal bezel, it's light and powerful yet has little in the low end, typical for crystal mics. i do love it though. in addition i got hold of a shure 707a bullet and put a hot controlled magnetic element in it, it looks terrible but plays very strong and hot. about a year ago i bought a nos military issue e-v m43u mic and had it modded by greg heumann, a transformer added to make it high z, a volume pot installed, and a screw on to 1/4" connector added. between these 3 mics i don't need another high z mic.
one consideration is, does whatever mic you use match up with your amp? many players just use a low z mic into the p.a. or a solid state amp with effects. i prefer a vintage tube amp, one i've had for years and will always keep is the silvertone 1482, which is similar to a fender deluxe. another i've been fortunate to have built is a replica '59 bassman 4x10, a really great amp for bigger gigs and venues. it will keep up with the "big boys".
i had a guy sit in last year with the duo i'm in, he used a bottle a blues mic into a harpgear double trouble and i have to say, it sounded so thin it was a pity. imho, if you're going to play amped esp with a tube amp, get a well known mic with a cm or crystal element. if you want a piece of crap mic you can build one for next to no $$ and some pvc fittings, but if you want deep tone qualities go with what to pros have proven over recent decades. or just go with a sm57 or similar into the p.a.
One important thing to keep in mind, even a stellar mic in the hands of someone who can't attain a tight cup will sound thin.
I believe it was Kingley who a while back posted an excercise to work on getting a tight cup. If he sees this, or I can find it, I will bump it. It was great advice. ----------
Crescent City Harmonica Club Todd L Greene, Co-Founder
Last Edited by on Jun 29, 2010 4:58 AM
Thanks again guys! Very useful information! As for the amp, I think I'm going to go with a Roland Cube 20X or a 30X. I am watching them on eBay right now. I posted a question about them here previously, although my question was specifically about the Roland Micro Cube but people seemed to like them. I would like to get a vintage tube amp, of course, but that will probably have to wait. Also, I play a little 12-string acoustic and I would like to try it with a pickup and amp and the Roland should be good for that.
I really appreciate your advice on mics and I think I'll pass on the Shaker mics and keep looking for a reasonably priced classic mic that I can be reasonably sure works and sounds good. BTW, a CM mic was recommened; any advice about CR mics?
joshnat, look up vids of Harper. He plays with a Retrorocket nowadays. Also, check his schedule(enjoyable music with a Bill Withers-esque flair)and you might get to hear the mic in person.
http://www.harper.biz/
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Crescent City Harmonica Club Todd L Greene, Co-Founder
Last Edited by on Jun 29, 2010 12:39 PM
ZoneIII, this reply is a bit OT, since I have not tried a Shaker mic, but my advice is to just jump in and purchase a decent mic with a vintage Shure CM element if you can swing it. If you shop around, they can be had for a reasonable price, especially if you build your own (which I didn't do). You will spend that much money and more trying out the cheap solutions, only to find them wanting.
I play mostly acoustically, but have a Vox DA5 digital modeling amp and a few mics: a Bottle-o-blues dynamic, a Sonotone "Voice of Music" ceramic, an electret lapel mic, and a shaved-fin Turner CX with a Shure 99A86 element. While it is possible to get good sound from the digital amp with all of these mics, I prefer (actually, LOVE) the sound of the vintage Turner through the "Clean 2" amp model on the DA5. That mic is something that I can also play through a tube amp when I get my hands on one.
If you don't want to spend even the money a Shaker costs, keep your eyes peeled for a EV 631. I bought a 631B wired for hi-z and a magnetic off-on switch for 20 bucks on Ebay, and everything else I own sees little useage now. Similar to an re10 but shorter, and with what seems like a tad more bass. My friend Harvey instantly went out and bought two. I swear by this little mic now. It's obscure enough to keep the demand and price down. It's an EV, too-built to last. ----------
Crescent City Harmonica Club Todd L Greene, Co-Founder
Last Edited by on Jun 29, 2010 2:09 PM
i bought a shaker crystal and its allright but thats as far as it goes . if you want to try a nice mike get shure sm 57 ultimate from greg at blows me away
I have a Dynamic Shaker that I have had for about 12 years. I have destroyed 2 elements by dropping the mic after stepping on the cord. Shakey Joe was gracious enough to replace the first one free of charge, but I never asked him to do the second one. Instead I hunted for elements on the internet and found the Kobitons from Mouser. They appear to be the same elements and sound the same, and they cost about $5.00 then. They are more now, though. While the tone is pretty good, I thought they were a little limp, so I bought some Calrad transformers, and bumped them up a bit. It woke it up pretty good. I have used this combination in numerous home made microphones, and other applications, including one for Todd Greene.
After I bought the two EV631s that todd mentioned (mine were hi-Z with single pin Amphenol connectors) one of them went south. I took it apart, and subsequently destroyed it. My motto is "If I can't fix it, I can fix it so nobody else can fix it" After that, I modified the internals, and put in my Kobitone/Calrad combination. It sounds maybe a little louder than my original EV 631, though with a little less bottom end. I was actually pretty pleased. The Kobitone/Calrad combination still costs about $15.
I actually don't play any of the above on a regular basis, because I prefer an EV 641 with a volume control, and an EV638, and an Astatic JT30, also with volume control. I just bought a Shure 545, which Sounds probably better than anything I have, which is a bunch, and I am seriously thinking about sending it to Greg Huemann to do his Ultimate job on, as soon as I get a Round Tuit.
It's an excellent little mic and I've owned one for about 6 years. I bought a pignose amp after hearing Steve Harvell play his and it is particularly well suited to this amp and that overdriven sound you get from the combination of both. It also works well on my Vox amp (ADVT 50 watt 212) on the bassman settings and Vox AC30 settings.
I have no complaint about the sound from this mic..it was my first mic and is one of my favorites. ---------- Oisin ---------- Oisin
