I've got little bit of Birthday money and i want a new mic. I have just enough money for a either an SM57 or i thought of maybe a Blues Blaster, which at a later date i may swap the crappy element for something better.
Now i've just recently got my head around tongue blocking and when i play through my Epiphone valve jr with my Superlux bullet my tone has improved greatly, much more Chicago style, this is not the only style and want to play but i am loving it at the moment.
Can i get a dirty tone from an SM57 with an Epiphone Jr?
Is the Blues Blaster worth getting and maybe swapping the element later?
I would appriciate any thoughts you might have on this as i'm really confused with what to get and i only have enough money for one of 'em.
Edit: For those of you with an SM57 do have problems with feedback as theres no volume control on the SM57?
Last Edited by on Aug 21, 2010 1:19 AM
If your in the US why not buy this. Easy to cup and has the element that you need for the tone your looking for. Looks good and a good price too. Nope I'm not the seller and don't know the seller.
to my eye that's a nice looking mic on ebay. the 99a86 is indeed a great element for use with a tube amp. vol pot a big plus if it's the right value.
if you want a mic just for harp i'd go with one like that turner. if you're looking for double duty, harp and vocals both, an sm57 would work but it can be a drawback having no vol pot. greg heumann does nice looking customization on sm57 and 58's, shortening them and adding volume pots. but for the price if you want a dedicated harp mic with some grit and warmth that turner would be better suited, and probably cheaper or close to the same price as an sm57. plus an sm57 is low-z, a tube amp is generally high z, which means the added expense of a low to high transformer. signal is cut down some with a setup like that.
i have had a 99a86 element green bullet from back in the day and the worst move i ever made was pawning it and never getting it back. i now have a bullet with a 99b86, which is about the same and works really great in a tube amp, small or large.
I love my sm57. It does have a clearer tone than bullets, but cup it tight and overdrive the element and you can get a dirty tone. Think Butterfield, more horn sounding. With a low to hiz transformer it would work fine and overdrive your amp.
This mic is great because you can also put it on a stand and play acoustically, very clean, or use it to mic your amp.
I get a lot of tones out of it by how I handle it, tight cup for overdriven distortion, loose for cleaner, country type tone.
If you want really dirty, it is hard to beat the bullet family. They tend to have a more metallic squawk like a dispatcher mic.
Feedback wise, the sm57 seems pretty stable, the cardiod pattern is easy to keep oriented to avoid feedback.
As far a lack of volume control, there are aftermarket options such as volume pedals, in line volume pads, etc., although ultimately I'd like to have one installed by Greg. ---------- Shane
Most bullets are one trick ponies: They provide a somewhat distorted tone. If you like that sound, that's fine...because that's what you will have on every note of every measure of every tune in every set, all night long. Most bullets are not versatile.
With an SM 57 (or a 545) you can get clean or dirty tone depending on how you cup the mic. One can get a much wider variety of sounds from this type of mic, and, IMHO the response and articulation are better than most bullets.
It lets you have clean jazzy tones, some crunch for contemporary blues, big crunch for electric blues...
Every gigging harp player can vouch for it's anti-feedback capabilities. It is better than any mic out there if that's your major concern. Even without the volume knob.
Tonally it has a nice compressed sound with rich mids. There is a high treble boost to give it presence and it is extremely sensitive to proximity effect (very bassy when cupped).
It is a very "dynamic" mic.
My major complaint about it is that it takes time to learn to hold it to cup but when you do it's easy. The trick is to not squeeze or over-tense too hard when holding it.
My second complaint is that it's got a horrible non-stationary grill head that can be rotated or ripped right off. Mine unfortunately is starting to fall apart after about only 2 years of use?
They say SM57's can last a long time but I don't know if they meant it for harmonica players who hold it by it's grill head most of the time. lol
Hey guy's thanks for the info. I guess i really need to get both
Then i was looking on ebay last night when i fell i love with this, so i bought it. Its just out of my price range so i'm now skint for the rest of the month but i couln't resist.
We choose are own weapons. Looks good and you should be pleased with it. I personally would have gone with the one I suggested with the 99A86 element. But thats just me. The guy you bought from builds some beautiful mics. Every mic I've seen him offer has been a work of art. :o)
@Ray i was gona bid on that mic you suggested but fell in love with the other one. i know i shouldnt pay too much attention to the cosmetics but i love the grill and finish on the one i got:o)
@rharley5652 i had already got the mic before i saw your link to your myspace page. im sure this wont be my last mic.
You will probably end up with at least a few different mics as the years go by.
If you're thinking of an SM57, get an Ultimate 57 from Greg Heumann (BlowsMeAway.com). Greg's custom wood bullet mics look awesome and have great reviews, but I haven't bought one yet... probably someday !
I really like the Turner bullet mics... great size, easy to hold and cup. I have 4 different ones, all with different elements, but all sound great and different. I like indented volume controls, as they make it easier to know where you V/C is set, or to adjust one click up or down.
Check out "bluesace55" on eBay, who is "customharpmics" on YouTube. He always has some nice Turner bullet mics for sale, and can probably do you a nice custom one.
I just bought a funky little Astatic from Ron Sunshine for $89. Its really only good for dirty tone but it looks fantastic and what a steal at that price. PS Not to derail but when my move is complete on Sep 3 I will make a vid. My cell phone seems to only let me record 30 sec blocks...its old.
@ Ant138,..when ya ready for that 515 Revolution stick just drop me a message ,.ya can check out John O'leary's Midnight Smoke 515,.On my page,.. ---------- Simply Unique Kustom Mic's By Rharley
I only have one mic so far, but I just love it. It is an Electrovoice 660 that I purchased from Ron Sunshine for $125. Below is the original sale video. It is an awesome microphone. I know that I will get other mics in the future, but it is tough to beat this one.
I have yet to meet Greg H, but feel he has as much MOJO as any in the biz. I have a Shure 545 element that I KNOW he could work wonders with. I just need to make a few more $$$ to effect it. I have unique "pistol grip" design to run by him.
That being said...I am STILL being amazed by the tone of ALL of the cheap HOME karaoke plastic mics I am now using. AND, It's not just me ! Fellow musicians and audience comment on the remarkable tone.
