Icemaster
4 posts
Nov 29, 2010
8:03 AM
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I am looking to buy my first Mic and I'm considering the superlux d112 but I have small hands. Around 7.25 in from the tip of my middle finger to my wrist. Don't know if that helps any lol. So my questions are:
1. Is this Mic good for small hands?
2. Is there another bullet mic I should get?
3. Would a stick mic be better? Like sm57
4. Besides a mic and an amp, is there anything else I need?
Appreciate any advice you guys have.
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A - Hohner Crossover
Bb- Suzuki Manji
C - Special 20
D - Marine Band (stock)
F - Golden Melody
G - Hohner Crossover
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swampboy
31 posts
Nov 29, 2010
8:10 AM
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I just got one of these. It's much smaller than JT30/ Green Bullet. Nice tone, light , sweet and stylish:-
http://www.bluexlab.com/WP/?p=180>lang=en
The Superlux is about the same size and weight as JT30/ Green Bullet.
A stick mic would be easier for small hands, but they can be difficult to cup and the length can be a problem.
If you opt for an SM57 you need an impedance converter if you're going into an amp. A Shure 545 has dual impedance and is very similar.
Last Edited by on Nov 29, 2010 8:27 AM
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ridge
126 posts
Nov 29, 2010
8:30 AM
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I'm not a big equipment guy, but I'll give you my short life story. As a preface, my hands are incidentally about 7.25" from middle finger tip to wrist... although I don't think my hands are small :'(
1st Mic: Shure 520dx w/ volume control - I don't think it has a good pick up pattern and I had lots of trouble with feedback with my amp set up. Wasn't the most comfortable to hold mic.
2nd Mic: Shure SM57 - No volume control, but I think it does a good job of capturing the harmonica. Also good for singing. Do get alot of cover noise from the free turning grill. Also can be hard to hold for long periods of time, but more comfortable than the 520dx. Have very little issues with feedback.
3rd Mic: Electro Voice PL6 - Had this mic for years, but never used it until recently. Does a nice job of caputring the harmonica and has a very directional pick up which reduces unwanted ambient noise. Grill is fixed so doesn't have grill noise issues of the SM57. It is VERY heavy for a stick mic, but I kind of enjoy how substantial it feels. More comfortable to hold than the SM57 because the top of the mic mushrooms out a little bit.
In my 13 years of playing, I am loving the Electro Voice PL6 the most. Does this mean you should do everything in your power to seek one out? No. Ultimately, you will find what works best for you. My 2 cents is that stick mics in general rule for capturing sound. If you have a particular fetish for bullets, biscuits then save your pennies and buy one from Greg Heumann because I hear he makes the best bullets! Otherwise, look around and find a used mic (I love used stuff). We also have a for sale page on this forum. Many of our members are quite nice and probably won't rip you off too bad.
I wish you the best in your journey, Icemaster.
-Dan Ridgeway
EDIT: Forgot to mention what swampboy said, if you go for an SM57 or any other low impedence mic, you will want to purchase an Impedance Matching Transformer (IMT). They are only a few bucks. You should probably search the forum for Impedance Matching Transformer or IMT for an explanation of what it is. I own an Audio Technica IMT and it works fine for $10.
Last Edited by on Nov 29, 2010 8:37 AM
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swampboy
32 posts
Nov 29, 2010
8:31 AM
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I had a ruler handy and that's about the same size as my hands.
I've used a regular Green Bullet for quite a while. Cupping takes a while to get the hang of like anything else.
The Superlux is fairly cheap..I say give it a go!
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cloud1i
26 posts
Nov 29, 2010
8:43 AM
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Icemaster,
My hand is about 0.5" smaller than yours. An easy mic to hold for me :
Greg Heumann's wooden mic
Simply Unique Kustom mic, Silver Bullet
and the Brown Biscuit.
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JimInMO
88 posts
Nov 29, 2010
9:01 AM
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Small hands here. Shure Unidyne 545 with Greg Heumann's Bulletizer works great. 545 has an off/on switch too.
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Barry C.
58 posts
Nov 29, 2010
9:04 AM
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Let Greg H. take care of you!!
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~Banned in Boston!
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5F6H
414 posts
Nov 29, 2010
9:14 AM
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Also consider EV638, EV605.
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toddlgreene
2156 posts
Nov 29, 2010
9:22 AM
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Ditto for contacting Greg H, and 5f6h-EV makes many mics that will let smaller-handed folks cup more comfortably-some more are EV641, EV631, EV630. Also, Shure 707.
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Todd L. Greene, Codger-in-training
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Grillslinger
88 posts
Nov 29, 2010
10:38 AM
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The Sonotone CM 10A works great for me. Very easy to form seal around it with small hands.
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Read tips, reviews, and exclusive interviews at The HOOT Reeder.
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Joe_L
855 posts
Nov 29, 2010
10:49 AM
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A lot of people have small hands, but can hold a bullet mic and get great tone. Annie Raines is probably the best example.
Purchase a Seydel Big 6 and practice cupping the can. You could also practice cupping a soda or beer can.
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The Blues Photo Gallery
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hvyj
860 posts
Nov 29, 2010
10:52 AM
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I love my Shure 545 Ultimate. Best and most versatile harmonica mic I've ever used. Also very easy to cup if you've got small hands.
Has proximity effect and can be over driven with a tight cup. So, you can get a gritty sound out of it for blues or alter your hand and breath technique for a cleaner tone. Very full bodied sound either way.
It's chopped (shortened) so weight and length are not a problem and the integral VC is useful in various ways, besides just for adjusting volume. For example, you can crank a tube amp up to it's sweet spot (typically fairly high volume) and then roll off volume at the mic to lower the output and control feedback.
Greg Heuman can make these in either a low z or high z configuration. If I could only have one mic for harp, this would be it.
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rharley5652
287 posts
Nov 29, 2010
11:11 AM
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@ Ice,.
My Rharley Silver Bullet ,.@ 2 1/4" DIA. X 2 3/4". THE SILVER BULLET'S SMALLER THAN A SHURE 707 ,.Green Bullet & the JT-30 !!
CM element of your choice!
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Simply Unique Kustom Mic's By Rharley
Last Edited by on Nov 29, 2010 11:14 AM
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Icemaster
5 posts
Nov 29, 2010
12:20 PM
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Thanks so much for all the info. You guys are the best .
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A - Hohner Crossover
Bb - Suzuki Manji
C - Special 20
D - Marine Band (stock)
F - Golden Melody
G - Hohner Crossover
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Greg Heumann
910 posts
Nov 29, 2010
5:50 PM
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Late to the thread, but
a) I have small hands - smaller than yours (7" on your measurement.) I used to think cupping a bullet was about hand size - but now I know it is only a minor factor - I can cup a bullet fine although a 520DX is a heavy monster. My wood mics are much smaller and lighter - and therefore more comfortable.
b) I offer mics in a wide range of diameters, including the Ultimate 57 or Ultimate 545 with the Bulletizer, which is about 2" in diameter and is a nice middle ground between too-small stick mics and too-big bullets.
Lemme know if i can help!
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/Greg
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HarveyHarp
157 posts
Nov 29, 2010
6:45 PM
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Check out Bluexlab. Here is the link:
http://www.bluexlab.com/WP/
Andy J. Forest plays and endorsed them. He brought one to our last Harmonica Club meeting, and everyone liked it pretty well.
Myself, My favorite mic is my Ultimate 545 with Bulletizer. Greg, maybe you should make me an endorsee, or do I have to learn to play harmonica first.
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jbone
445 posts
Nov 29, 2010
7:38 PM
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i don't know about the bluexlab but i DO know about the Electrovoice m43u nos military mic. it is a low z mic, much smaller than a bullet shell, more the size of a shaker mic. these can be found on fleabay new in box for about 80 clams. then one can be modded a couple of different ways to get high z performance. there are inline impedance transformers out there- greg heumann has one- or a tranny can be installed inside the mic right at the element.
i got a deal on one of these a couple years back and had Greg mod it for me- tranny, volume pot, and screw on connector, which cost a bit all together but was absolutely worth the investment. it is a great, small, tone-y, balls-y mic in a tight tough little package.
in fact, looking on fleabay i see several smaller shell mics for sale right now. depends on what $$ you want to spend; you may fine someting for $50 or so that suits you.
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