Bought some new microphones...started making some test recordings

[gush]

Got that right. Can't finger out why PRS ever stopped making them.

Agreed.

Mine is a beater, I picked it up over 10 years ago for just under 1k.
Several guys had mentioned how great the ce22 dragon 1 platform was so I went hunting.

Had to fix a couple things right off the bat. Neck pickup wouldn't lower.....somebody had long screws where the short screws were supposed to be and shipped it like that.

Cracks in neck pocket but it stays in tune very well.

Trem was jacked up.

My first rotary guitar.....hated that then but like it now.

 

[gush]

I still have a ton of mics as I used to do live sound.

 

[László]

Can't finger out why PRS ever stopped making them.

Here's why: If demand for a model slows substantially, PRS pulls the plug. Paul has said so many times.

His usual phrasing is, "If you stop buying 'em, we stop making 'em."

 

[Lewguitar]

Here's why: If demand for a model slows substantially, PRS pulls the plug. Paul has said so many times.

His usual phrasing is, "If you stop buying 'em, we stop making 'em."

So DID people actually stop buying CE22's and CU22's with Dragon 1 pickups?

What other guitars had them?

CE24's and CU24's I guess.

 

[DISTORT6]

So DID people actually stop buying CE22's and CU22's with Dragon 1 pickups?

What other guitars had them?

CE24's and CU24's I guess.

Just the Cu and CE 22’s had them.
Then the switch to D-II’s, then they stopped making them.
Coincidence?

 

[Lewguitar]

I still have a ton of mics as I used to do live sound.

Any old made in USA Shure SM57's? Those are made in Mexico now and collectors will pay $400 for the made in USA version.

Shure insists they're the same and I've read that if anyone hears a diff between an old one and a new one it's because every SM57 sounds different.

Just like pickups or guitars.

 

[gush]

Any old made in USA Shure SM57's? Those are made in Mexico now and collectors will pay $400 for the made in USA version.

Shure insists they're the same and I've read that if anyone hears a diff between an old one and a new one it's because every SM57 sounds different.

Just like pickups or guitars.

I have quite a few 58s and 57s and I've had them along while.

I didn't know shure was making them in Mexico now. I would not buy one .

Ugh

Some of my 58s are over 20 years old.

 

[gush]

So DID people actually stop buying CE22's and CU22's with Dragon 1 pickups?

What other guitars had them?

CE24's and CU24's I guess.

I've seen a very few 24s with D1s but they are out there.

 

[László]

So DID people actually stop buying CE22's and CU22's with Dragon 1 pickups?

What other guitars had them?

CE24's and CU24's I guess.

Hard to know. PRS doesn't release sales figures. There was a serious recession on in 2008 when they discontinued the original CE. Maybe that was part of it.

I rarely saw CE 24 or 22s stocked by dealers around here, but I'd see a lot of the CU22, CU24 and McCarty models in stock.

I don't remember a thing about pre-2008 pickups, except that I felt they were for players who were more into harder rock styles than I played. Not that I didn't buy the guitars that had them, but at some point I gravitated more to the McCarty and SC models, and the pickups were different from the ones that came on the Customs or CEs.

 

[Lewguitar]

I've seen a very few 24s with D1s but they are out there.

I think I owned one! That's why I mentioned it.

I traded someone a Hamer (I think) for a 90-something CE24 in the late 90's, and just couldn't get used to the neck pickup being in the location it was in.

So I asked Lindy Fralin to wind me a custom set but they didn't sound as good to me as what was in it.

I put it all back together to stock again and sold it. Made up my mind to find a CE22 or CU22. Found a CU22 first and that became my #1 for a long run.

But I remember the pickups in that CE24 being uncovered Dragon 1's.

It was 25 years ago tho, so who knows?

 

[László]

I have quite a few 58s and 57s and I've had them along while.

I didn't know shure was making them in Mexico now. I would not buy one .

Ugh

Some of my 58s are over 20 years old.

I hate to break it to you, but Shure's website states that SM57s and SM58s made since 1985 have been made in Mexico. So you already have Mexico-made Shure mics.

They opened their plants in Mexico in 1983 and 1984. Any Shure SM series mic newer than 38 years old is not US-made.

I'm a big fan of US-made products, but I'll admit I'm happy with my SM57s, and all of them were bought after 1985. If you've been happy with your SM58s, it's not because of where they're made, it's because of how they sound and hold up.

 

[Lewguitar]

I hate to break it to you, but Shure's website states that SM57s and SM58s made since 1985 have been made in Mexico. So you already have Mexico-made Shure mics.

They opened their plants in Mexico in 1983 and 1984.

Any Shure SM series mic newer than 38 years old is not US-made.

Wow. I didn't know that!

 

[László]

Wow. I didn't know that!

They haven't made any Shure products in the US in a long time. Very few SM7b mics were ever made here.

I know there are folks who say they can tell the difference between the older US-made mics and the Mexican varieties. I think any differences in sound might be due to aging of the capsules and components.

On the other hand, Mexico isn't a bad place to manufacture things. US, Japanese, and European cars often have subassemblies made in Mexico, and they have a good reputation.

 

[László]

While I'm on the subject of mics made overseas...

If you want a quality, US-made dynamic mic, Audix mics are still made in Oregon, though they were acquired by another company last year so it's anyone's guess what could happen. I like the i5 a little better than my 57s. It's got a fuller tone, easy to EQ.

Sennheiser mics are made in Germany and Ireland. I have a 935 that I use on the DG30, and it says Made in Germany. Sounds great. They have a new plant in Romania as well, but the mics aren't made there at this point. However...

All but Sennheiser's most expensive headphones are made in China, including the $500 HD650; I bought some 380s for talent to knock around in my studio, and they're made very poorly - bits and pieces fall off them every time one gets used, the edges of the plastic ear cups actually feel sharp to the hand. They'll wind up in the trash, exactly where they belong. Nice case, though.

Neumann mics are made in Germany.

Microtech Gefell mics are made in Germany (During WW2, Neumann moved their HQ out of Berlin to Eastern Germany to avoid the bombing, and this became Gefell under the DDR; Neumann re-established themselves in Berlin). The Gefell mics are also excellent mics.

AKG mics used to be made in Austria, but all of their best mics like the 414 are now made in Hungary. The less expensive models, including the 214, are made in China. Their newer headphones are made in China.

All Beyerdynamic products are made in Germany. I like their stuff a lot, maybe it helps that they're still made there, anyway it sounds good.

JZ - who originally manufactured the Blue mics until 2006 or so - have always made their mics in Latvia. They're excellent mics.

Most, if not all, Blue mics are now made in China. If their Mo-Fi headphones' disintegrating head suspension pads are any indication, I'd guess their cans are made there too.

All Rode mics have been made in Australia for a long time, the plant is heavily computerized. They make a quality product.

The very expensive Telefunken mics are US-made. The less-expensive models are made in China.

Peluso mics' parts are made in China, including the capsules. Peluso assembles them here. They're actually very good sounding mics; I borrowed one of my son's 87s, and it was quite solid sounding. I have no idea what the advantage is to making them here if the capsules are made overseas, but there you are. Maybe they test the parts more thoroughly here.

If you're after US or European-made microphones, you actually have to investigate a little bit. The name on the box means very little.

 

[gush]

I hate to break it to you, but Shure's website states that SM57s and SM58s made since 1985 have been made in Mexico. So you already have Mexico-made Shure mics.

They opened their plants in Mexico in 1983 and 1984. Any Shure SM series mic newer than 38 years old is not US-made.

I'm a big fan of US-made products, but I'll admit I'm happy with my SM57s, and all of them were bought after 1985. If you've been happy with your SM58s, it's not because of where they're made, it's because of how they sound and hold up.

I didn't know that. A lot of my 58s and 57s were purchased in the mid 80s.

Got caught in the rain at an outside show back in the early 90s.

One of my 58s was in a tote that had 2 inches of water in it from that storm.

I didn't notice till the next day.

Took it apart and had a fan blow on it for a day. Still works fine.

 

[László]

I didn't know that. A lot of my 58s and 57s were purchased in the mid 80s.

Got caught in the rain at an outside show back in the early 90s.

One of my 58s was in a tote that had 2 inches of water in it from that storm.

I didn't notice till the next day.

Took it apart and had a fan blow on it for a day. Still works fine.

I've had them smacked hard by drummers, dropped on concrete, stuck an inch from a 400 watt bass amp's speaker cone, you name it.

If a mic can ever be bulletproof, they qualify!

 

[RickP]

Sweetwater did a great vocal mic shootout a few years ago with an insane number of mics... almost anything you can think of. The files are still available if you have a DAW:

Sweetwater's Vocal Mic Shootout

With 50 microphones ranging from $49.99 to $8,995 (on both male & female voices), Sweetwater has put together one of the largest comprehensive mic shootouts ever. Start listening now!

www.sweetwater.com

After listening and discussing with one of their people for quite a bit, I added a Bock Audio iFet. No longer available, as David Bock went to work for another company, but hands down one of the best I've used. Those comparisons can really help when you're stuck between mic a, b, or c.

Also bought a SM7b a good while back, and it works on literally anything. A very easy to use microphone. I'm sure you're going to really like that one, @Lewguitar !

 

[László]

I added a Bock Audio iFet. No longer available, as David Bock went to work for another company, but hands down one of the best I've used.

The company he became affiliated with is no slouch. Universal Audio released three David Bock mics not too long ago. They're still made in Santa Cruz. This is one:

UA Bock 167

The UA Bock 167 large-diaphragm tube condenser mic will give your vocals and instruments the classic smooth tone of the legendary U67* with modern sonic flexibility.

www.uaudio.com

 

[RickP]

The company he became affiliated with is no slouch. Universal Audio released three David Bock mics not too long ago. They're still made in Santa Cruz. This is one:

UA Bock 167

The UA Bock 167 large-diaphragm tube condenser mic will give your vocals and instruments the classic smooth tone of the legendary U67* with modern sonic flexibility.

www.uaudio.com

I expected they’d be using his expertise, as he some great designs over the years. I’m glad to see them putting out his mic designs. I bet the iFet, or a version of it, makes a return!

 

[László]

I expected they’d be using his expertise, as he some great designs over the years. I’m glad to see them putting out his mic designs. I bet the iFet, or a version of it, makes a return!

As I understand it, the iFet was the marriage of a U87 type capsule to a U47 circuit.

UA/Bock currently makes the 187 FET. Like the iFET, It's a cardioid mic that's designed around a copy of the U87 capsule.

Thus it's similar to a Neumann TLM103, though the Neumann utilizes the U87's original Neumann capsule in a cardioid version.

I have to think that the 187 FET has something to do with the lineage Bock developed for the iFET, but I don't know what the circuitry is based on. It's got a couple of neat features that the TLM103 doesn't have.

If I didn't already have the 103, I'd be interested in the 187 FET, but UA/Bock also have a mic based on the tube U67. That's the one I'd be most interested in. I love the sound of a U67, and the Bock mics are quality; Neumann's U67 reissue is very expensive, and the Bock looks tempting.

The good news is that there's almost zero call for vocals in ads these days, so I don't need another vocal mic and I can use the dough for things like...let's see...food...and shelter!