Radio Shack vs. Shure, was Re: OT: Crown PZM $1,500 Radio Shack PZM $49.99

["David O'Heare" <oheare@magma.ca>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "RICK WALKER" <looppool@cruzio.com>

>I did a little research at Radio Shack tonight for everyone

Thanks, Rick, though there aren't any Radio Shacks in Canada any more 
(they're now The Source by Circuit City, and they've got all kinds of crap 
and precious few parts).

>   I learned one last interesting thing.    While there I was just 
>looking 
> at their small microphone
> selection and saw a mic that looked remarkably similar to an SM 48,  the 
> Shure rock and roll vocal
> warhorse mic (like an SM 57 with a windscreen).

I think that you mean SM58 (as you mentioned later in your message), not 
SM48. Shure *does* make an SM48, a lot like an SM58 but with a slightly 
larger ball (go figure). I have some of each, and from my completely 
unscientific testing, the SM48 sounds pretty good, not quite as bright as 
the SM58, but it has a lot more handling noise, and weighs about the same 
(good clue!).  My bet would be that the microphone is an SM48 in 
disguise...

Musician's Friend has the SM48 for $49.99, so the price would be about 
right.

RS also used to sell a mic that was a cost-reduced Electro-Voice RE-50. 
Not 
a bad deal, too.

Dave O'H