seriously
Are you gonna make money with the thing, or do you just have that kind of expendable income?
I've done side by side A-B comparisons with a U87 and an MXL 2001, and the $2400 difference (retail) wasn't gonna impress MY clients. Still, the U87 IS one of the sweetest sounding mics in the world. Dont forget, you really need two of them, so you can do stereo micing or drum o/h......
Anyway, the MXLs were much cheaper, as were their shockmounts. About $30 vs Neumans for about $350. Thats right. For the price of one Neuman shockmount, I got a pair of 2001s w/shckmnts, and still had beer money.
To be fair, the 2001s have only one pattern and no pad or roll-off, but how often, in a small studio, will you REALLY use anything other than a cardioid pattern?
I do this for a living and still cant justify a Neuman (although, not a day passes that I dont try :^P )
Iv'e heard modified MXLs that were even closer to the U87, almost scary.
BTW, Tony A has a good point, too. I know I've used sm57s on vocals for the same reason....