Fake SM57?

Here's the reply from Shure. I didn't send them the mic I sent pictures of course, the same ones I posted here.

"We generally do not make assessments based on photos alone and prefer to conduct a physical inspection of the product, both of the exterior and interior. However, based on a review of the attached photos, our on-site App. engineer is of the view that the SM57 microphone you purchased appears to be counterfeit. If you can unscrew the microphone and open up the middle, please take some photos of the wires and the components inside. Additional photos may assist us in making a conclusive determination."
 
You know, if a counterfeiter has the equipment to make a fake 57, you'd think they'd be able to at least get the printing right.
 
It's actually a pretty good mike. I reckon it might be one of these rebranded. iSK DM-57 Dynamic Instrument Microphone | Swamp

I have tested it a few times up against other Shure mike of about the same standard and it holds up. We'll see when the rest of the photos are viewed by Shure people.

They have all the wiring correct with the right coloured wires. But you are right, you'd think they'd get the fonts right around the grill. It was the LO Z that got me. It is supposed to be VERY bold AND with a cross thru the Z as well.
 
I'll try and take some pics tomorrow when I visit my friend (of the outside). I'm hoping his is real lol...
 
It's really not worth worrying about. Shure have changed the specs so many times over the years, even they find it difficult to be absolute. If you weigh 57s (or 58s), all genuine ones bought over the years, the weight and some dimensions have changed as manufacturing tolerances changed. Weights change quite a bit, which is really odd!

There are lots very different counterfeits. The factories that produce them are just as happy to brand them with something else, and dealers like Thomann in Germany have been selling what are classed as excellent counterfeits for years as their own brand '57'. It's not quite a 57 in sound, but damn close. Equally there are simply awful ones.

The things to remember are that the factories just copy everything - so if Shure change a wire colour from red to black, then in a few months, the dodgy ones will have changed too. The Shure logo on the 3 pin insert used to be missing, now it's there. Just ask a few questions.

Did you buy it from a dealer who is an authorised Shure dealer? If yes - then it's genuine.
Did you buy it on ebay for a good price? If yes - it's a fake.

Shure dealers don't sell on ebay because they cannot compete with the price.

One other little test. All the fakes I have seen have poorer handling noise than the genuine ones. If you hand hold a 57 or 58, your fingers don't make much sound on the case. On the fakes, they do!

If you can buy a new SM57 for less than £75, it's a fake.
 
I bought a used 57 off ebay in a bidding war and paid about $60 used in good shape. Everything was fine, work fine, and then I decide to install a Granelli 90 degree kit. The wire colour was different and the inside casting had a 4mm flat flange running the length of the body. This made it impossible to screw in the Granelli kit. So I read up on all the fakes in forums and on youtube. I found that new, $109 with a $10 rebate is standard real dealer. Anything less is usually fake. No matter how many good photos you send Shure they want the mic as well to "check it out"... There are no discounts from legit dealers on new mics. A brick and mortar music store selling for less than the above mentioned prices will have a fake, even if they don't know it or mean to. Many on the web stated "Well I got mine from Amazon so it must be real, innit..?" No...Amazon is not a dealer...they are more of a clearing house for many stores. If you buy a Shure 57 AFTER looking for the cheapest deal, and the price is not $109 less a $10 rebate (for the no cord/no switch version) the mic is fake because Shure does NOT allow legit dealers to discount them. A music store, actual or virtual, can get mics from suppliers, NOT dealers, thinking they are a legit 'dealer'. Buying used mics off ebay is a duck shoot at best. If one NEEDS the sound of a real 57 or 58...that is the only guarantee of getting the real thing. I've seen about a dozen great looking new and used ebay 57's that were bargain priced....all were fakes. There are more fakes than real, I would guess, in any bargain world...previous owners or stores THINK they have the real thing.....China is 100% to blame. Sorry for the long discourse... Hugs....Nymphadora
 
Subbed. I want to know if it's fake to. I can't find them cheaper then $99 for new ones. Only time I see them cheaper is used, open box, refurbished, demo etc.
 
I went through the same thing back in 2012 when I was looking for a couple of extra 57s for the mike cupboard. I have extensive notes in a file on my PC that I'll find for you, but I checked my mail archives, and this was definitely one of the factors as of August 2012:

"A normal SM57 should weigh over 280 grams or 10 oz. The knock-offs are a lot lighter . . . much under 200 grams, and closer to 160 or so."

I E-Mailed about 7 or 8 sellers on the Bay to double-check, and according to my mail archive, 3 of them pulled their listings because they were fakes.

Apparently the SM57 is one of the most commonly faked mikes out there.
 
Firstly, there are plenty of authorised Shure dealers selling on ebay at a decent price.

Secondly, I paid regular price so the 'too good to be true' argument doesn't necessarily hold any more.

Thirdly, it certainly IS the buyer's fault if they purchase a fake. A week before my purchase I took the time to look up sellers on Shure's website to confirm they were authorised dealers. Then, a week later, too lazy to re-confirm, mistook the buyer I purchased from for as an authorised Shure dealer. (Actually the authorised Shure dealer I thought this guy was is CHEAPER!!!)

Here's some more photos of the inside. If it's fake it's a decent one. I'd say it is because the seller only sells cheap Chinese crap.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/rjgfnpmecemgfnw/fhdOyLr8Vt
 
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Also, I messaged the seller 24 hours ago asking if it was possible that his supplier is duping him. No reply so far which I think says a lot in itself.

I just want my money back to buy a genuine 57. Not too much to ask I don't think. :)
 
I looked at your pictures.
Unfortunately your pictures show all the parts that are easy to fake.
The bit that isn't easy to fake is the capsule, which is not shown.
Most fakes use a cheap thin flimsy capsule and a large plastic chamber to fill the space where the real capsule should be.

Either physically inspect the capsule, or weigh the microphone (post 2).
My link shows you what a real capsule looks like, and what a common fake looks like.
 
Steenamaroo said:
I looked at your pictures.
Unfortunately your pictures show all the parts that are easy to fake.
The bit that isn't easy to fake is the capsule, which is not shown.
Most fakes use a cheap thin flimsy capsule and a large plastic chamber to fill the space where the real capsule should be.

Either physically inspect the capsule, or weigh the microphone (post 2).
My link shows you what a real capsule looks like, and what a common fake looks like.
Click to expand...

Ah, yes OK. I just added some more photos of the capsule with the grille still on. I don't want to remove the grille because the only way I know how is to remove the sticker.

My scales only go to 200grams and it weighs more than that. I also do not have an Ohm metre or I would have already tested it that way too.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/rjgfnpmecemgfnw/fhdOyLr8Vt
 
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angelo212 said:
You scared them when you inquired about there mics. Good for you. Got rid of some anyway.
Click to expand...

I'd have to check all my archives, but IIRC 3 sellers knew full well they were listing fakes, but I know for sure one of the sellers was totally floored. He wasn't doing the "buy a box of MIC knock-offs" routine . . . he had a couple for sale, and was duped when he originally bought them. Cavet Emptor, of course, but I believed that dude all the way. By the tone of his messages and immediate replies you could tell he didn't know.

Since then, I checked all my 57s to make sure I didn't get a clunker. Luckily all mine were legit, but I'll only buy brand new them from an authorize brick-and-mortar music store from now on.
 
My friend's SM57 is identical to the one in the OP - at least the words/branding. No line through the Z. I bought it from Long and McQuade which is the biggest chain in Canada. I paid $100 for it new. I'll check my old one which is set up in front of my amp. It's got to be 25+ years old.
 
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