Great old Microphones finding new Life EV, AKG, Shure

[Orion61]

Many time Musicians find an old retired players equipment and there are things in there made long before they were born, Microphones are one of those things.
For example back in the late 1970's when I was starting out I went into a Music Store with intentions of buying a Shure SM58 vocal Mic.
The SM58 WAS the go-to mic they had been around for about 7 years and were gaining the reputation as THE Standard in reliability, stories like
sing through it OR pound a loose Stage nail with it. This day the sales person brought back a BRAND NEW Microphone that was turning heads.
It was from Electro Voice, long known for quality equipment. The PL-76 Electric Condenser One sound check sold me on it! as a matter of fact that same mic is STILL in my Microphone locker. The problem was the PX21 battery which were only a couple bucks when the mic was new, but now hard to find and EXPENSIVE usually by mail order at about $14.00 counting shipping, and dont forget and leave the mic on when you are packing up cause it would be dead next week.
This caused the old 76 to be tossed aside, and sold for a little bit of nothing. One day last week I saw it and remembered all the years it had made me money, I also remembered a NEW Lithium ION rechargable battery made for the new rage of Tactical Flashlights the 14500. I bought 2 of them @ $1.89 each and a charger for 3 bucks! The battery looks just like a regular AA BAttery and best of all is 3.7 Volt, only slightly less than the
4.5 PX21. So those old Pre Phantom Mics can work again, EV eventually made the PL77 and PL78's that work on Phantom, plus now a guy on eBay sells Phantom battery eliminators for the 76 for $20 Bucks... These old EV-s sound great! Breathy highs and solid deep lows and can be used for guitar Cabs to toms.
Other Mics that are starting to be re-born er' found again are EV RE series microphones. The sturdy old work hounds the RE-11 which I wanted for my guitar cab and bought it for $29.00 about 12 years ago because I remembered how well they worked on well, just about everything!
While we are at it lets not forget one of my favorite Vocal Microphones of all time the Austrian made Dynamic AKG D 330 BT. These were pricey when new but have a unique 2 switch 9 position switch, this gives the ability to roll off Highs, lows add Mid punch etc. They sound about the same as the Shure SM58 Beta, which are darn good mics.
One of the nice things about this microphone is you can Taylor between Male and Female voices with a click. The BEST for this mic is to
flip the High cut all the way off AND the Bass Rolloff either in the mid or off position for SMOKERS with than Husky sound with the wispy high tones added this mike makes them sound great..
I am sure many of you have found lost favorites of your own and here is the place to talk about them

 

[Nola]

My favorite mics are old 565s, 545s, and re-11s. They're all kind of like 57s/58s, but not as generic. Old AKG D12s.
I also love the Turner Brown Bullet and Shure 707a Crystal mic for vocals. I guess these are a lot like a modern "copperphone" mic. Another mic I like a lot for vocals is the Shure 533sa -- it's a great omni harp mic, but it's surprisingly awesome on vocals if you cup it while singing (breaks up nicely, almost like The Strokes singer). When I use it on vocals I just hold it and cup it. Altec 633 is a cool mic. Shure 55, Shure 520, etc. All cool character mics.

 

[Orion61]

I certainly agree with the Shure 545's They have a unique flavor on Vocals (just not the newer Mexican made) I find they
give the vocal sizzle of the SM58 with a cleaner top. I like the sound better than SM 57's.
Shure 54 mics from the 80's are a hidden gem on Snares and Toms with the Bass Roll off. Even the the old 60's Shure 588 the SM58 before they became the 58, sort of like the 545's.. A few of your others I have never tried but I will if I get the chance!
I have an old EV re-11 laying around and was shocked at what I saw what they are selling for! There was a time people didn't even WANT them! I think I gave 20 Bucks for mine because I knew how functional they are. If you are into Ribbon Mics the Cascade Victors are very sweet, not too old but talk about old school smooth as butter.

 

[Nola]

Shure 54 mics from the 80's are a hidden gem on Snares and Toms with the Bass Roll off. Even the the old 60's Shure 588 the SM58 before they became the 58, sort of like the 545's.

I thought the 565 was the predecessor of the SM58?
I don't know the 588 and will have to check that out.

 

[dervish riff]

I have a 588 I got at a yard sale for $1.00, it's got a rusty, dented windscreen, but it still works. Actually most of my mics were used or closeouts, don't think I bought any of them at an actual music store.

 

[nsureit]

I recently found this Shure 330A, ca. 1960. Same mic that sat on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show desk. It has a new ribbon, though.

 

[Orion61]

It depends when you want to place them in slots, The 565 sonically is a little closer at 50-15k the 588 is 80-13k so in a way we are both correct..I am glad a few people are reading my post tho. The old mics are about the only ones you can trust to be real and not counterfeit I bought a beta 57..(fake) and an 87 I have to laugh at the 87.. it wasn't even a Condenser!! It was a Chinese Dynamic mic! I called the guy on it and the dumb ass wanted to send me a replacement!!!! I just had him refund me, he asked me about returning the fake, I said he could talk to shure about that because I was sending it to them! He said just keep it LOL...

I thought the 565 was the predecessor of the SM58?
I don't know the 588 and will have to check that out.

 

[Orion61]

I also found an old Sennheiser made in Austria 518 It is a great sounding mic! Best of all it is BRAND NEW looking, probably the best Snare mic I have ever heard! a snare actually sounds like a Snare. On Vocals it sounds a lot like my Senn 431! It is very clean with no Proximity effect. It would make a superb Ladies Mic, it is also fairly small and lightweight.