MD421 Basket Repair

  • Thread starter Thread starter EddieRay
  • Start date Start date
EddieRay

EddieRay

#?
I just acquired a used MD421-U5 ($75!). It's taped together just like another one I have which is actually owned by my singer. Both sound great but look like they've been around the block a few hundred times. Now that I own one myself I was thinking about removing the tape to see what the damage to the basket/housing is all about and even fixing it. But maybe I should just leave well-enough alone, eh? The tape-up jobs are pretty good and I'm perfectly capable of making things worse.

Before I start dinking around, what holds these baskets together anyway? Are they repairable to the point where they would not need to be taped up?
 
From what I have seen from repairing dents in my numerous 421's is that the basket is just a wire grill that has a metal mesh screen behind it. The black bar that goes around the grill (where the logo is) is just glued to the grill. I may be wrong on that since I haven't opened up one of mine in a while. With good gluing technique and good glue, you should be able to bend back and put the grill back in its original spot. If looks aren't really that important to you or your just not comfortable with tearing apart your mic and covering it tastfully in glue, just leave the tape on. If worse comes to worse, I'll take the mic off your hands :D
 
Thanks Angus. It sounds like these mics were never meant to be opened by the end user, yes?
 
Not really. They are kinda a pain in the butt to take a part. It's not a simple as a screw or 2 to take it apart. If you do decide to take it apart and fix it up, becareful pulling out the capsule because the paper/cloth lining that surrounds it is very fragile and can rip easily when pulling it out of the basket. The other issue with taking them apart is that you can't take off the body (totally seperate) from the innards without cutting some wires. For the repair you are wanting to do, you won't have to do this but you will have to seperate all of the pieces just to get the grill off. The mics are built very well and for the lack of screws and welds it has in it, it's a beast but the mic was definently not designed to have your average person go in and do repairs on it. Only if it were as simple as a SM58 where you just twist off everything :D


If you want some detailed instructions on how to properly take apart your 421, just shoot me an email at angusdevil_son@hotmail.com or shoot me a PM.

Good luck in your adventures.
 
Does everyone else in the world use tape to hold the clips on their MD421s or is that just me?
 
Angus, check your PMs.

Noisedude, the one I just bought has the clip taped to the mic. I wish I'd thought of it!
 
The first time I used them I watched both mics jump off their stands not long after the drummer started. I decided it was a bit problematic then!
 
The 421 clips are a PITA, fragile and expensive. I make my own clips from old SM58 kind of Radio Shack clips which are broken.

All you need is a small file and a small iron saw. Make them fit very tight and the mic will never fall off it's clip again.
 
What does PITA stand for?

The 421s I use are at uni (I don't have expensive stuff of my own ... except my Soundcraft M12 which just arrived!) so I can't easily start messing with them. One of them is entirely held together with electrical tape because the clip thread went ... but it still droops impossibly.
 
noisedude said:
The first time I used them I watched both mics jump off their stands not long after the drummer started. I decided it was a bit problematic then!
Click to expand...
Maybe that's why all of them are so dented.

PITA = pain in the ass.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top