Fake SM58s on the BBC "Fake Britain"

[John Willett]

On "Fake Britain" on BB1 today (28th May 2014) there is a piece on fake Shure SM58s.

They compare real and fake and even drop a real and a fake from a great height the real one still worked, of course.

Interesting piece - so watch it on iPlayer if you can.

[John Willett]

The direct iPlayer link is HERE - the item on the fake mics starts at 28:50.

You can watch it for 5-days from today, after which it will be removed.

[RegressiveRock]

The direct iPlayer link is HERE - the item on the fake mics starts at 28:50.

You can watch it for 5-days from today, after which it will be removed.

Yup watched it. I know the construction differences are mostly historical these days, but it would be nice to see a little bit more on them so we can keep the older fakes off the second hand market.

Reg

[Cirrus]

I got a fake beta 57 a few years ago. It was immediately obvious it wasn't right - high handling noise, poor quality foam on the mesh and poorly cut at that, sounded washy and cheap and was 50g lighter than the Shure website said it would be.

I guess on a practical level, if you got a fake that performed up to your expectation would it really matter that much if you didn't know it was fake?

[The Elf]

It matters that the criminals have made yet another sale at the expense of a legitimate business. I'd rather my money support decent, honest people than the ones who may be mugging me at gun-point tomorrow, especially when someone's penny-pinching may have helped them buy the gun...

[Cirrus]

Of course it matters on a moral level I'm not blind to that, my point was just that if it sounded good enough that I never suspected I wouldn't be destroyed by existential angst were I told it's not the mic I thought it was. If it sounds crap, I'll notice and then it's an annoyance.

[suedehead]

A few months ago I bought 4 new condition SM57 Beta's in Shure boxes from C*sh C*nv*rt*rs - I paid £200 for the 4.

At the time they had nothing I could test them on but was assured that "They've come from a regular customer - he's in here all the time - he knows his stuff and he told us they're 100% working and legit".

I got them home and 3 of the 4 were dead and the 4th sounded like a telephone pickup!

I took them straight back. At first they didn't want to entertain giving me a refund until I mentioned Trading Standards - then they refunded me - in cash - and were all "VERY SORRY FOR THE MESS ABOUT MATE!"

I felt a big chump, 'cos I had been one - but I was lucky to come away, slightly scathed but money in hand.

CAVEAT EMPTOR I guess, and NEVER BELIEVE A WORD THEY TELL YOU!