Shure SM58 Mic Torture Test Pt. II, After a Year Buried Underground
Just how rugged is your microphone? Mats St̴lbr̦st, editor of the Stockholm-based Studio, took testing to a new extreme last year. He did violence to the legendary Shure SM58 Рthe sub-$100, vocal dynamic mic. It was used to hammer nails. It was dropped several meters. It was frozen. It was dunked in water. It was driven over by a car. It had beer poured on it. It was placed in a microwave atop a pizza. And the thing kept on working.
We covered the gory abuse back in October 2007. Little did we know then that the test wasn’t over. It seems Mats and company buried the SM58. The SM58 has been there, underground, for a year, even enduring a harsh, Swedish winter. To complete phase II of their test, the folks at Studio unearthed the poor mic, washed it (running it under a tap, of course, not doing it properly), and gave it another test. Surprise: still working.
Incidentally, the SM58 and variants make a fantastic gift for a musician. Even if they’ve already got one, they could probably use another.
Shure SM58 Product Page – and yup, positive they do not endorse this sort of thing, but if it keeps working like this, who needs a warranty?
Here’s the new video. May not be suitable for squeamish audiophiles:
And the original torture test:
Sound files promised in Studio 01-09, but that issue doesn’t seem to be up yet. (Selected from the dropdown.)
Got an SM58 – or other mic – that’s taken some abuse? Send us photos!
10 Comments
Leave a CommentAdam Jay
a great gift indeed! but do mind that if your special someone does alot of live performance, a beta 58 would be an even better gift thanks to the higher gain before feedback. ;)
December 17, 2008 @ 3:17 pm
Peter Kirn
Yep, indeed … Beta 58 is my mic of choice. I haven’t tried driving over it yet. You just have to splurge a little extra on them … ;)
December 17, 2008 @ 3:22 pm
bliss
Would a Manley Gold Reference withstand the same abuse? I’d buy one if it would. Get my money’s worth.
December 17, 2008 @ 3:33 pm
pyramind
I know an SM58 who is being verbally abused for years, it has lost some of its high-end but still looks fine.
December 17, 2008 @ 5:27 pm
Patrick Fridh
Great job Mats! Puttin’ the Studio magazine name to worldwide recognition like that! Thumbs up!
December 18, 2008 @ 5:28 am
HMMM
thank god they put that super cool metal over the video , especially when they played how the mic sounded.
December 18, 2008 @ 3:03 pm
Trey Chandler
Am I the only person who thinks the SM58 sounds like the bad kind of vintage? I will take an Audix or EV at the same price any day.
December 19, 2008 @ 1:37 pm
Trey Chandler
And tough??? If you breathe too hard on a 58 you will dent the grill.
December 19, 2008 @ 1:39 pm
vvvoid
Survives all this, yet one recording session with my doom/noise/extremeselfviolence band and a ‘58 was in three (irrecoverable) pieces :(
December 21, 2008 @ 10:50 pm
ian
sm58’s are damn durable but the ultimate test for them is night after night of metal/punk/hardcore bands! believe you me as a live sound guy we’ve had to replace more than one sm58/beta58 in the past (we just sent shure a box of 58’s and 57’s to replace). it should be mentioned also that shure’s replacement policy is pretty right on – a 57 or 58 can be sent to shure, out of warranty, without a receipt, and replaced for around 50 bucks. check the shure site for more information (applies to other shure products too but the prices vary according to the product). also vvvoid, post links to your band, sounds right up my alley!
December 24, 2008 @ 5:48 pm
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