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Author Topic: SM58 fakes....Not so easy to detect?  (Read 31808 times)

Debbie Dunkley

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SM58 fakes....Not so easy to detect?
« on: January 30, 2014, 06:24:52 PM »

I have come across many threads and You Tube videos regarding this subject recently but I am still confused. 
I have 7 SM58's in total. I just checked each one against all the 'pointers' made available that are supposed to give the game away.
Well, I checked my 32 year old SM58 that I purchased new in the days before fakes were around and it failed on 3 of the pointers. Uh??
A couple of my SM's have slightly different variations to the others and I have always put it down to subtle differences in production over the years and perhaps whether Shure had changed their production locations also. However, now it's got me thinking. I purchased 3 of the mics new at reputable music stores yet all 3 vary slightly. So what are the definitive give aways??
Anyone have fool-proof methods???
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Thomas Le

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Re: SM58 fakes....Not so easy to detect?
« Reply #1 on: January 30, 2014, 06:47:10 PM »

If you have really good eyesight, check the XLR connector, it should say "SHURE" under where Pin 3 is.
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Debbie Dunkley

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Re: SM58 fakes....Not so easy to detect?
« Reply #2 on: January 30, 2014, 07:03:18 PM »

If you have really good eyesight, check the XLR connector, it should say "SHURE" under where Pin 3 is.

Yep...all 7. I read however that there should be a trash can symbol with a line through it (disposal statement) between pins 1 and 2 on the real one. It appears on 2 of mine but not the other 5.

Other pointers which have been quoted online:

I have green and yellow wiring on all.
Different color to the thread where the dome connects on a couple.
Flange on bottom of dome on 6 of them, gradual slope on one of them.
On 2 of them, the shure printing is obviously a label - apparently a dead give away yet this is on my 2 oldest ones (one of which is the 32 year old one).
They all seem to sound the same which is the most important thing but I would be a little miffed to have paid SM money for an SM knockoff.
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Robert Weston

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Re: SM58 fakes....Not so easy to detect?
« Reply #3 on: January 30, 2014, 07:11:33 PM »

Yep...all 7. I read however that there should be a trash can symbol with a line through it (disposal statement) between pins 1 and 2 on the real one. It appears on 2 of mine but not the other 5.

Other pointers which have been quoted online:

I have green and yellow wiring on all.
Different color to the thread where the dome connects on a couple.
Flange on bottom of dome on 6 of them, gradual slope on one of them.
On 2 of them, the shure printing is obviously a label - apparently a dead give away yet this is on my 2 oldest ones (one of which is the 32 year old one).
They all seem to sound the same which is the most important thing but I would be a little miffed to have paid SM money for an SM knockoff.

What you may want to try is contacting Shure directly and tell them about the differences in the mics; they may have you take photos of different parts of the mic to send to them.  Where you purchase your mics is very important to ensuring they are not fakes.  Authorized resellers should be the only companies where you get the mics from.  Over the years, I've come across some good "music" companies selling Shure mics, but were not authorized resellers.  I'm not sure if some of these non-authorized resellers are purchasing their mics directly.

Check the weight of your mics.  Do they all the weigh the same?
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Debbie Dunkley

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Re: SM58 fakes....Not so easy to detect?
« Reply #4 on: January 30, 2014, 08:25:49 PM »

What you may want to try is contacting Shure directly and tell them about the differences in the mics; they may have you take photos of different parts of the mic to send to them.  Where you purchase your mics is very important to ensuring they are not fakes.  Authorized resellers should be the only companies where you get the mics from.  Over the years, I've come across some good "music" companies selling Shure mics, but were not authorized resellers.  I'm not sure if some of these non-authorized resellers are purchasing their mics directly.

Check the weight of your mics.  Do they all the weigh the same?

That's a good idea. I just might do that. They all weight the same and 'feel' the same so I am hoping they are real.
2 of them were purchased in the UK way back when in the early 80's and one from GC in recent years. These 3 even vary slightly. The other 4 were purchased used over the years and those are the ones I cannot guarantee.
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Corey Scogin

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Re: SM58 fakes....Not so easy to detect?
« Reply #5 on: January 31, 2014, 12:39:36 AM »

The one fake SM58 I bought off of Ebay did not have a transformer in it.  Instead of glue holding in what would have been the transformer, there was a wadded up tissue holding the wires still.  From the outside, I couldn't tell a difference.
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Chris Clark

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Re: SM58 fakes....Not so easy to detect?
« Reply #6 on: January 31, 2014, 02:02:53 AM »

I would guess your variations are due to the passage of time and various revisions. Mics manufacturerd before 2003 are likely to not have the garbage can/X (otherwise known as the WEEE symbol, a part of ROHS) as these didn't exist at that time. I can't imagine there aren't more variations than this, and would guess the guidelines put out for recognizing genuine vs counterfeits are more geared towards "new" purchases than verifying models that have been in inventory for 20 years.
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Lyle Williams

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Re: SM58 fakes....Not so easy to detect?
« Reply #7 on: January 31, 2014, 02:19:45 AM »

Mics vary over time.

Do they all sound good?  Isn't that all that matters?
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Richard Turner

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Re: SM58 fakes....Not so easy to detect?
« Reply #8 on: January 31, 2014, 09:50:26 AM »

I have come across many threads and You Tube videos regarding this subject recently but I am still confused. 
I have 7 SM58's in total. I just checked each one against all the 'pointers' made available that are supposed to give the game away.
Well, I checked my 32 year old SM58 that I purchased new in the days before fakes were around and it failed on 3 of the pointers. Uh??
A couple of my SM's have slightly different variations to the others and I have always put it down to subtle differences in production over the years and perhaps whether Shure had changed their production locations also. However, now it's got me thinking. I purchased 3 of the mics new at reputable music stores yet all 3 vary slightly. So what are the definitive give aways??
Anyone have fool-proof methods???

remeber Shure made some minor changes in mid 1980's after moving mic production to Mexico, they claim on theor own website refinments and improvments have been made over the years in capsule quality and the transformer as well.


The early china clones were easy to spot, It seems they have refined their production as well
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Debbie Dunkley

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Re: SM58 fakes....Not so easy to detect?
« Reply #9 on: January 31, 2014, 10:00:02 AM »

Mics vary over time.

Do they all sound good?  Isn't that all that matters?

No - I don't think so.
I concede that if you end up with a fake-it is what it is. If it is a decent knock-off, then that is a bonus and probably not worth even replacing - just using as a spare.
However, I don't want to spend SM58 money on a $30 fake mic so it is worth learning the differences.  ALSO, I would hate to sell something on to someone else as a real SM58 if it is not.
All my SM58's sound good and I am pretty convinced they are all genuine. 
My original post was prompted by the many postings online by individuals making comparisons between real SM's and fakes any how many of the 'differences' do not seem to correlate to my experience.
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Re: SM58 fakes....Not so easy to detect?
« Reply #9 on: January 31, 2014, 10:00:02 AM »


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