The AM Forum

Hi everyone  :-)

I picked up a Shure 55 housing ( ELVIS MIC ) at a hamfest today. I was wondering if anyone out there have retrofitted aftermarket replacement elements in to a Sure 55.

I retrofitted a D-104 with a W2ENY kit and I am very pleased with how it funtions. How ever to make it work in a Sure 55, I would have to come up with a power source for the element.

Has anyone out there done anything like this ??

Nice pick up. There is so much room inside one of those you could put almost any cartridge inside. A electret condenser would be cheap and easy. The current production 55s use the SM48 cartridge. I would image you could fit one inside. Shure sells the 48 cartridges.

They are popular as tail light housings on backstreet chopper cycles.....

Some of those mics are well used. We found one at ZRF's place that was pretty w.o. inside.

Anyone ever get around the boxy sound of the original?

I've got a 55S, the little brother with the  original element.

I don't understand the issue.  The shell is big enough to mount almost any element that strikes your fancy...  If you need power, just run another wire...

"Just do it"  :)

bill

I have been using a refitted 55 for nearly 10 years. I bought a Marshall condenser mike and carefully removed the guts and installed them in the 55 housing. It sounds as good as my much pricier Audio-Technica. I think I bought the Marshall when it was on sale at Musicians Fiend for around $60. It was the cheapest painted housing one I could buy. My guess is that even some of the higher priced units use the same guts.
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