The AM Forum

Hi All:

I picked up a Shure 55S Vintage Microphone from an estate.

The mic is disassembled, and I am guessing was a restoration candidate.  I found all of the parts were in one box.

The rubber shock mounts appear to be disintegrated.  All of the other parts are there.  I put the mic on my scope and it seems to work.  Whether or not it works with any measure of fidelity is yet to be determined.

I have learned that Shure no longer supports the Vintage products that they sold (from what I see on the web); but they appear do sell a new production unit, given by what I saw on eBay.

My questions are;
1.  Is this a good microphone for AM?

2. Does anyone sell the rubber shockmounts, silk windscreen and other small parts in either NOS or reproduction?

3. Are the parts in the new production mics interchangable with the older stuff?

4. Any idea as it it's value?  I am guessing it isn't the holy grail of mics......  But I am curious anyway

5. Is there any on-line schematics or exploded views of the mic that are out there to guide me as I reassemble it?

I appreciate your thoughts.

73--Wally W9BEA

Wally,

It was good enough for Elvis..... 8) 8) 8)

73 Jack KZ5A

Wally, I have 2 of them and they are an excellent microphone. However, you want to run it through an EQ since it has an extremely lo freq. response.

Hi Wally greetings, answering your questions I mention that the AM radio station where I work we use the shure 55s more than 15 years in use and work great.
These we have here are manufactured in Mexico I leave a picture so you look at his position.
If you require specific data to measure I can taste some of the ones we have here, as you say are the best of the best but are robust and work well, and finally we have in SudAmerica here all costs up to 4 times more than North HI HI HI
In my opinion it is a microphone that is well worth reconditioning to add to your amateur station, beyond its audio quality is a microphone that has very good appearance is very nice, I'm renovating an RCA 74 Junior gave it to me When did it not work because I found a broken wire uncover that runs from the terminals of the impedance transformer tape to the soldiers and worked 10-point bingo ... HI HI
 
Greetings Paolo cx2ua

Here is some info on the 55 that I have.  Unfortunately not much help with internal diagrams.

Here are other 2, I hope.

Third time is charm.

I appreciate all of your repllies.  I will print out the data sheet when I get to work tomorrow.

73--Wally W9BEA

I use a 55s directly into a radiotron speech amp (homebrew with 6sj7 mic amp)...driving an 813 modulator....works great...When I rebuilt mine, I made spacers for the element from some dense plastic foam from a sleeping bag pad.....Good Luck..