I have never heard anyone talk about the various types and vintages of Shure SM57's, so I thought I would bring it up. I know this seems silly. Oh well. .

I found a couple older, US made 57's that were silver and black, XLR out, and were set at a 90 degree angle that looks like a pistol grip. I got the pair for $70 bucks, so I figured that it would be tough to go wrong. It turns out that these 57's sound a lot better than any other 57 I have ever tried. On several occasions I have set up a regular gray 57, some older and some of the newer Mexican made, and they always sound thinner and less present when compared to the old silver ones. Has anyone else noticed this difference?

I have seen pictures of older, 90 degree angled, silver 57's that seem to have some kind of shock mounting. I bet these would be great for recording snare because they can be tucked in around the hat and rack toms easily, and the shock mount would help keep the rumble from the kick out. If these ones sound as good as mine, they just might be the ultimate SM57.

In case you are wondering, I do have a very nice mic collection. I am not wanting for decent mics to use. It is just that I almost always use a 57 somewhere on the sessions I do. I figured that it was time to consider the nuances and colors of this utilitarian mic.