I nearly always use a Shure 58 - same difference as a 57, just with a screen, typically used for vocals. That's because they're always around and for that purpose, at live gigs. And they work just fine, most of the time.
HOWEVER, I just got done laying down a mandolin track on a recording project. I dug my Shure 58s out of my gig bag (haven't been gigging much lately) and nothing, Zip. Zilch. Nada. Bupkis. I called my friend who's much better at using the recording program, and troubleshooting on the equipment - nothing. Swapped out the mic cord- nothing. Same thing with both mics. Quite puzzling, all this.
Then I plugged in this so-so Behringer XM8500 I had - no idea why nor when I acquired it - and presto! A signal. So both Shures were NG - no idea how that could have happened. It's not like them sitting around could have led to them going bad. Right?
I went rooting through my odds-and-ends and found another Shure, a P-51 (I think it's a Shure with an on-off switch), and an AKG D790 - all of them were goldanged dad-gum dang-blasted no bloody good!
Unbelievable! At least I had the one, and was able to finish the project. But holy guacamole! How does that happen? Five out of six NG, without even being used? Shure 58s are supposed to be durable and reliable. I don't know anymore.
I could have plugged in, but I wanted an acoustic sound, not piezo (although the Fishman bridge is just fine). Crikey!
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