View Full Version : Fake Shure SM58 mic
skunky_funk
08-11-2005, 03:51 PM
Is this mic a FAKE Shure SM58?
http://i17.ebayimg.com/04/i/04/96/f8/3a_1_b.JPG
Compare it to this Mexico-made version...
http://i21.ebayimg.com/02/i/04/8f/5c/57_1_b.JPG
Phil O'Keefe
08-11-2005, 04:00 PM
Shure's gonna be ticked...
And rightfully so.
Did you buy that in the USA? Shure has battled Chineese clone makers for years, and has been fairly effective at keeping them from selling in the USA, but that hasn't stopped them from building them, and from them getting sold on Ebay or whatever. I've also heard stories of clones finding their way into stores. As always, (and unfortunately) caveat emptor.
Robman2
08-11-2005, 04:03 PM
Shure (the heir) actually had Pinkerton chase down the Chinese on some products a while back.
Shure is doing limited production on some things in China these days.
I was at a large distrubutor who owns (brand) amplification and does their designs in house here in the US.
They were at a trade show, and one of their new release models, was actually knocked off and for sale, across the hall in another booth. Same color, design...
That's fast work and yes, it was an ex employee in China who took schematics with him when he was let go.
Not to say there aren't some gems out there but blatant knock offs, that's no fun.
As dynamic mics go, the best one in the lower range seems to be Hosa's QMD 4 (MPO) it's heavy, made of metal not plastic and competes with Shure's plastic, AT's etc..it sounds very good to boot...$40, retail.
China, the other red state...
skunky_funk
08-11-2005, 04:06 PM
So is it right to say those cheesy Chinese SM58's have the same box as the one on the first pic?
Originally posted by Phil O'Keefe
Shure's gonna be ticked...
And rightfully so.
Did you buy that in the USA? Shure has battled Chineese clone makers for years, and has been fairly effective at keeping them from selling in the USA, but that hasn't stopped them from building them, and from them getting sold on Ebay or whatever. I've also heard stories of clones finding their way into stores. As always, (and unfortunately) caveat emptor.
Robman2
08-12-2005, 11:11 AM
China has no real intellectual property concept...
They may be getting it after a fashion but, over there it's considered open to all, any idea is everyone's... and who owns anything and everything...why it's the people...
I've heard stories from our GM about the blank stare in their eyes, on basic concepts about packaging, context etc...too similar...and so on.
Sort of like "what do you mean we can't build and sell it that way, they do , yeah, but they desigend and engineerd it, it's theirs, not your's"...
Originally posted by Robman2
China has no real intellectual property concept...
And the rest of the world including the US does?
Robman2
08-12-2005, 01:15 PM
In a way, I do at least...I've no patience for the we can share files for free gambit for instance.
A band gets a cut after 10 years of work and the thirteen somethings think it's free cause their older brothee does it....
Sorry... ans yes you have a ponit but at least here we have patent and copyright law...
How are these mics being seen as fake or not? I'm not privy to such info and I don't know what everyone is looking at.
skunky_funk
08-12-2005, 10:37 PM
Originally posted by paostby
How are these mics being seen as fake or not? I'm not privy to such info and I don't know what everyone is looking at.
As far as looks are concerned, the fake and real ones are very much alike, however, the packaging is different.
As for the sound, I haven'te A/Bd them in a controlled environment yet.
rog951
08-13-2005, 03:53 PM
So, the packaging for my SM58 looks like your top picture. Does that mean mine's fake? :( I got it off ebay a few years back...
skunky_funk
08-15-2005, 05:19 AM
Originally posted by rog951
So, the packaging for my SM58 looks like your top picture. Does that mean mine's fake? :( I got it off ebay a few years back...
That is why I am asking about the packaging difference. There are actually two possibilities in your case:
1) Your SM58 has the same packaging as the one on top, but it is authentic (as Shure could have issued their SM58 with such box design).
2) Your SM58 has the same packaging as the one on top, and is a counterfeit, if and only if fakes have that kind of packaging.
rog951
08-15-2005, 06:19 AM
Originally posted by skunky_funk
That is why I am asking about the packaging difference. There are actually two possibilities in your case:
1) Your SM58 has the same packaging as the one on top, but it is authentic (as Shure could have issued their SM58 with such box design).
2) Your SM58 has the same packaging as the one on top, and is a counterfeit, if and only if fakes have that kind of packaging.
Is the difference in packaging the only reason you suspect it to be a fake? Shure changes packaging somewhat frequently so I doubt that's a valid reason on its own. Hell, some of the counterfeiters are just as diligent in copying the packaging and manuals as they are in copying the actual merchandise. Either way, my SM58 sounds like I expect it to, so I'll choose to remain blissfully ignorant about its origin! :) I don't have another to compare it to.
fantasticsound
08-15-2005, 11:21 PM
Originally posted by skunky_funk
That is why I am asking about the packaging difference. There are actually two possibilities in your case:
1) Your SM58 has the same packaging as the one on top, but it is authentic (as Shure could have issued their SM58 with such box design).
2) Your SM58 has the same packaging as the one on top, and is a counterfeit, if and only if fakes have that kind of packaging.
The box on top is Shure, Inc.'s SM58 box for U.S. retail sale as of 1998 to at least 2002, probably more years than that. I worked at MARS Music from 1998 - 2001 and all our SM58's came in that package.
I've never seen the MIM box you show below it.
Could be they changed packaging, could be the MIM box is to differentiate MIM from MIUSA Shure products.
Jotown
08-16-2005, 12:45 AM
Originally posted by Robman2
China has no real intellectual property concept...China understands intellectual property rights; they just choose to ignore it. This is the worst part of the whole doing business with China thing. How can we compete in an enviroment where every companys intellectual property is open game for bootleggers? How can anyone compete with slave labor, and forced labor by prisoners?
There was a time when the first priority of American business and and legistature was to foster at the least the illusion of fairness. The world we live in now is short term profit, strong quarter thinking. This does not bode well for the long term.
Will Chen
08-16-2005, 08:42 AM
Originally posted by Jotown
China understands intellectual property rights; they just choose to ignore it. This is the worst part of the whole doing business with China thing. How can we compete in an enviroment where every companys intellectual property is open game for bootleggers? How can anyone compete with slave labor, and forced labor by prisoners?
There was a time when the first priority of American business and and legistature was to foster at the least the illusion of fairness. The world we live in now is short term profit, strong quarter thinking. This does not bode well for the long term.
First of all, China's intellectual property issues and labor issues are 2 separte topics.
I've been to China a couple times and while I didn't go on an extensive tours in the countryside inspecting factories, the vision of China in America is grossly exaggerated. China's current business model is somewhat akin to the industrial revolution in America where some business here employeed child/slave labor and little to no rights for the working class. China has a huge middle class that is growing very quickly. A growing middle class means demanding higher salaries and the expectation of certain benefits. In time, China will be no different than the US when it comes to labor regulation. We are quick to point out the errors of others but seem to forget the error of our ways.
Yes intellectual property is an issue in China as that concept should be a stretch in any Communist country (everything belongs to everybody) rapidly adjusting to the concept of free market economics. But is an "Okey" vs an "Okley" backback that much different than an "Izod" vs "Polo" shirt? Additionally, most knockoff Chinese goods are clearly sold as knockoffs (I don't think anyone believes you can purchase a real Louis Vuitton for $20). If there wasn't a market for these items in Europe and America, China wouldn't produce them.
Same goes for the labor market, if Walmart and Walmart's consumers weren't so concerned with the lowest price, China wouldn't even be an issue. It's easy to point the finger...
EugeneBr
08-19-2005, 11:49 AM
There is a good article on this here: http://www.shure.ru/info/?id=2620 but it's only in Russian. You may try to use a free online translator here: http://www.worldlingo.com/en/websites/url_translator.html - not exactly the Oxford English, but it works :-)) Copy and paste the web site address, choose 'Russian to English'. Wait a couple minutes - the process takes a while regardless of your computer speed. Hope this helps.
Miket156
08-19-2005, 10:55 PM
Quote:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Same goes for the labor market, if Walmart and Walmart's consumers weren't so concerned with the lowest price, China wouldn't even be an issue. It's easy to point the finger...
------------------------------------------------------------------------
EVERYONE wants the lowest price for what appears to be the same product. It's not just Walmart customers.
Let's point the finger back at CommieMart. When Walmart was still run by it's founder, he made a point of advertising clothing made in the USA. That changed when he kicked off. Walmart is run by people that don't give a damn about anything but their bottom line. I avoid the place.
Mike T.
corngoodness
08-23-2005, 11:07 AM
I got my SM58S (with switch) off E-bay for $60 including S&H. It was mailed from China but it says Made in Mexico. Its a nice mic and sounds good. The seller's account dissappeared from Ebay before I could leave feedback. I think he had around 600 transactions.
fantasticsound
08-23-2005, 11:20 AM
Shure just announced their Chinese factories when??? A few months ago? I think you bought a fake. If it breaks and you send it back to Shure, you'll find out if it's a fake if they refuse to extend warranty protections. The seller was definitely not an authorized dealer. Authorized dealers don't cut and run after the sale, generally. ;)
dominion
01-27-2009, 02:36 AM
i just brough an sure SM 58 on ebay for £38 when it arrived i realised it had been made in china not from england as it stated on ebay and under close inspection although a very good fake with all the pakaging including mic clip shure logo on mic including the conector on the base the free carry case warrenty card etc the only way i could tell it was a fake wasa checking it against a real one from a friends studio the internal wireing was a diffrent color the metal casing was difrent size and was not constructed the same also the top part of the mic was constructed diffrently. The mic its self sounded not to bad but did lack the crispness of an SM58 so be ware if your paying les than around £80 it bond to be a fake :mad:
rasputin1963
01-27-2009, 03:07 AM
I thought SHURE mics were inexpensive to begin with.....?
Alan Roberts
01-27-2009, 01:25 PM
There are plenty of fake Shure's for sale in the US right now. There was a great thread about them in the "Live Sound and Production" forum a few months back. The consensus was that unless you buy a Shure from an authorized dealer you may be getting a fake.
scaryfried
01-27-2009, 11:50 PM
i just brough an sure SM 58 on ebay for £38 when it arrived i realised it had been made in china not from england as it stated on ebay and under close inspection although a very good fake with all the pakaging including mic clip shure logo on mic including the conector on the base the free carry case warrenty card etc the only way i could tell it was a fake wasa checking it against a real one from a friends studio the internal wireing was a diffrent color the metal casing was difrent size and was not constructed the same also the top part of the mic was constructed diffrently. The mic its self sounded not to bad but did lack the crispness of an SM58 so be ware if your paying les than around £80 it bond to be a fake :mad:
Get your money back.