# How to spot Fake SHURE SM57's



## jrguitars

Just thought I'd share my recent experience of buying 2 fake Shure SM57's off of eBay. I paid $140.50 USD for the 2 shipped. Seller was out of Canada and has more than a few of these on the go on more than a few different selling accounts with near perfect feedback. There must be tons of these out there. The lesson I learned.........BUY YOUR MICS AT AN AUTHORIZED DEALER NOT ON EBAY!!!

Hope this helps anyone else out there from falling into the trap like me.

Cheers,

[video=youtube;8Vd2QUN3_nk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Vd2QUN3_nk[/video]


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## GuitarsCanada

Now they are doing mics too


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## keeperofthegood

Oh yea. Shure has been a target for some time now too. There was a fair web page on how to "fix" the fakes, no idea if it is still around. However, the fix is out of the scope of most peoples shops as the issue was mostly in the diaphragm and the author used a lot of high end equipment to tone map and machine a new one.


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## shoretyus

How bad are they?


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## snacker

I've seen some fakes in pawn shops and I knew as soon as I picked one up - they only weigh about half as much as a real one


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## GuitarsCanada

I have to ask this question. Since these are being sold on eBay, which usually cracks down hard and fast on anything fake. Why is this seller still listing these? What is his feedback? You would think it would be terrible and that he would have been reported a half dozen times. I could see it if they were being sold out of China but eBay is usually much more strict. Especially when complaints are filed


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## Sneaky

Thanks for posting.


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## jrguitars

His feedback with 90 sales was 100%. All "Thanks! great deal!" type comments. After I purchased them I noticed he was posting 1 x single mic 24 hour buy it now auction and 1 x two mic set 24 hour buy it now auction everyday beginning/ending in the evening. Both also had the option to bid starting at a lower price than the buy it now. I have no idea how long this went on for beforehand. Once those dried up on that seller account new ones appeared in the exact same pattern on another seller account from Canada as well. Same person I have no doubt. I am in the process of trying to get my money back but the seller wants me to ship (out of my pocket) them back to him and I do not trust that I will see a single cent once they're out of my hands. Plus I know they will just be sold to someone else if I do. They have not once tried to prove or defend in any email (even remotely) that they are real and that I am wrong. Lesson learned!


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## GuitarsCanada

jrguitars said:


> His feedback with 90 sales was 100%. All "Thanks! great deal!" type comments. After I purchased them I noticed he was posting 1 x single mic 24 hour buy it now auction and 1 x two mic set 24 hour buy it now auction everyday beginning/ending in the evening. Both also had the option to bid starting at a lower price than the buy it now. I have no idea how long this went on for beforehand. Once those dried up on that seller account new ones appeared in the exact same pattern on another seller account from Canada as well. Same person I have no doubt. I am in the process of trying to get my money back but the seller wants me to ship (out of my pocket) them back to him and I do not trust that I will see a single cent once they're out of my hands. Plus I know they will just be sold to someone else if I do. Lesson learned!


What did he say when you told him they were fakes?


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## jrguitars

He told me to mail them back to him. His sketchy business practises make me nervous to do so. He may just get a new account and screw me over for the $ he already has + more shipping costs. I filed a paypal dispute for the full $140.50 USD I gave him and he countered with an offer of $40 to close the case. I'm still somewhat up in the air as to what to do. I'd rather have one real mic than 2 counterfeits. They sound nothing like my real SM57.


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## GuitarsCanada

jrguitars said:


> He told me to mail them back to him. His sketchy business practises make me nervous to do so. He may just get a new account and screw me over for the $ he already has + more shipping costs. I filed a paypal dispute for the full $140.50 USD I gave him and he countered with an offer of $40 to close the case. I'm still somewhat up in the air as to what to do. I'd rather have one real mic than 2 counterfeits. They sound nothing like my real SM57.


Stick to your PayPal dispute for sure. Make sure that you are canceling the deal because they are obvious fakes of the real product and I would also file a complaint through ebay


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## zurn

Well thanks for this, it looks like I also bought two fake ones. I had also bought them from a Canadian guy on ebay, I paid 116% shipped. My cases are glossy, the tops turn but take some effort, I have the letter A in the sockets on both and Logos are also on a sticker. I still have his info but I guess it's too late for me to fight it with paypal. I bought them last may.


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## Milkman

You often have to take them apart to spot the fakes.

I have one 58 that I hve determined is fake.

You can sure hear the difference, but the weight is almost exactly the same as the real deal.


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## GuitarsCanada

Wow man. Had no idea this was as widespread as that. I can get them in for the gc gear shop. Maybe I should if there is that many fakes around. But pricing would not be anywhere that cheap


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## jrguitars

A general rule of thumb I've been reading is that if someone is selling a Shure SM57 (especially a new one) for less than $99 USD or $105 CDN you should be suspicious. Shure apparently enforces a minimum sale price with all of it's retailers.


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## ronmac

It's not just Shure you have to be wary of. I got stung on a Sennheiser. 

The cost differential isn't all that much to buy from a genuine dealer (one that you are comfortable doing business with), especially considering that using reasonable care any of the workhorse dynamics will last you a life time.


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## ronmac

jrguitars said:


> His feedback with 90 sales was 100%. All "Thanks! great deal!" type comments. After I purchased them I noticed he was posting 1 x single mic 24 hour buy it now auction and 1 x two mic set 24 hour buy it now auction everyday beginning/ending in the evening. Both also had the option to bid starting at a lower price than the buy it now. I have no idea how long this went on for beforehand. Once those dried up on that seller account new ones appeared in the exact same pattern on another seller account from Canada as well. Same person I have no doubt. I am in the process of trying to get my money back but the seller wants me to ship (out of my pocket) them back to him and I do not trust that I will see a single cent once they're out of my hands. Plus I know they will just be sold to someone else if I do. They have not once tried to prove or defend in any email (even remotely) that they are real and that I am wrong. Lesson learned!


Just a word of caution... The fakes are coming out of various factories, and not all will have the same packaging/weight/accessories differences.

You may also want to advise Shure of your experience. They are very serious about tracking down the offenders in order to protect their IP and reputation.


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## WaltersLondon

Why wouldn't you have just bought them from an auth dealer? They sell new for 105.00


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## jrguitars

I thought I could save a few bucks. Got 2 for $140.50 including shipping. My mistake. Won't ever buy another one unless it's from an authorized dealer.


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## J S Moore

Hard lesson to learn but I appreciate the info.


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## shoretyus

J S Moore said:


> Hard lesson to learn but I appreciate the info.



Yeah me to. Thanks for taking the time. The last 58 I bought from here.


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## hummingway

Bizarre. They're such an inexpensive item. Why on earth do they bother? It must mean they're producing a high volume of them, otherwise there's no money in it.


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## keeperofthegood

If they lock the bottom price people would see anyone selling lower as someone able to sell at a deal price. This is supported by many agencies that do very legitimate "warehouse clear-outs" and "once in a lifetime buy" events. So it isn't outside the normal persons experience to get something for a better deal than the usual lowest price.


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## Chito

This thread got me checking out my SM57s. Initially I thought all 3 of the ones I got are fakes even if I know I bought all of them through reliable sources. One had the 3 holes at the bottom. Another had a different font than the others. But from doing more research, it became obvious all are originals. The more telling features are the numbers for each pin and the shure mark at the bottom, the quality control red letters on the circuit board.


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## jrguitars

Yep. Some older ones have the 3 holes, those apparently are the ones that were widely copied a few years back. Fonts I'm sure have changed and varied a bit during the years. Do your grille (upper) mic sections rotate freely when turned? *Both of the mics I got had the numbers for each pin and the shure mark at the bottom and EB in red lettering on the circuit board but they are without a doubt fakes.* I have now filed a full claim through paypal and the mics are being returned. I am being refunded my full purchase price + shipping + shipping to return them and not a single claim that they are real or that I am mistaken from the seller. I can only comment on new mics at the moment. Older mics may be a completely different story but if you are buying a brand new mic today the things in my video and this thread are things to look out for. The fakes are all over eBay and the internet. If you're buying used/new over the internet through sites like eBay you're risking your time and $. Buy from an authorized dealer and you can rest easy!


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## keeperofthegood

That is some good news!!


Shure website sells direct too. You can just go through them direct for these at their set minimum cost.


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## jrguitars

Here are some comparison photos with my real SM57 before I ship these back!


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## jrguitars

*This whole purchase/return is still not completed. Ran into some interesting snags. Was going to update here but I've decided I'll wait until it is over and I have my $ back. DO NOT BUY SHURE SM57's or 58's OFF OF EBAY!*


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## jrguitars

Okay, I have been refunded via. PayPal claim. This whole thing has been a pain in my ass. If you see a seller with more than a couple SHURE mics (especially anyone from Ontario) auctioning them off in private listings...DO NOT BID!!! They're all over eBay. Found out I have another fake (SM58) from presumably the same person a year ago (different seller account but same town). This has been going on for years! There's currently a bunch (SM58's) on eBay. Search SHURE SM58 and "Canada Only". You'll see them!


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## robare99

I can't find it. Feel free to out his username so I know who to avoid.


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## GuitarsCanada

jrguitars said:


> *This whole purchase/return is still not completed. Ran into some interesting snags. Was going to update here but I've decided I'll wait until it is over and I have my $ back. DO NOT BUY SHURE SM57's or 58's OFF OF EBAY!*


Appreciate you posting to get the word out


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## washburned

So today I'm in my local "lo end" guitar/pawn store and behold, there at the check out are six boxes with a sign saying "Shure SM58 style microphones". Reg 69.95 on for half price! All correct looking literature etc. in the box. 

Should have bought them all, put them up on evil bay for $75.00 each and used the money to buy the G&L Tribute Legacy I went in to look at. (Just kidding)


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## robare99

For $100 the best bet is an authorized dealer. Buy once cry once. "save" money on a $60 fake then you gotta buy a $100 real one anyway.


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## Addictedtokaos

Just to update this thread I ended up with fake SM58s. To start this seller is a 100% top rated seller with no negative reviews and nearly 800 transactions. To inform everyone, they are making the new fakes almost identical to the official Shures. 


The weight is still a difference, but for most, its hard to tell the difference between a 100 grams. 

Visually they almost look identical. The difference is that windscreen on the fake one is painted with a shinier metallic paint, where the legit version is more of a matted/brushed metallic. As for the branding around the top of the mic, it looks pretty legit, but tend to scratch off easily.

When i first got it, I checked many "fake" photos and descriptions and this new version seem to pass all the old signs.
it doesnt have the void warranty sticker under the windscreen
it has green and yellow wiring
the pins are properly labelled and there is a shure branding and a letter on top of the silver strip. all pins are a nice silver colour.

The other give away was when I measured the resistance between pins 2 and 3 I got a much higher value then should show up on high quality low impedance mics.

My lesson learned is 
a) dont waste your time and $40 bucks buying a fake mic on ebay because there is a very good chance it will be fake. Buy it from a local retailer new. Get a warranty and piece of mind that its authentic.
b) if the seller is selling more or has sold more than a few identical mics over the past few weeks, be suspicious.
c) These knockoffs are becoming so close that you cannot simply tell by photos.

And on that note, these mics will be my last ebay purchase unless im specifically looking for something made in china.


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## The Kicker Of Elves

Crappity!

View attachment 1438


Have had both of these for a while, but definitely looks like one is real. The other, no so much.


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## Addictedtokaos

have you tried measuring the resistance between 2 and 3? you should get roughly the same value between the two mics if they are both legit. I read that if its in the 500 ohm range its a fake.


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## The Kicker Of Elves

Addictedtokaos said:


> have you tried measuring the resistance between 2 and 3? you should get roughly the same value between the two mics if they are both legit. I read that if its in the 500 ohm range its a fake.


Nowhere near 500ohms, 16.8 for the real one, 18.5 for the fake.

Wires are green and yellow, but not the same shades. Different colours in the QC stamp as well. One of these days I'll try to A/B them to see if I can hear it.


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## Addictedtokaos

well, the second sm58s I ordered from a 100% seller from Canada turned out to be fake as well. They even went as far as to ship it with an actual SM58s box with all the paperwork.

This one was even better than the first one we received. this one measure 24ohms and at least the switch was wired in properly. The weight is still off, and they cant seem to get the windscreen grill down. THe fakes are super shiny metallic and more oval rather than the rounder brushed steel.

after this experience I cant emphasis enough to stay away from ebay when wanting a shure mic.


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