When Shure Made Microphones For Radio Shack : Vintage Microphone Review : Cheap Retro Microphones

Do you remember when Shure made microphones for Radio Shack? This was back in the 90s. In this vintage microphone review, I take a look at a Shure/Realistic hybrid microphone. In terms of cheap retro microphones, this one was pretty cool!

Shure made mics for Radio Shack for a number of years. This was a "Highball" unidirectional microphone. This video is a cheap retro microphone review. If you are looking for a cheap mic for your home studio, this could be the one. If you are on a strict budget, this could be the best microphone for home studio vocals. It is indeed a great mic for home recording.

If you are into vintage Radio Shack electronics, or Radio Shack electronics in general, or retro microphone reviews, be sure to check out this video!

[plgplgplg]

I have one of these that I don't think was ever used. Thought it felt like an SM-58 and here we are. Might have to try it out at next jam. Thanks for the info.

[minty_Joe]

In that print ad for the Highball, I actually have 3 of the microphone pictured on the far left (the very first one). They are the 33-3017 Optimistic Unidirectional Condenser. They all sound good with a single AA battery, but sound AWESOME when you use dual A544 Energizer or dual PX28A Duracell batteries on them. Yeah, I know you're going from 1.5 volts DC to 12 volts DC, but that mod is accepted by Radio Shack as normal options to using the mic. The only thing I recommend doing is adding a blob of solder to the upper battery contact terminal (not the spring), as the solder fills in the concave shape of the metal to allow the power to flow. I'd say pretty darn close to professional quality sound for a mic that originally sold for $70 USD. I bought 2 of them on eBay (a stereo pair) for $50 and was just given the 3rd one. I was shocked at how good they sound!

[klafong]

I have a 33-984A that is in almost-new condition. Although this microphone looks similar to an SM58S (s stands for "switch"), the specification sheets that I have found online say that the SM58 has a broader, flatter frequency response. The Realistic is down 10dB from its response at 1 kHz at a frequency of 100 Hz, while the SM58 stays within 10 dB all the way down to 50 Hz. Both microphones have a presence peak that starts around 2 kHz, but this feature is more exaggerated on the Realistic microphone (about +10 dB) than the SM58 (about +5 dB).

I agree with the assessment that this was a reasonable option for an entry level microphone in professional applications (that is, those in which the microphone had to connect to equipment with low impedance, balanced inputs). In a live sound application, losing one of these microphones would not have broken the bank.

[NeilGunteraz]

I used to ride my bike to Radio Shack to get the cheapie $17 models in the 80s. Later, I’ve collected quite a few Radio Shack models over the years. They’re fun microphones with a wide variety of characteristics.

[edwardboggs]

I bought mine in 1974 - it's still like new - no scratches either - same model, but silver head, not grey.

[luucamNY]

came across this video i found a radio shack japanese unidirectional condenser microphone number 33-3007 cant seem to find much online about it but seen a brochure from 1996 at the time was a $100 mic i dont think shure had their hands on this but worth a try to ask

[KevinWayne]

Shure also made the RS130, which I picked up in the early 200s at a nearby Radio Shack when my own mic quit working right before a gig~! Desperate times call for desperate measures. Seemed really powerful at the time, but it in no way cuts up to the SM7B. Which I also own 😉