Shure SH55 Series II

Like many others, I was attracted by the looks of this classic microphone, and I read some positive reviews so I decided to buy one for live gigs with my band.
It is a very versatile mic, with an excellent feedback control, it has a great sound that cuts through the mix.
The pros never end, so I will write down the only con that I experienced with this one - it is a little more difficult to use than a standard dynamic mic like SM58 (which I also own), it takes some time until you get used to this one, you have to try and find that 'sweet spot'.

I mostly use this microphone for blues-rock gigs, I had never experienced problems with feedback in small clubs, even though this one can really pick up a lot of spills from the drums and amps, so I would not recommend a high gain.

It really looks very classy, especially at a blues/jazz gig. The most beautiful microphone I have ever seen, and it is really well built, you don't have to worry that it will break easily if you drop it or something.

All in all - a great value for the money, I would definitely recommend this microphone to anyone!

It's such a beautifully designed microphone and the quality of the manufacture is excellent. It's iconic presence probably makes it a tad overpriced. But I've been using the microphone constantly during January and February 2017 and the regular use has increased my skill in the most effective way to use it. It's not necessary to get too close as long as there is sufficient gain - but not too much. The only hint of feedback was when my headphones brush the mike as I was reaching across to continue the recording session.
My guess is that the original mike of 60 years ago was bigger. The size and aesthetic beauty of the latest model is perfect for me. My only cautionaly note for those wishing to buy one is to be careful when buying a mike stand to suit the SH55, the locking screw on the K&M 260/1 stand is too wide for the mike to be fully screwed onto the the stand with the inserted K&M 215 adapter. I can still use the Mike for studio work - but would want to be careful of the choice of stand - or file down the perimeter of the locking screw by a millimeter - for on the road gigs.

Ok let's just get this out the way - this mic is seriously gorgeous, that classic Elvis vibe is all what this is about.
It seems a little on the quiet side too be honest, tonally similar to a sm58 (same capsule?) with a wider (sub cardioid) polar pattern and less proximity effect - you could practically eat this thing.
The on/off switch is a bit of an odd choice that could have been used for a eq switch or filter - I guess this is keeping in tradition.
Doesn't get a lot of use but I like doing the "Daptones" drum thing between the kick and snare pushed through some compression or saturation to add a little dirt. I've also heard good things about this for bass.

I originally purchased one of these for my jazz band and have since purchased two more as they are simply fantastic microphones.

The aesthetics are brilliant - no other microphone has the same instantly recognisable style as the SH55. The build quality is top-notch. Even though I have only used it with the built-in preamps on a very cheap mixer, the sound quality is just as good as the looks.

Others mentioned problems with certain mic stands, I purchased each of my SH55s in a bundle from Thomann which included the mic, cable, stand and thread adapter - somehow this still works out cheaper than buying just the mic by itself from a store.

I'll probably end up buying even more of these - they are truly iconic microphones that simply put, sound just as good as they look.

I'm a singing-guitarist. I love Shure SH55 and I will use this microphone for my solo performances in bars and cafe's.

It's simple, heavy, well built and with great sound. Of course, design is just wonderful. It is also very sensitive - I think if you want to record birds and other nature sounds, you definitely can use this microphone to achieve that.

I recommend this mic for everyone who just love the way it looks. I can personally guarantee that it will sound really good.

And Thomann, you are the best! To me, other music stores simply doesn't exist anymore.

Keep up the good work!