The Steel Guitar Forum

i'am needing advice:
what do you guy's think is the best mic for micing up steel guitar amps ethier live shows or studio recording, what mic's would be used on high end amps like the ones paul franklin uses or other top players?

thanks gary

Not sure about Franklin but for me SM57 or e609 sennheiser.
It is more about mic placement than buying a $2000 mic.

What Ken said. I also use an EV RE-10 that I bought in the 70's. It's more about placement and who is running the board.

I haven't used either but the Shure SM81 or Rode NT5 seem pretty commonly used. They are small diaphragm condenser mic's, so you need phantom power, which most mixers provide.

Live: e609. I carry one with me.
Studio: varies. The studio chooses. They ( hopefully) know more than me.

I used the Sennheiser e609 for a while but after seeing Paul Franklin in Nashville and hearing his sound, I got a Shure KSM 32. They’re around $500 at MF but they are also great vocal and general recording mics. They’re also omni-directional condenser mics so you have to be somewhat careful about placement onstage, but since I always set on one side of the stage the mic is fairly isolated. Big improvement - it captures the full tonal range of the instrument.

The KSM 32 is a cardioid condenser mic, but it does indeed pick up stuff around it more than a cardioid dynamic like a 57 or a 609 would....
I carry a 609 in my seat. For recording a 409 always works or a large diaphragm Neumann. Or an Audio Technica 4050....
Lots of good mics out there.

Peter,
I think the Shure is a Cardioid.

I keep a 609 with me for gigs.

Whatever the studio of sound company has on stage or backline.😁

I own and have used most everything, and I still love the Sennheiser 421...

High end mics can be great, but differences are so subtle in live situations that I've carried a Shure SM57 with me for the last 35 years because I knew i would do a consistently fine job AND is possibly the most rugged stage mic ever made.

The 609 is my choice, followed by the sm57.

One of my buddies threw his mics, cords and other small gear in his laundry basket when heading home for a weekend. He noticed a clunking noise in the dryer...it was the SM57. He still uses it today. That was 1995. +1 for "most rugged stage mic ever made."

I have had good success with MXL 603s' Not to expensive and do a great job..

It’s hard to beat a 57 for micing an amp on stage......It cuts well in the mix......The 609 sounds good when paired with the 57.....The 609 has a smoother top end , and a more “full” sound to it.....more laid back to my ears.....The 57’s eq curve is more what I’m looking for on stage, not to mention it’s tough as nails !! ......Jim

Been using the E609 for years. Some of the venues I play use it also.

I was playing a good sized outdoor festival, and the sound company put an e609 on my amp. Sound companies I have dealt with since I got mine, use mine instead of a 57 or a 58.

My 2nd choice would be a 57 though.

I surrender. Had mixed results with my Katana's direct-out. Convenience of the E609 does it for me.

I’m with John Macy on this one. The 421 seems perfect to my ear. The KSM32 also works well. But I carry a 609 with me all the time because if. I lose one I won’t cry!

Mitchell Smithey wrote:I carry a 609 with me all the time because if I lose one I won’t cry!

There's the best mic, then there's the best mic for the situation...

The hardy e609 happily absorbs punishment that would make my tender studio beauties shriek with horror.

And it sounds good doing it.

Not necessarily cheap, and probably not a good choice for stage use (i.e. getting hauled around in a pack seat), but I really like the sound of a good ribbon mic on steel. The Royer R-121 sounds great to me, but I don't own one. My experience is based on what studio guys have used on my rig. It's very smooth and tends to minimize harshness without losing the top end and 'air'.

Live, I haul an SM-57, mainly because I have one, but I like the e609 too. Also the Quilter Steelaire DI ain't too bad.

John Macy recommended another ribbon at one time that I can't remember. It was a bit more affordable than the R-121. Maybe he'll chime in.

My go to mic for recording is a Royer 121 also. I bought one for myself using one of those no interest for a couple years deals. Really nice mic. I don't use it for live playing though.

My Quilter Steelaire XLR out is the best "direct" sound I've ever got and what I'm now using.

But for a mic, I have an MXR R144 ribbon mic, with a "cloudlifter", that I like in my studio. My MOTU 896MK3 Hybrid recording interface unit has enough gain for a ribbon mic but with the cloudlifter I can set the channel gain at a more reasonable (and no noise) level.


I like the MXR R144 for dobro and rhythm guitar, too.

I remember an ad from one of the early mail order catalogs for the SM57/58 "doubles as a hammer". Years ago Shure would take your broken mike and rebuild it for a small fee. Someone gave me a non working Beta58 a few years ago so I called Shure and they told me they don't like worn looking mikes on stage so they sold me a new one for $70 shipped, after I sent the bad one to them. Good enough for me.

Sennheiser E906. Same as an E609 but with frequency selector switch.

Bill Terry-they are the Shiny Box ribbons with the Cinemag transformer option. I would shoot these out with my Royer 121's, and almost every guitar I played the unidentified faders back to picked the SB's, and thought they were the Royers...

Yeah, I remember now... thanks John!