Shaker Mic Story (was: Amps and Mics)

[jjp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Tim Robbins wrote:

> I noticed that there was no mention about Shaker Mics.  I
> bought one about six months ago and think they are great.
> Just wondering if anyone had any comments on them ( pro or con ). 	

I bought a used Crystal Shaker mic from a guy on this list (thanks,
Kevin!) a couple of months ago.  I'm a keyboard player and wanna-be
harp player.  I brought the mic out on a weeknight gig and had good
success with it.  The following Saturday I plugged the mic in at a
gig and it didn't work at all.  My guess is the element was probably
damaged from sitting and baking in a too-hot car that Friday.

Shaker's warranty clearly states that it is good for 1 year, and to
the original owner only.  Being the second owner, and the mic being
over a year old (I think), I figured I was out of luck.  I called Joe
Harless (who *is* Shaker Mics) and told him my problem.  He told
me to send him the mic and he'd check it out.  As it turns out, he
sent me back a *brand new* XLR Shaker mic and only charged me $20!
They're around $90 new from Kevin's.  I just got the mic in the mail
yesterday (it took a while for reasons I won't get into) and haven't
even played with it yet.

Not really being much of a harp player and not having spent much
time with the Shaker, I can't pass judgement on it yet.   I will say
that Joe Harless and his wife Dawn are two terrific people and were
wonderful to deal with.  I'm lucky to get to play regularly with a
half-dozen or so great NJ harpists and plan to get a few of them to
try it out to see how it sounds in the hands of someone who knows
what they're doing.   My mic is the crystal version, but the dynamic
version sounds like it would fit the music I play better.  Shaker's
brochure describes the crystal as being a bright, clean sound and the
dynamic as being more of the traditional Chicago blues sound.  Tim,
which mic do you have?  What kind of amp are you playing it through?

John
(a long time observer and infrequent poster)

P.S. Is there anyone else on this list that's from New Jersey? (that's USA :)