Hi, i've heard great things about the legendary Neumann U87 and i was wondering if it would work or a guitar amp which is primarily on the clean channel. I have a small home recording studio and i just ran into a lot of money, if the U87 isn't for guitar what is the best mic for a guitar cab i could get for no more then 1,000 dollars

first - U87s are not legendary. Legendary insinuates a strong history. They are Neumann's remake of the U47, which it sounds nothing like.

second - They're $2300 new (not 'no more than $1000')

third - yes, it will sound good on guitar. but there's a bunch of other mics I'd look at first. a Coles 4038 is one of my favorite guitar mics. Maybe something dynamic like an EV 664 or the Sennheiser 409 (the newer model, the 609, is not quite a 409 but it stinking kicks anything elses butt in that price range- $100).
If you want a decent all around mic, I'd say the AKG 414 (around $700 I think?)

Jeremy

The U87 is not a U47 remake.
The U87 is an industry standard vocal microphone. They sound great on a lot of things... Acoustic guitar, drum overheads, tom-toms, room mics...

The U47 was the legendary vocal mic that came out in '49 that all the big names used from way back in the early days of recording on 2-track and beyond. The U47 is also a tube mic.

The U87 came out in '67 and is an FET mic, not a tube mic. I think a mic that has been a standard from '67 to present date must have something going for it. And don't you think that's a good amount of time?

You don't have to buy them new, you can get them on Ebay around $1500 for a more current model.

If you're looking for a large diaphram condenser for electric guitar try an AKG414, I'd get a used one not one of those newer fancy models. I personally love the Neumann km86 small diaphram on electric guitar.

But there are some great dynamic mics that sound great on electric guitar as well. Like the Beyer 201.

Actually I don't know about this. I'm a big fan of SM57's and MD421's to mic up guitar cabs. and they are a lot cheaper than a U87.

I've found things that are 'standards' in the music industry are usually quite overpriced and/or usually not the best thing for their application.
e.g. sm57 on snare, Avalon pre amps on vocals, autotune, protools (even verses other digital mediums), DW drumsets, PRS guitars, Marshal JCM 2000 full stacks... and lastly, the U87 on vocals.

Not that all these are bad choices, theyre just rarely the best choice.


also, just a side note - Im not a huge U47 fan either.

Jeremy

i love the U-87. great vocal mic. great on guitar amps and great on horns. i got mine for $1200 on ebay and have no regrets.

I've used the U87 on Vocals, as overheads, on cello, acoustic guitar.... I've always been really happy with the ones I've used and it does have a great reputation..... because of people using it with great results, not because musicians freind tags it 'industry standard' in their catalog.

I don't think I've ever used one on clean electric guitar, but I would imagine it would perform extremely well. Plus, if I remember correctly, it has a -10db pad which could come in handy on louder amps.

If you can afford a U87 I seriously doubt you'll ever regret that purchase.

-n

What about the shure ksm44, i read that it's the next best thing to a u87 and it's only $700, does anyone know anything of this mic?

1) let me clearify - I didn't say U87s stink. I simply said that it's not my first choice, and most of what i would pick over it are cheaper.

2)Although I'm standing at odds in this thread, my experience with the shure ksm44 has been that it's a great mic, a little harsh, but might be what you're looking for on a guitar amp (also a decent vocal mic).
I would personaly rather have a 414. It's very plain. It's generally decent on anything.

Jeremy

I would rather a 414 on an electric guitar as well, but the KSM44 is a great mic. I was impressed when I first heard them. The first use was as overhead drum mics and they didn't sound harsh at all, actually they rounded the highs off quite well. But when I tried them in a Leslie cab next and they did sound quite bright.

Everyone was talking about them. They sound good on just about everything.

Again, dynamics are usually great mics for elec. guitar. The SM57 is a great mic, but I think the 201 is a better choice in that category.