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QUESTION ABOUT REPAINTING AN SM5B

B

Bryan Simmons

I have a Shure SM5B that sounds wonderful but looks a bit on the ugly side.
I would like to have it repainted or do it myself as the restorers I've contacted are pretty pricey.
I think I could do it myself but was wondering if anyone knows the proper paint brand & color to use?
 
While I don't have a brand or color for you, I have to say you'll have a much easier time than the project I want to do. I have the original Gates Yard 80 console I worked when I first started in radio back in the early teens (1974) and I would like to restore it - the exterior paint is textured so I know I won't be able to duplicate that type of finish without finding a pro to do it for me.

Good luck in your restore.
 
Going Yard

I don't know about the SM5B, but I'd guess that the Gates Yard 80 wasn't painted - it was powder-coated. That's where the texture comes from. Talk to your local motor-head to see if he knows anybody who does powder-coating, then take them a sample to see if they concur.
 
There was a painting process that produced textured finishes (like crackle or hammertone). I don't think it can be used anymore because of environmental restrictions on solvents.

I would recommend powder coating for both projects. If you have some of the original painted surface a willing powder coater can likely match it, however they already have vast inventory of different colors and one may just be close enough. Just remember that powder coating is not conductive, it is a kind of plastic resin and not easily scraped off, so allowances need to be made for electrical bonding to maintain the shielding integrity.
 
If you would like, I go by Shure Brothers very often, I could stop in personally and see if they can give any info on this.
 
Tom Wells said:
If you would like, I go by Shure Brothers very often, I could stop in personally and see if they can give any info on this.
Click to expand...

That's very kind of you, but I called Shure and their service rep said he didn't know and also related that they play that kind of info pretty close to the vest anyway. I'm not even sure that their mic's are manufactured or at least assembled in the US anymore.
But I surely do appreciate your response.
 
I have worked for a metal finishing business here in the LA area. We did a lot of restorations of old mikes for movie prop houses and collectors. The ones for on set use were made to look pretty much like how they would have come from the factory. For collectors we made them look however they wanted, a lot of times chrome or gold plated. I say just find a paint or other finish that comes close and go with it. For durability I still recommend powder coating.

I've also owned and used several Shure microphones in my life. They generally used a dark grey color, sometimes with a brownish or gold hue. In all probability no one at the company really knows the exact answer since the colors changed slightly over the years. Due to environmental concerns and more stringent health issues the paint formulas would have been changed as well.
 
On the mic, semi-gloss Dark Charcoal grey or black will do fine, and match the wind screen. Some older Shures, like the 666, use a dark sand. Hell, be different and paint it white!

Krylon makes crackle finish spray paints in a can. So do other companies. Powder coat finishes too. About $3. Visit any decent hardware store or Lowes or Home Depot.
 
The color looks pretty close to the Otari 5050 decks. For them I used a brown/bronze semi-gloss that was for anodized brown aluminum window frames. I still have a can at the shop and will get the info on it...it was a dead ringer for the Otaris and I'll check if it matches the SM-5 and SM-7. As for the texture coating on the Yard II (same as the side panels of the Stereo-Statesman), I was told it was a 2 process laquer coating, smooth then spatter. I have tried to recreate it with limited results. McMartin used a similar process on the later mod monitors and consoles. Now it I could just get a good match on the Gates green metalic (anniversary edition), I could paint the Gatesway in the garage.

Lane
 
Thank you for all of your responses. I truly appreciate it!

One of our engineer’s recommended Krylon "Graphite", which seems like a good match except for the texture. A bit too much texture if you know what I mean. I did find a Rustoleum paint in dark grey that is quite close in both color and texture but is still just a little lighter in color. I may just go with that, but since I have the time I'm going to keep researching it a bit more before doing the work. I really wish Shure was still making these mics as they really do sound pretty good. I told their service rep that they missed the boat in 2006 as that would've been the 40th anniversary of the SM5 and they could've made a ton of money putting out a special Anniversary Edition. They could've made it in a special colr and offered some extra's like a nice case and I'm sure that they would've been snapped up even at high prices.

I have found that the SM57 capsule sounds very close to the SM5B but you have to watch your proximity to make it work. Having that big SM5 windscreen helps quite a bit.
 
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