How to Indentify a Fake Shure Microphone - Beta 58 clone

Learn how to spot a forgery of a Shure Beta58 microphone. There are lots of mics being copied in China and the mic manufacturers from around the world spend lots of money chasing them and trying to shut them down. The Shure Beta 58a is no exception. See how we found the differences between a fake Shure Beta58 mic and the real Shure microphone.The manufacturers are fighting against companies in foreign places that are making decent looking clone mics but they are not the same! Watch this video to learn more about how to spot a forged Shure microphone.

[@tomjobimforever]

Thanks a lot for posting this video it helped me to spot those fake mics.

[@damookie00]

I've watched 4 videos regarding fake vs. real Shure mics and, though not specifically mentioned in each video, the following are true for real mics: 1. they have 2 holes 2. they have Shure SM58 on the rim 3. there is no "caution" label beneath the wire mesh 4.. the receiver portion gives when pushed 5. the is a mesh beneath the receiver 6. bottom of mic mesh has a ridge 7. the green and yellow wires are relatively short 8. the base of the wires are generously covered in silicone 9. the terminals of receiver section are not recessed 10. the bottom of the mic is smooth with no ridges. The difference is sound quality is very apparent. I'm a sound/music guy for decades. Did the sounds for a well-known international singer and her vocals just did not sound right. Upon investigation, I learned that 4 of my 7 mics were fakes. If you prefer true sound amplification, check your mics. If you don't, for the price, the fakes are fine.

[@johnroseman9087]

Mookie: Thank you. Your review was better than the vid! If you're comparing 2 mics, why put 3 in the vid? The man was knowledgeable, but his jerky movements and out of focus issues were messin with me! 🤣✌♥️👍

[@floralee1390]

I bought a Shure mic in the 90’s from the retailer…. It has three holes in it. It is definitely real though.

[@telecasterblast]

My real Beta weighs 284g, the fake version I have, 234g.

[@mathewjohn8126]

Well done Sir. Am gonna buy this within a week. You posted it in the correct time. So grateful. From Kerala state India

[@erickberg5446]

For more than 25 years I'm very satisfied using my Shure Beta 58A. I have used many other microphones. But still I'm so glad about the sound of my beta 58A. Yesterday I bought a Shure Beta 57A for my vocals. And I am very excited about it

[@davidthelefty]

Thanks for this TRS. I think my mic got mixed up at a gig sometime ago and while the PA was being set up last week it was pointed out to me that my 58A sounded different to the other singer's 58A, where it didn't used to. I see, from the video, that the 'arches' on mine are the small ones and the sound really lacks bottoms. Oh well, I'll now go buy that paint pen I've meant to buy to mark ALL my equipment!

[@mbanini6848]

thank you for pointing out the shock absortion mount movement when touching. I want to ask something about this mic as is the first one I buy. Do you recall if brand new ones do have bad smell coming from the grid? (I guess is the paint the cause, but is really strong odor. thanks in advance. On the other side I found the user manual and warranty sheet were missing in the box , but the mic looks like the original. I did not test it yet to not break the strip in the xlr connection.

[@pappadear]

I have to totally agree with the other comments on here. You mixed the mics up. I know this because I just received a fake and I’m staring at both the fake and the real one I bought years ago from musicians friend. The color of the one on the right is more legit also. The fake is more of a grayish silver and the authentic Shure is more of a bluish gray tone. Also if you look closely between the two, the one on the right has a slightly more contoured body/shaft. It’s hard to pick up unless they are both sitting side by side. I’m seeing that between the two I have sitting in front of me as well as the two in your video.

[@reynaldowify]

Thank you very much. Its a great help for beginners

[@nelsonolpindo7877]

the other way around

[@ChasTheOhm]

2 other tell-tale signs are: On a fake that I ran across... an internal weight was added to give it a heavier feel. The weight made the mic off balance so that when you rolled it on a flat surface it would always settle on the side the weight was mounted. The same fake 58A did not have an internal matching transformer so the output was an unbalanced signal.

[@toniacarpenter4456]

Thank you so much for this review! I will make sure to buy one from a reputable music store!!

[@DeadKoby]

I just wish the clone mic makers would put their own name on them, or sell them as unbranded. There's plenty of people who would buy a discount mic honestly. Many of these work well.

[@TimmyP1955]

All forgers have to do to get the secrets of a real one is to buy one.

[@guerissez8939]

Hi I hesitate a lot between three microphones for sound quality. between the Shure 58A, the rode reporter, and the Sony ICD-TX660 what do you recommend ?

[@lundsweden]

You see a mic on Ebay/Amazon whatever for a low price. I only buy from reputable music shops, that helps cut down the risk somewhat.

[@totallyfrozen]

For some reason, no matter what is being counterfeited, it seems the logo font is always wrong. Whether microphones, video games, or whatever...study the logo fonts carefully. They always seem to be off a little bit.

[@Aussiepatriot1]

It’s also a bit out of date now, the fakes are so much more believable as of 2022. I bought a fake Beta58 recently on eBay to evaluate it, sounds almost identical to my genuine Shure mics and the only difference I can tell is minute details in the capsule itself and a slight colour variation in the capsule acoustic foam, the grill is identical. I thought it might even have come from the same factory as the genuine ones, Chinese companies have been known to not have much consideration for patent or copyright laws. No trouble to keep the production run going a little longer. Surprisingly the box says Made in Mexico which is where Shure first shifted manufacturing to from the US, mine was shipped from China and also has no laser hologram on the box, the internal paper info and green Shure sticker are identical.

[@lebsivart2755]

Thank you for this video.

[@lebsivart2755]

I just ordered one off Amazon. I hope it’s not a fake. I’m looking at the return policy now just in case. Thank you for you video. I know my chances are slim now. Wish they would come in a hard shell case like my old sure 57. Instead of in a cardboard box and wow! A pouch. Thx again for this video. Lebsivart (aka) Travis Bell backwards. Lol.

[@mwasgitonga2835]

am in Kenya.original shure mic,is made in which country. will purchase one.assist to get the original.

[@corazoninmaculado77]

Thank you for this video…

[@sethbecker4542]

I just got one of these sent to me. They had pictures of a real beta on the eBay page and sent me a fake. Does anyone know if there is anything I can do about it?

[@melodychest9020]

Easiest way to check it is by the weight specification. The Beta 58A Shure specification says 278gms. Mine comes out at 258gms, 20gms lighter which is too much of a difference. So I think it is a fake! The grille being darker than a white silver is also a giveaway. I have another mic, the Beta 87A and it has that "whiter" silver grille exactly like the Shure website pic. The weight spec is 207gms and mine comes out at 210gms. Only 3 grams apart so it is checks out as a real one. I think any weight difference like 10 grams or more must be a fake in my opinion.

[@davidkhammer]

Well. I didn't realize this was such an issue until my drummer was getting a new mic and I recommended a SM57. A few days later we were talking and he said the mic would be delivered in 3 weeks from Amazon and I immediately thought why would a shure mic come from China. So he got it and sure enough it's fake. But it got me thinking. I suspected mine was fake that he was borrowing and compared it to. I have 4 SM57s an SM58 and. beta58. One of my SM57s was from my girlfriend as a gift that she bought from Amazon and she confirmed it did in fact have a Chinese seller. I checked and my Beta 58 had a Chinese seller from Amazon. My others I bought from sweetwater and guitar center. I am sending all of them in to be analyzed by shure. I suspect a few fakes. How is Amazon allowed to continue to do this. When I get documentation I am going back to them. Thanks for the video and It's true these videos will show the counterfeiters how to make better counterfeits. STOP COUNTERFEITING BUT LEGIT

[@_aura_music]

Just got one and now I know it's legit! I'm very happy about it haha, thanks :)

[@snapshot1]

Im with Mange on this one. And I've been using Shure Beta58's for years now.

[@dynamohums]

Useful video thanks! - I'll excuse the shaky camerawork and focus issues 😀. Certainly explains why I'm seeing a lot of new "Shure SM58 Beta's" on ebay for like £45... As the saying goes, caveat emptor (and also "if it looks too good to be true, it's probably a fake").

[@LadyKidril]

I have a feeling I am going to be upsetting a lot of DJ's, KJ's, and Singers in my future... *walks up to mics, takes them apart... mehhh clone, clone, clo...yeah clone... legit, wow they didn't even try with this one... * Very good detail oriented presentational comparison!! Thank you for this!!!

[@jacepawlak]

Odd question... how much does the real one weight?

[@mange2]

Ive just been on the shure website and their detailed picture of the beta58a is identical to the one you say is fake. i.e. same colour, same 3 holes (not 2) etc. Are you sure the one on the left is genuine? or have you got it the wrong way round?

[@nedoscarsandfishingvideos5500]

Mange 2 hahaha I know right I this you are right

[@Danny_Lopez_]

I also went to the Shure website. He is correct in identifying the real and fake. www.shure.com/en-US/products/microphones/beta_58a

[@tacomarecordingstudio9366]

@@Danny_Lopez_ Well as it turns out there are several factories selling fake sure mics out of China and I had a couple of mics from each one of them. Sorry for any confusion.

[@Danny_Lopez_]

@@tacomarecordingstudio9366 I was not clear in my statement. I think your video is on point. Thank you for the information.

[@kfurg115]

The fake has 3 holes

[@potar]

Saved me some cash today, thanks!

[@shammishafi09]

Thanks a lot for your help. I subscribe your channel.

[@wrtwatch8576]

OK, here's the thing. If you are looking at photos on line, there is very little you mentioned that will work to ID it- its not in your hand and photo colors vary alot!. But, there is a very odd and inconsistent "tell" it seems; the number of small cutouts at the bottom of the mics ( just above the XLR recess) varies, depending on what pictures you look at, including the Shure website!?! You can see either two or three- It looks like a set screw, a ? something, and then a horizontal slot, going from top to bottom. The question is, can those be used to identify the fakes?....its not clear but that would be a very easy indicator, not requiring dissasembly of something you don't have in your hand, before you buy it.

[@zikamusic2364]

Moze li mail da vam posaljem slike moga mikrofona ?? Hvala

[@rickykngo]

That confirms my ebay microphone is fake. Thanks.

[@StrefaXFreedom]

This video is a fake / a mistake - the author admitted his error: "Sorry. I don't have them backwards. The mic I got sent back from Shure that I was told was a fake is the correct one. The forgers change their stuff all the time. I own about 20 of these mics. The ball on these earlier ones is a dead give away."

[@shammishafi09]

Hey, Yesterday I bought Shure Beta 58A.Its heavy, Logo looks ok and sound quality is good. But only thing I am concern is "the blue ring is loose and gets twisted". Is that mic is fake? I paid AUD $214.00 instead of AUD $249.00.Also, Beta 58A looks black colour instead of Blue.

[@andrewsmith7543]

I just had same experience. Bought off ebay, good deal, good reviews, company selling a bunch. But blue ring was falling off as I took it out of the package, and can't quite get it seated again. Pretty sure that's not a good sign. At very least maybe a refurb or return.

[@steenbreker60]

When you look from the rear into the plug chassis, there might be a difference in writing the word Shura. (?)

[@steenbreker60]

"shure"of course.

[@michaelparson-mcnamara782]

Thanks for doing this vid, Shad. Do you mind if I share it? This is such a racket! Sheesh! Michael

[@tacomarecordingstudio9366]

Please do share it Michael. Hopefully the video was at least helpful.

[@michaelparson-mcnamara782]

Cool. I will.

[@leeswindle7790]

Also if you look at the base of both...the copy is a two piece and has a seam. Where as the real one is one piece casting as seen at the first of your video.

[@deeznaan]

Yep these observation should shut up all the people saying he has them mixed up...the bottom seam casting is a give away...original is one solid piece whilst the fake (on the right) has a visible groove. On the holes where the mi and cable connect, I think it varies from where the mic is made, some are made in Mexico and some in China and both are originals.

[@BronxBanDozah]

Shure makes mics in Mexico & China now so being made in China doesn't mean it's fake however if you've been using Shure mics for a while you can usually tell a real from a fake just looking at them side by side. Especially if you've used these mic for a while. Like the video mentions things to look for. The ball & ring color, the grill, inside wires etc but from time to time there may be manufacturing differences on purpose for the reasons stated here. So if a real Beta 58a mic looks slightly different from one manufactured 10 or 20 years ago for example, that doesn't mean it's fake. Obviously the best way, though time-consuming is send it to Share & have it authenticated. This goes for any model of Shure microphone. If you have a couple backups & are sceptical about a certain mic send it to Shure. This is one way to know for sure whether it's real or not. But you can usually tell without having to do that just by checking the things mentioned in this video. Look at the box check the serial. And the sound might be another giveaway but harder to tell if your not familiar with this mics sound signature. For someone who hasn't owned this microphone it might not be as obvious. This is likely why they get away with making so many fakes in the first place. It might be good if Shure developed an authentification tool some type of stamp or QR code that made it cost prohibitive for counterfeiters. Then again this might be cost prohibitive to Shure It's Just a thought. Another way to make sure you get a real Shure or any other piece of equipment is to buy from an authorized dealer like Vintage King, B&H Photo, Sweetwater Etc I've never heard of anyone getting a fake mic or any other piece of gear from one of those places. But I do understand sometimes they're out of stock & you need a piece of equipment right away. So when you can it's best to buy your equipment from a reputable dealer. Either way the video it was interesting & helpful for those less familiar with this particular mic.

[@easygolucky30OFFICIAL]

Sir does it sound the same?

[@ladyj40]

I have just purchased one from an ebay seller is the strip a rubber band cause mine is a blue removable rubber band?

[@johnroseman9087]

🤣

[@mainstreamlies327]

I've bought this mic from shure and the one on my right is the real one

[@oneastrails]

The only real thing you need to do is plug one in and notice the handling noise. I bought a fake and it is noisy as hell when touching it compared to a real one. Just lightly tap you fingers along the handle, a real one will be a dull quiet thud, the fake will be a louder hollow thunk.

[@Yu54m18]

Thanks, Is the real Shure worth the extra bucks? The Shure sounded a little better on the video, but live, is the sound that much noticably different to value the extra $$. You said yourself that you didn't know you had 3 fakes. Until you knew that, was it noticable? Would the average joe notice the difference?

[@kushalgossai409]

Hey man, just saw this vid, and ordered some Shure mics, and Sennheiser in bulk from Amazon, I hope I don't get fake ones

[@StrefaXFreedom]

This video is a fake / a mistake - the author admitted his error: "Sorry. I don't have them backwards. The mic I got sent back from Shure that I was told was a fake is the correct one. The forgers change their stuff all the time. I own about 20 of these mics. The ball on these earlier ones is a dead give away."

[@brendanli3533]

Thanks for doing the vid. But can't you use a better camera to focus on details

[@johnroseman9087]

Exactly!!

[@chappledesign]

I have a lot of share mics, 57s 58s beta 58s. All of my Beta 58s are dead, like they go bad in the middle of the night. I can't figure it out. I have a pile of them. Anyone else have this issue with the beta 58? They are old original ones.

[@ryantruong3565]

Please try to redo this video with a better camera sir. Everything is blurry when you're trying to point out the difference in details

[@easygolucky30OFFICIAL]

Oh, Wow...

[@danepetersen9233]

I had a fellow musician come over and try to switch me.

[@MrDeeb8]

Ooof he mixed up the mics

[@camilo8cheryl]

my fake beta 58A has no clarity compared to my legit one..and the fake's terminals are not Gold plated.

[@jasss09]

thank you

[@StrefaXFreedom]

This video is a fake / a mistake - the author admitted his error: "Sorry. I don't have them backwards. The mic I got sent back from Shure that I was told was a fake is the correct one. The forgers change their stuff all the time. I own about 20 of these mics. The ball on these earlier ones is a dead give away."

[@MakinaMakinaMakina]

StrefaXFreedom You’re wrong, check the shire website and the pictures on there, this video is 100% correct

[@antoniomendoza4360]

How do you spot a fake beta 52 kick mic

[@steenbreker60]

"Shure doesn't want to tell what the differences are (1:35)" Do they think the Chinese are blind. When they've come so far, they'll find the rest. (If they are interested) I think Shure is letting her custumers down. They don't seem to be interested in the second hand market (of course not) . But custumer who wants to sell his mike has a problem now, because I am not gonna buy a second hand one anymore. ( again: it's apparently not in the interest of Shure . There are a lot of different interpretations on the internet. Come Shure Brothers, tell the final truth......!

[@brianyoung8226]

I just bought 2 fake sm 58s a couple of weeks ago. When i compared them to the real mic I seen the difference. No more buying things just because I think it is a good deal. Sm 58s are cheap enough to buy them from the music store. I could have 1 real 58 instead of two fakes.

[@deetgeluid]

The only way to spot the difference is to listen. Just take two original 58's, chances are big they will sound completely different. No matter what Sure tells you.

[@KDWALKER1263]

You should worry about getting a camera that can focus

[@shane2609]

Great information but the video makes me dizzy

[@ChrisM716]

I think you might have mixed them up. I have a real 58 and it's blueish in color. this is incorrect.

[@tacomarecordingstudio9366]

Sorry. I don't have them backwards. The mic I got sent back from Shure that I was told was a fake is the correct one. The forgers change their stuff all the time. I own about 20 of these mics. The ball on these earlier ones is a dead give away.

[@edvardgjertsen3939]

Tacoma Recording Studio Sorry but you have mixed them up.😊

[@serieusmoat1937]

Yup, mix them up. I got both. One was sold in TANDY (Radioshack) stores in the EU. The inside was from Realistic. The real one i bought in a musicshop. The difference of sound is huge. I payed about 20€ for the fake and ±150€ for the real. Grts from Belgium

[@laykeforbes8485]

Thanks for making people aware .

[@LilSpoiled]

I was thinking that when he talked about the mesh, why would a fake one be shinier than the original lol.

[@terenteregele6751]

This video is chaotic. First of all you don't see anything in it, the image is blurry. Secondly, to which factory did you send the microphone? Shure manufactures its microphones in China .... I bought a microphone directly from Shure, and it looks like the one on the right ...

[@madesmeas2745]

You're wrong...Dude. The real one has three holes and it's on the right, not the left one. The ball color is silver white/bright for the real Shure. The fake one is not bright and blurred.

[@kamalkord_7773]

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@Stratocaster65]

Another detail is that the"real" Shure has only "2';' holes on the shaft of body... where as the fake has 3 holes....

[@Proudtobe404notfound]

Not a single difference through the mobile... When you want to compare, do it clean 🙏🏻

[@boppin_bennie]

Really hard to see the difference in this video since it doesn't focus well, if you're looking on ebay color can be hard to tell when they're shot under different lighting/camera etc so color balance is incorrect. You can't open a mic on ebay. I think the lesson here is if it SOUNDS TO GOOD TO BE REAL IT'S LIKELY A COUNTERFEIT ! Run from $75 ebay Shures, buy from a reputable music store ! ...

[@markteasdale9283]

I don't give a shit what the look look like.... How do the sound in comparison.... And specs

[@pablitoclavoclavito]

" Pareciera que la cámara es el clon de clon de clon de una gopro. Se ve como el culo.- "

[@mrtigerle]

Learn how to hold the camera still, use tripot, may be ! Out of focus is a turn - off, buy a better camera! Keep panning at close-up shoot is anther amature mistake ! Good luck to become a great KZbinr

[@mirjamblom7780]

Indeed... you have mixed them up!! I compared it to my real mic and can see the right one is the original one... a bit embarrassing.

[@ilkerdsgn]

sound is same man.this is the not true review.you might be show audio waves and etr.

[@notrombones5041]

IMO, the "real" one sounded kinda' muffled. The "fake" one sounded full, but with more clarity/transparency. JMO.

[@BassThrillers]

Basically pay usual price and from repeatable company, you get a real mic. Any mic at $25-$50 is not Shure. 99% of the time. - Use your brain... any questions?

[@normalnormalist7385]

FAKE SOUND BETTER....

[@donkuruppuarachchi491]

Fake microphones are manufactured by different companies so they are different to each other.

[@taitimoproductions4801]

Definitely incorrect. You have them mixed up.

[@redbadger3531]

I think not. The genuine Shure has only two holes (next to the jack) whilst the fakes almost always have three - like the one shown on the right in this video. He correctly identifies the fake. Go to the Shure website and verify this fact for yourself.

[@ryantruong3565]

@@redbadger3531 Taitimo is working for the counterfeit company Lol

[@retreattoenen6161]

@@redbadger3531 Multiple people have responded with this but the mic on Shure's website has 3 holes

[@redbadger3531]

@@retreattoenen6161 Correct. In fact on this website www.shure.com/en-GB/products/microphones/beta_58a both variants - two hole and three hole are shown. I no longer think the number of holes (by itself) is a reliable indication of authenticity.

[@kfurg115]

I've never seen a real shure with 3 holes!?

[@andreaschristodoulou4274]

Never understand the purpose of those videos..you have spend your time telling the difference of body color the shape and so on. At end the what most important is the price and perfomance of the mic......did you notice a huge difference in sound quality and dont forget the original is almost double the price of a clone right ???

[@phoenix7289]

He does actually say there is a difference in the sound quality towards the end and displays it.

[@serieusmoat1937]

True, it's a bad soundtest, but his message is clear.

[@ronniesarmiento3394]

Pretty much same made in china

[@pappadear]

Also another thing to note is that the fake has two holes on the shaft and the authentic Shure has 3 holes. Shure Betas always have three holes, unless they changed their body style within the last couple years.

[@oneastrails]

Not true anymore, 2 holes on a new one

[@angeldelvax7219]

I don't approve of forgery, but as far as the rest is concerned, you actually used them for a long time before noticing subtle differences in quality. If they just don't put the shure brand on the mic, the price to quality ratio for the chinese mics is a LOT higher. I completely agree that forgery is wrong, and that shure makes better mics, but is you pay $25,- for a mic, you should know it's not a real shure. The change in sound could even be in the screen. Change screens between real and fake and try again, you'll probably find that the fake one sounds better with an original screen. (handling noise will be the same tho...) Again, I don't want to promote forgeries. But for schools or beginning bands with a low budget, the cheap chinese fakes actually are a good alternative. Just remove the branding, and don't try to resell them as original shure....

[@oneastrails]

The real problem with the fakes is the handling noise is way higher than a real 58a. Just grabbing it by the handle makes all sorts of noise.

[@nedoscarsandfishingvideos5500]

Stop embossing your self

[@djmorry8748]

This is so funny will the real Shure stand up please? - before we all get sleepy Joe and Sanders condition! ( No not u Cher)

[@nelsonolpindo7877]

this guy sells fake beta microphones.

[@Fluxwithit]

The real one is the one on the right not the one on the left. You mixed up. Take the video down. Heck just looking at the body alone is enough to tell.

[@MakinaMakinaMakina]

You’re wrong

[@philiplow2134]

Nobody care about the real Shure look, it's about sound quality. We know the original cost 10 times more. I am sure an original Shure sm58 is no match against a BM800 (10usd) condenser mic.

[@Aussiepatriot1]

Take the video down if you mixed up the mics, you’re just confusing people. Come on stop wasting people’s time.

[@kfurg115]

Hrs correct fake has 3 holes

[@electrosound4595]

worst quality of video.

[@geet77777]

anyone got a real beta I can buy? guitar center had them used online but that olace has the worst employees on planet earth and theyre not paid enough to care if they sell fakes.I can paypal, venmo, send cash, whatever. I have a very small studio area and costs are stacking up, im writing a record.