Restoring grille of Shure 440
Fri, 04/02/2021 - 14:15
Hi GregI have a rather beat-up Shure 440 on it's way to Denmark, and would like to know whether it is possible to restore the brushed satin grille somehow.Also I am hoping to install a switchcraft connector in the mic, when it arrives, but I am having some trouble finding the correct sizes for the drill/tap. Would it be the same I need to use to outfit a 520DX shell with a similar connector? And what would those be?Thank you for any reply.
Hi
The grill can be restored if the metal is intact. But the grill work can get pretty thin, so it is fragile. I would work it by hand, with successive grits of sandpaper until it is clean and smooth. If you get all the way up to 600 grit (which I would do "wet") - if you still want it shinier it can then be buffed with a power buffer - just be careful! Light pressure!
The correct drill for this job is a Letter R drill. The tap is 3/8-32. .Yes, these would be the same tools you'd uyse on a 520DX. However the 520DX is a special case. The cable connector you will attach to the mic's screw-on connector will be large enough in diameter that it will rub on the 520DX's volume knob. You can shave the knob down with a razor blade to clear it.
I make a custom, smaller diameter extension knob to address that issue - but the longer length amplifies yet ANOTHER common issue with those mics. The pot shaft sometimes have a fair bit of play so the knob is going to wiggle a bit and feel "cheap". That can be addressed by replacing the pot with a higher quality one. The moral of the story is - think very carefully before you spend your money trying to improve a 520DX. Its element is on the bright/harsh side, and its weight makes it better suited as a weapon. You can address every issue - but it might be worth keeping it original so you can sell it or keep it as a backup - and invest in a nicer shell/better element such as a JT30 shell and a good single impedance CM (or my "The Heumann Element").
Cheers!/Greg