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Forums :: Ask Harp Mic Expert Greg Heumann

Restoring grille of Shure 440

1 reply [Last post]
Fri, 04/02/2021 - 14:15
Fritjof
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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.

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Fri, 04/02/2021 - 16:02
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Greg Heumann
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Joined: 04/29/2010
Hi The grill can be restored

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

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