"Bob" wrote in message
...
gb wrote:

Here are the 1951 and 1971 data sheets:
http://www.shure.com/pdf/discontinued/55s_1951.pdf
http://www.shure.com/pdf/discontinued/55s.pdf

Shure stocks some parts for these earlier models.

Thanks so much! I guess it's a currently available part. I looked at the
specs and this is one great microphone; I now have two of them. I need to
make up a cable for the new one.

Bob -

The audio response from the 55s is very flat from 150 Hz to 6 kHz which
provides
great reproduction for voice work .... which is also why Shure still makes
this classic after 50 years.

I forgot to give you the restoration pages for this microphone (Shure did
make a version in a gold finish) ..
Darren Pallen Productions is probably best known for this microphone and his
restoration work (using red and blue silk for inserts).
http://www.darrenpallen.com/Shure.htm

History of the Shure 55 series goes back to just before WW2 (photos from
various collections)
http://www.k-bay106.com/shure55a.jpg (1939 - 1946)
http://www.k-bay106.com/shure55.jpg (1947 - 1951)
http://www.k-bay106.com/shure55s.jpg (1951 - 1978)

Ribbon microphone restoration (Larry King and David Letterman have them on
their talk show desks -
although an out of camera boom mic is usually used for audio pickup)
The late Jon R. Sank was the designer for many of the RCA ribbon mics
(highly prized).
http://www.thuntek.net/~bk11/bk11.htm
http://www.bigdmc.com/mic-repair.htm

gb