Dropped $200 on a used SM57 for tracking guitars, did it save my demos or just my ego?
I grabbed a beat up SM57 off a guy in Fresno for $200 after reading that it was the only mic that mattered on a guitar cab. Half the guys I jam with say a $40 cheapo mic through a cranked amp gets you 95 percent there, and the other half swear the 57 is the whole sound. My last garage demo sounded muddy as hell before it, and now it cuts through, but I honestly can't tell if that is the mic or me just finally moving it off the cone. Anyone got a strong take here, was it worth the cash or did I just buy a name?