OOPS! I bought a fake Shure microphone!

Consider this a warning if you're buying a microphone for your podcast ...

The Shure SM58 is not only the most popular mic in the world, it's also the most counterfeited. I bought an SM58 off eBay and would have never known it was a fake had it not been for another I had just purchased and been able to compare the two side-by-side.

Look at these photos and see if you can tell the difference between the real mic and the fake one.

WHY IT MATTERS: I'm no Sunday School Teacher. When it comes to knockoff goods, I don't worry too much about “the principle” or what’s right and wrong. Still, when you're recording something important, you want to make sure you have equipment that will get the job done. It's one thing to get a cheap/fake mic for karaoke at your local bar and another to use for an important podcast. To do your podcast, pay the extra money for good equipment, order from an authorized dealer, and get something that won’t fail when it counts.