EQU47 Mic Bodies | Orders open on January 19th 2013

[Rossi]

Skylar, if I got you right, we're only talking about the top portion of the basket not being set off. I'm not even sure the original is set off. Here's a pic of an original U47 basket, albeit the matte one). Can you post a close-up, so we can see the difference?

 

[Kingston]

If I pay up-front for another round of 200 headbaskets that are (fingers crossed) perfect, that leaves me with 200 not quite perfect headbaskets.
Is there enough demand for that?

quite likely there is. They might not all go in one big splash, but within maybe a year. I can certainly think of plenty uses for those kind of "bonus" bodies. The 0-degree orientation won't affect sound one bit anyway.

In fact I'm not entirely convinced the factory didn't pull this off on purpose. Even if you explained to them you will arrange more of these kind of 100-200 piece orders they could have just gotten greedy. "might as well try now that we've got the tooling finished" kind of thing.

 

[bugfight]

sheesh what a bummer.
i can't help but wonder why they made them all if you hadn't approved the sample yet...

my 2c:
i guess if you paid already, there's no leverage.
if you haven't, hold out for what they promised.

agreed that finish issues are secondary to the structural issue.
if it comes down to it, i will kick in some extra for remaking the headbasket correctly

 

[Winetree]

Yes, the outer top grill is off-set on an orginal U47.
It uses a VF-14 metal can tube, a transformer with
a certain metal alloy and a lot of other special parts.
All of the parts for this project are only closely being duplicated to the orginals.
The tubes aren't the same, the diaphram doesn't sound exactly
like a Neumann, the transformer doesn't use the same metal core, etc.
This top off-set problem is only one of the orginal variables.
Will the top off-set make a difference, maybe, but so do all the other parts.
It all adds up and I don't expect these to sound exactly like an orginal.
Some have already bought Insides and diaphrams and without the bodys we're stuck.
We still have to come up with a power supply. I say do the best you can without blowing the deal.
Thank you for all of the hard work you have put into this project.

 

[Skylar]

I think the angle would be something like "I'll buy the blemished headbaskets and bodies for half of your cost of producing them.

My initial offer was to get the headbaskets for 75% off, but they wouldn't go for that.
I'm still waiting for their counter-offer. If I can get them for half off, I'd go for it. We'll see.

Skylar, if I got you right, we're only talking about the top portion of the basket not being set off. I'm not even sure the original is set off. Here's a pic of an original U47 basket, albeit the matte one). Can you post a close-up, so we can see the difference?

Rossi, you're correct. It's ONLY the top portion where the problem lies. And it's the outermost layer of mesh which should have a bias of 45 degrees (industry terminology), but is not biased at all.
So, there are no structural or cosmetic issues with the headbasket. It's just a single mistake of a worker (or workers) who failed to bias the outer mesh before assembling...or were never instructed to do so in the first place.

i can't help but wonder why they made them all if you hadn't approved the sample yet...

They made them AFTER I approved the sample and still screwed them up.

i guess if you paid already, there's no leverage.
if you haven't, hold out for what they promised.

Haven't paid for the order...just for the up-front tooling expenses.

The 0-degree orientation won't affect sound one bit anyway.

That's kind of what I'm thinking, but I still prefer it to be as designed.

I'd love to split one apart for paint and proper re-assembly, but if it's prohibitively tough to do revision surgery then they're far less appealing.

These things are solid! If there were a way to rebuild without destroying them, the factory would be doing that as we speak.


As I said, I'll get you guys some pictures so that you can see what I'm talking about.

 

[ruckus328]

For what it's worth I know your fustrations.  Seems like no matter where you go (US, South America, China, etc), they're always screwing it up ehh?

 

[hitchhiker]

It could be much worse, like if the side address was not biased 45 degrees.

That said, I sure would like to see some chance for us to option for a correctly made basket, even if it's included in a second run.

 

[FerrariT]

Skylar do you not have a mic built already? where you could just A/B the correct & incorrect head baskets?
if the acoustics arent, ill effected, one way or another, could be certain these would sell like hot cakes around here.

If the sonics are what they should be? maybe? me for one would not care about the "look" although I have a feeling the abgle will play some role however slight on the actual sound.

would these headbaskets sell with the rest of the assembly?

how much of a discount?

 

[0dbfs]

We're talking about an order in the range of $M Yen.

$M Yen = fingers.

Someone on the other side of the pond has a fairly high probability of losing some fingers (or maybe something else very dear) if this deal doesn't go through. Fingers do have a yen value though. I wouldn't think it's a a "keep my fingers at all costs" situation.

Can they walk away from this AND keep their fingers?
Can they complete the exchange AND keep their fingers?

Bribery, kickbacks, and such might help lubricate the exchange.

Urban legend or reality?

Skylar, They already have your fingers.. Errr deposit... I mean tooling expenses. I'm sure the final payment/exchange is much desired but how does it affect their fingers?

BTW, I vote to see this happen through to final delivery. It doesn't sound to me like they will eat the cost of another run without another order. Discounts? Without a doubt. They know they are not delivering what was agreed on. It's not their ethics, it's their fingers. Maybe next run they will pay more attention to the details. It's got to hurt enough so they don't forget but not so much that they never forget.

Just a different perspective. Maybe valid, maybe not.

Best,
jonathan

-------------------
EDIT:
Yen = Japan
Renminbi = China
-------------------

 

[mrclunk]

I don't think the top mesh issue will affect the sound much at all. But yes annoying!
I was just looking at a m147, by the time the mesh is bent around the top the alignment changes a little anyhow. Or maybe i miss understand...

Blemished bodies, well a nice splash of Hammerite will cover up any small imperfections. (and look cool!)

 

[Kingston]

It's ONLY the top portion where the problem lies.

Oh, I thought you were talking about the whole side mesh, which would have significantly altered the look of the mic.

But misaligned top mesh is a complete non-issue for me at least. I would not have noticed it if you hadn't pointed it out.

My vote is for all systems go for the batch.

 

[baadc0de]

For what it's worth.. at a significant discount, I'd be willing to purchase 2 bodies that have the errors pointed out above.

 

[KrIVIUM2323]

at a significant discount, I'd be willing to purchase 2 bodies that have the errors pointed out above.

+1.

 

[Rossi]

Actually, I just had another look at my U47 (see below). Unless I misunderstand what we're are talking about, the top portion is not rotated at all.  ???  For the record, that's an original Neumann retrofit basket from about 2007. Maybe the original baskets look different, but if they do I never noticed.

 

[Arno]

Half the U47's you see on photos are like yours (rossi), the other half isn't
To me, it's really not an issue.

A closeup will indeed clear this up.

 

[moamps]

..... the top portion is not rotated at all.....

+1

source:
http://www.coutant.org/u47/index.html

 

[Winetree]

Rossi
If you look at the top mesh it is rotated 45 degrees to the layer of mesh below it.
So your picture is correct.

 

[fazeka]

OK, I think I get it now re: the mesh and the bias issue having seen the pic above.

I'm all for attempting as accurate a clone as possible, but at this point, I think this mesh issue's not a show stopper and is probably fine. Again, looks like we're talking about the top mesh, no? 

 

[Echo North]

I'm personally not concerned and believe that the rotation of the mesh is purely aesthetic.

I've followed Skyar's quest for perfection long enough to know that if it passes his approval process, it will certainly pass mine.

Mike

 

[Peps]

It's ONLY the top portion where the problem lies.

My vote is for all systems go for the batch.

+1
I think this misaligment of the top mesh will have a minimal effect on the sound compared to circuit, tube, capsule etc.
Visually it's a non-issue.
Peps