We just replaced four twenty-five year old SM-58's with, wait for it, four brand new SM-58's. The old mics had taken some knocks and seen a lot of use over the years. As a result, they began to drop off a little, so we bought new ones. It's like cleaning your windshield after it's slowly become dingy. You don't know 'til you're singing into new mics the extent to which the old ones had slowly deteriorated. We tried others at a number of shops but returned to SM. Beacuse it's what we're used to? Probably that's part of it. For me, it's consistent reproduction throughout my tenor range and a very forgiving pick-up pattern.

I agree with those who suggest that you try a wide range of mics in order to find the one which works best for you. In addition to the variable of the amp you use, remember that your perception of your voice and the mic's performance will be affected by the monitor through which you hear yourself. Monitor nightmare stories are many.

Good luck.

Dave