SM57 LC : Shure SM57 LC

One of the most commonly used microphones when it comes to recording electric guitars.

Very well built and has never let me down. Can take the punishment of an amp at high volume.

The price is superb as most other professionally used microphones are very expensive.

There aren't many features to talk about. This is a very simple piece of equipment. It does come with a nice little bag to protect it.

It captures a good range of frequencies and sounds great when properly placed. I mention the placement because this mic is quite narrow at the business end and this means it can take a little while to get the correct position of the mic on the face of the speaker cone, especially if you are aiming it through the fabric of a speaker cabinet.

This is not a con as most microphones require experimentation with position to capture the desired sound you are chasing.

I have found that this mic can be surprisingly versatile for other instruments that play at high volume, I have used it to record the quite loud drones on a set of Uilleann pipes (similar to bagpipes). It performed this job very well too.