Glen Trew Posted February 5, 2012 Report Share Posted February 5, 2012 Yes, Richard, the boom arm in your pic is a Mole Richardson, but the blue base is not (the early Mole and Fisher arms were interchangeble from one base to another). After seeing your close-up of the blue base, I'll edit my statement "...definately a Fisher" to "...definately a Fisher-like design". I don't recognize the brand of the blue base in your picture (the logo looks like an abstract "bp", but it is more like the Fisher design, with the steering wheel and chain-driven crab steering feature. Sadly, the boom arm in your pic is missing the counterweight compartment, which had the ability to add and remove lead weights to match the microphone and arm length being used. I still maintain that the rolling base (and probably the arm, too) in the photo at the top of this thread is not a Fisher, but an early Mole Richardson. I own that exact base and completely restored it years ago, and the arm that came with it has the same MR logo as the one in your close-up. The base could be a mix-match, but I'll know Thursday. Stay tuned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurence Posted February 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2012 Glenn, I would agree... the base really does look like Fisher design, bearing many similarities to the current boom base. If you don't resolve it before I make my next trip over to Fisher, I'll definitely be able to get us an answer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glen Trew Posted February 5, 2012 Report Share Posted February 5, 2012 However... I'll say that the base in the top photo (and the base I was referring to in Nashville) is very much like the Fisher model 3 base, which I now see has the same expanding wheel base design. The arm that came on my base is definitely Mole, but I'm starting to wonder about my base. Keep in mind that I have one Mole Richardson Perambulator "crank-up" base, two Mole Richardson boom arms, and one base of yet to be confirmed manufacturer, that looks very much like the Fisher Model 3. gt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurence Posted February 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2012 Yes, I stand by my original assertion that the Marilyn Monroe photo is a Fisher Model 2 arm and Fisher Model 3 base. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Davies Amps CAS Posted February 5, 2012 Report Share Posted February 5, 2012 Yes, I stand by my original assertion that the Marilyn Monroe photo is a Fisher Model 2 arm and Fisher Model 3 base. +1 Malcolm Davies. A.m.p.s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurence Posted February 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2012 I showed these pictures to the boom technicians at Fisher yesterday. They said they've seen mis-matched booms, with arms and bases swapped from different manufacturers... and they've even seen the end caps swapped out (like that plate with the Mole Richardson logo in the photos above)... but they both agreed that nothing in Richard Lightstone's photo was manufactured at Fisher. They also agreed that the Marilyn Monroe photo, which they have taped up on their wall, was all Fisher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glen Trew Posted February 10, 2012 Report Share Posted February 10, 2012 Well, I've learned a few things today. I concede that the photo at the top of this thread shows a Fisher model 2 boom arm and a Fisher model 3 base. To explain why I thought might have been an old Mole Richardson base... As mentioned, i have two Mole Richardson boom arms (often mistaken for Fisher Model 2 boom arms because they are nearly identical) and the bases they came on. One of these is the unique Mole-Richardson chariot-like base called "Perambulator" with the crank-up platform. The other is still of unknown manufacture, but very much resembles the Fisher Model 3 base shown in the Marilyn Monroe photo at the top. I've attached photos of both of mine below. The real mystery to me now is whether my unknown base was made by Fisher or Mole-Richardon. I can't find any reference to this style of base in the Mole catelog. However, the tubular frame looks more like the construction of the Mole than the Fisher. (i know... big yawn). If anyone has clues about this, I would like to know. It all leads me to the next question: Does anyone know the history of the Mole-Richardson and Fisher booms? These boom arms (particularly the Model 2 Fisher and Mole arms) are so similar -- nearly identical -- that I have to wonder which came first (who copied who). Likewise, the Fisher Model 3 base is very similar to the older base I have, that I'm betting was made by Mole-Richardson. So, who copied who? Did a machinist from Mole jump ship and go to Fisher? My old base with Mole-Richardson arm (mole paint part of 1990 restoration) Brake OFF Brake ON Frame similar but different from Fisher Different than Fisher Model 3 base. (early Mole-Richardson or Model 1-2 Fisher?) Current style Fisher Model 3 base (still much like the one in the Marilyn Monroe photo at top) My Mole-Richardson Perambulator and boom arm. Fisher bases. Models: ? Fisher arm on Mole Richardson base Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurence Posted February 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2012 The photo that you labeled as "Fisher bases. Models: ?" was taken at Fisher. That's their Boom Room... and yes, those are dot matrix printers on the table by the wall. In fact, when I was there yesterday I took some photos of the boom base in the right of your photo, Glen, with plans to post it here and see if anybody could guess what it was. You beat me to it. The two cool innovations it has is that hinged platform that folds closed to make the boom smaller... and it's got a really cool hydraulic pump-up lever in the front. There's a small plate bolted on the front that says "Revue Studios"... gotta look that up. The boom base in the left of that photo is also one hanging around at Fisher which I saw yesterday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurence Posted February 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2012 Revue Studios was the predecessor of NBC Universal Television, operating from 1943 to 1962. Here's a picture I took at Fisher yesterday of the same boom that's in Glen's picture, showing the platform extension folded up. And you can see the pump lever for the hydraulic in front... it pumps up about 2 inches with each throw of the lever. It also has 2 (not just 1) handy storage buckets down below. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Miramontes Posted February 14, 2012 Report Share Posted February 14, 2012 Yep, that was a Model 2 Fisher with a Model 3 base. Just like the one sitting in my garage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurence Posted October 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2012 Here's an interesting picture of some birds and a Model 2 boom. The full-size image can viewed HERE... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurence Posted October 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2012 Let the "name the mic" contest begin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studiomprd Posted November 1, 2012 Report Share Posted November 1, 2012 ARRRRGH! had a student come to me today needing "another wireless mic" for a shoot in a studio class: three cameras (switched) on two people sitting talking. When they couldn't find a lav mic they were moving the (already present) studio boom overhead to "point at the one without the lav on"... GRRRR! as you were.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MatthewFreedAudio Posted November 1, 2012 Report Share Posted November 1, 2012 ARRRRGH! had a student come to me today needing "another wireless mic" for a shoot in a studio class: three cameras (switched) on two people sitting talking. When they couldn't find a lav mic they were moving the (already present) studio boom overhead to "point at the one without the lav on"... GRRRR! as you were.... And what did you teach this student at that opportunity for learning? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studiomprd Posted November 1, 2012 Report Share Posted November 1, 2012 These students were in a TV class (separate sub department of Cinema-TV) and while I suggested (just) the studio boom for the interview, the their TV instructor preferred 2 x lav's... GRR -- ARGH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DFL Posted November 9, 2012 Report Share Posted November 9, 2012 Great Photo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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