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Favorite Cymbals? (I'm sure this has probably been posted 10,000 times before)


neschn

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Zildjian and Sabian are dark and clank-y and just totally dead by comparison - like someone took an alpha and covered it with duct tape.

 

 

To come at this from the opposite angle, many--not all--Paistes sound to me like you took a Zildjian or Sabian and turned the treble all the way up.

 

It's nice to have the choice. When I was starting up all you had were Zildjians or no name crap. We knew about Paistes but you couldn't get them where I lived.

 

I'm especially gratified that there are many smaller makers making a go of it. Good times for cymbals!

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To come at this from the opposite angle, many--not all--Paistes sound to me like you took a Zildjian or Sabian and turned the treble all the way up.


It's nice to have the choice. When I was starting up all you had were Zildjians or no name crap. We knew about Paistes but you couldn't get them where I lived.


I'm especially gratified that there are many smaller makers making a go of it. Good times for cymbals!

 

 

I think those essential differences between paiste and Zildgen/Sabian, have largely disappeared. All of the companies now cross over into each others territory depending on which line you look at.

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For the video test, I knew which one was the Paiste and which the Sabian pretty quickly, and didn't feel like watching the rest of the vid...
If I'd have given it another 30 seconds, I probavbly could have figured the Zidljian (although I think their model pick wasn't as representative of Zildjian's offer...I'd have used an A Custom maybe).


But...as far as an experiment goes...
It's not the best avenue for that kind of test; recording and then reproducing those sounds via web/through your computer's speakers (In my case, built-in laptop), isn't the most representative sounding method.

And I'd bet if we were all in person, we'd pretty much all nail which was which right away.
Or at least that's what I think.

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To come at this from the opposite angle, many--not all--Paistes sound to me like you took a Zildjian or Sabian and turned the treble all the way up.


It's nice to have the choice. When I was starting up all you had were Zildjians or no name crap. We knew about Paistes but you couldn't get them where I lived.


I'm especially gratified that there are many smaller makers making a go of it. Good times for cymbals!

 

 

True that - though I'd love to get my hands on some Paiste dark energy signatures and see.

 

There are some aspects of the thinner K's that I like - that broad bottom end that Paistes (for the most part) don't have. That said, I wouldn't give up my paiste's to switch to another brand - like I mentioned earlier, they're like heroin for drummers. Once you're hooked...you ain't kicking it without intervention and rehab.

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The blind test was fun...here's my notes:

 

4 - thinner, shimmery...A Custom?

3 - same as 4 but lower pitch...Paiste?

2 - thicker, fuller...Avedis or AA?

1 - lower, thicker...K style?

 

I preferred 1 and 3, they would match well

 

Turns out I liked the Full Crash, then the K Custom...I have expensive tastes :D I did not like the B8 cymbal and the AAX was okay the first couple times then got grating.

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There are some aspects of the thinner K's that I like - that broad bottom end that Paistes (for the most part) don't have. That said, I wouldn't give up my paiste's to switch to another brand - like I mentioned earlier, they're like heroin for drummers. Once you're hooked...you ain't kicking it without intervention and rehab.

 

 

jenks, you should try some of the Twenties, DEs as you said, or even the Reflector Sigs. Mo' bottom but of course still have the shimmer. And then there's Traditionals. *slurp*

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I really wanted a full set of Paiste Sigs...but I didn't have $2000+.

 

Seriously, the price of cymbals is ridiculous nowadays. The price of quality drums is way down, but the price of quality cymbals has doubled in the last 10-15 years.

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I have to say, as much as I love Paiste, I'm pretty sick of their price increases every year or twice a year. I think they just went up again on June 1st (12%?), which means +6% street price.

{censored} that. :mad:

Overall inflation the past couple of years has been very low, so I don't know how Nottwil justifies it. Maybe they can say commodities prices (copper, tin) have gone up disproportionately, but still, if they're not careful they'll price themselves right out of biz.

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I really wanted a full set of Paiste Sigs...but I didn't have $2000+.

 

 

Got to do what I did:

 

Buy them 1 at a time as you fill gaps/replace other cymbals ...

 

Started with the 20" Full Ride around '94...then over the next 5 years or so, added the rest one at a time.

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My arsenal is predominantly Sabian, with one little exception.

8" HH Splash
10" B8 Pro China Splash
14" Wuhan China
14" AAX Metal Hats (x-hat)
15" AA Rock Sizzle Hats (main)
15" AAX Xtreme China
16" APX Ozone Crash
18" B8 Pro China
18" APX Ozone Crash
18" AAX Xplosion Crash (3)
20" B8 Pro China
21" AA Raw Bell Dry Ride

14 cymbals, 5 different series, 2 brands, 1 big pile of awesomeness :):thu:

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Or what I do, go to Saluda.

Pricing out my new setup (whenever that happens):

15" Diamond medium thin hats $179
18" Diamond medium thin crash $139
19" Diamond medium thin ride $158
16" Diamond thin crash $119
16" Voodoo thin china $46
(already have a 22" heavy ride)
Total = $641

Cost of similar Zildjians (K's and A's): $1410 :eek:

Cost of similar Paistes (Giant Beat + 2002): $1336 :cry:

Cost of similar Sabians (HHX): $1601 :eekphil:

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Got to do what I did:


Buy them 1 at a time as you fill gaps/replace other cymbals ...


Started with the 20" Full Ride around '94...then over the next 5 years or so, added the rest one at a time.




Yeah that's what I do - buy the one I want, eat Ramen noodles & Cheez Whiz for a couple months, or no wimmin for awhile, or both, then buy another. Rinse. Repeat.

No wonder my health has gone down over the years...buying fawkin Paistes. :facepalm:

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I've played Zilijian since 1978. Still have my original 22' Rock Ride and Hit Hats bought with Birthday money . I took a ferry and 2 Trains from Staten Island NYC to get them. I've added all kinds of crashes to them over the years. Pasties crack in a matter of months with me. Sabian just don't have it. Zilijians just get better with age. LOV'em. Can't beat 'em. I have some cheapies mixed in with the Expensive ones. They are all special. My fave is 16' Medium Thin rock.

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My setup is now all Saluda but with samples from most of their lines. When I started playing many years ago I favored Paiste and do still love them but just cannot justify the price since I do not play for a living (or even a second income). I like a variety of sounds and your cymbals sound "different" depending on the type of music you are playing, in my opinion. My main gig is playing for our worship band at church but that is on an electronic kit which, at least with the one we have, makes you really appreciate real cymbals :) The great thing about cymbals is the variety available and the vast difference in sounds and tones you can get from them. I have always thought too many people overlook the musical quality of cymbals and just see them as an "accent" so to speak. That was my original love of Paiste, they seem to focus on the "musical" aspect of the cymbal.

My personal opinion on Saluda is that they are worth the investment, they are custom made, you request the sound you want and Jamie makes it happen. I do not "endorse" them or get anything from Saluda. Just a satisfied customer. Have also played Zildjian and Sabian.

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Yeah he is a great guy to work with, you just have to spell out 100% what you want up front otherwise he goes a little crazy.

 

My favorite cymbal was this 19" Mist Hybrid (between a K and an A)...I sent in this lovely mellow 19" A Medium crash that was cracked and he NAILED a version of it that was even sweeter sounding. Cracked that one in my metal band...dammit.

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