Too many to list! Nearly 100 in the studio right now. In-house selection includes: K Zildjian, A Zildjian, Paiste 2002, Paiste 505, Super Zyn, 5* Super Zyn, Ufip, various European 1930s~1960s cymbals, Genuine antique Chinese hand-made cymbals…
Cymbal facts: Most cymbals are made from a bronze alloy. Bronze has fantastic sonorous properties and it has been used by artisans for many centuries to make cymbals and bells. Bronze alloy is a mix of copper and tin with traces of other elements too!
B20 is the most common alloy used in cymbal making, comprising 20% tin, giving cymbals made from this material a silvery-gold colour. used to make high-end Zildjian, Sabian, Paiste and other artisan cymbals. While cymbal diameter, thickness, bell profile, hammering and lathing will all influence a cymbal’s sound, B20 cymbals typically have a softer, warmer less harsh tone than their B8 counterparts. Here at vintage drummer, most of my cymbals are B20, vintage Zildjians dating from the 1920s through to the 1980s
B8 cymbals are made from 8% tin bronze alloy. The higher copper to tin ratio gives these cymbals a distinct red-gold appearance. Many budget cymbals are made from this alloy, but that doesn’t mean professional cymbals are not made from this metal also! The most famous is the Paiste 2002 line and its derivatives 3000, 505… These Paiste B8 cymbals make a shimmering clear and cutting sound with excellent attack and a clean bright tone! John Bonham and Jeff Porcaro are among the great names who helped make these type of cymbals sing on some of the greatest drum recordings ever made.
Cymbals are categorised into 5 main types, Ride, Crash, Hi-Hat, China and Splash. In the 20s and 30s, rhythms we’re played on small, stingy cymbals with fast attack and quick decay; the drummer would choke the cymbal by hand to make a distinctive open and closed rhythm. As the decades ensued and the predominant popular music of the time "jazz" adanvanced, swing and bebop drummers transferred this rhythm to the hi-hat and eventually to the ride cymbal to produce the distictinve jazz dotted eighth\triplet rhythm; "ding ding da ding, ding-da-ding, ding-da ding…" From here developed the shuffle feels found on R&B and early Rock n Roll eventually straightening into the classic rock beat that has dominated popular music for more than half a century. I have a vast array of more than 100 cymbals of every size and type and something in between! From sizzle and swish to sock cymbals, low-boys and bounce’s! It’s great to mix and match eras and types to come up with some really interesting and unique sound palette for your recordings!
