firby said:
Cymbals are all about the alloys used to make them. You can probably get by with a cheap china because many chinas incorporate a cheap trashy sound. Anything else stay away. It's better to have a few good cymbals than loads of crap like saludas. As for trading Zilds for Saludas. That is absolutely positively laughible.
Firby,
Saludas are made with the same B20 alloy as all the major manufacturers. If, by your own admission, "cymbals are all about the alloys used to make them,"
then Saludas are equal in every respect to every other professional cast cymbal.
For those of us living in reality, cymbals are about FAR more than just alloys. I'd say the biggest component of the sound is how they're made, not the alloy. When you have cymbals made from rolled sheet bronze, they are going to be really stiff and generally have a "gongy" tone. Their molecules are aligned poorly, resulting in a weaker structure and inhibiting vibration. The cymbal ends up vibrating within itself as opposed to in unison, reducing volume.
Furthermore, cast cymbals can be machined or hand hammered. While both sides have their advantages and disadvantages, hand hammered cymbals tend to sound more complex (some may see this as trashy, but most people see it as a balanced frequency response). They typically have much more dynamics and potential for volume because, again, the molecules of the cymbal are pushed in a different way from random hammering rather than stamped in patterns. Hand hammered cymbals are also tuned by ear rather than formed by look, and thus can be very different from cymbal to cymbal. Some see this as a downside (no two cymbals are alike), others see it as unique. It also provides a chance for the manufacturer to shape the tone of the cymbal.
Finally, bell, weight, profile, lathing, thickness, and finish all come into play.
So what about the alloy? B20 is the standard for sure. Paiste actually uses "inferior" alloys in their products (B8, B12, etc.) to alter the tone. Are they inferior cymbals? Hell no! They're great cymbals, although their sound isn't for everyone. Personally, I find them a bit one-dimensional and bright for my tastes, but for others they are perfect.
Long story short, try the Saludas or not, I don't care, but don't disparage a product when you don't know what you're talking about.