RichB said:
I have the same Zildjian cymbals that I've been using for the last 20 some odd years. The problem isn't Zildjian it's the fact that all the instrument companies make these crappy discount products now.
When I started playing 30 yrs ago companies like Zildjian and Ludwig and Gretsch only had one model and it was their best. Now to compete with each other they all have to make their crappy knockoffs!
When you buy this garbage keep in mind it's not what the company strived for, it's just some cheap junk they had to put on the market to stay competitive!
I've owned 3 Paiste 404's that I shattered like dinner plates!
Bottom line is if you don't spend the extra cash (and believe me I know the prices are ridiculous) on their top of the line stuff...don't expect too much.
Where Zildjian screwed up, was in deleting the
Amir budget line of cymbals; the Amir line was around in the early to mid 1980's, and you know what-they sounded really good.
They were like
the Paiste Alpha series, and
the Sabian B8/Pro series. They ARE "budget" cymbals (meaning it's a bit cheaper metal formula, and less hammering/polishing steps) but still viable instruments.
Anything lower than these cymbal lines, is just a case of throwing money away.
I'll disagree on
the Pearl Exports. The shells are fine-it's the hardware that's garbage.
I've heard Pearl's export's sound batter than some other "name" brands in regards to tone.
No, I don't use exports-Pearl wouldn't make me 28" kicks-I asked! Hahahaha
These companies need to recognize this:
Form vs. Function.
The #1 selling kit in the world is
the Pearl Export.
Why? because it's cheap, sounds decent, and pretty durable.
Ludwig has got to face the fact that they are not going to be DW-because they gave up the market that DW now has.
For ages LUDWIG was it! If you didn't play Ludwigs, your set was considered junk locally-that's just the way it was.
They need to make a Line for Profesional Musicians.
And they need to make a line for Club Musicians.
These are two different things.
A guy playing in clubs on the weekends for $50 a night is NOT a Professional Musician, and can not afford to fork over $3,500 for a 4 or 5 piece drumkit. That's just a fact of life-plus, it's stupid to put that kind of money into something of that nature.
Tim