Zildjian Pitch Black Cymbals
June 16, 2008 | 9 Comments
We just cracked open our July issue of DRUM! and got to wondering about what some folks at Pearl’s drummer forum have already been asking for days now: what the hell is up with Zildjian’s ad on the back cover? It’s solid black with the phrase “pitch black” in a very dark gray. Clearly, the big money is on Zildjian unveiling a series of black-coated cymbals, but the mystery is whether it will be a professional or budget line. Travis Barker recently appeared in Rhythm magazine with a set of black Zildjians…but that doesn’t necessarily mean the cymbals are designed for discriminating ears. Got any spy pics that will clear this up? Send ‘em posthaste to sfl@bigdrumthump.com.
Below is one purportedly legit shot.
[Updates: Zildjian Pitch Black Cymbals (Part 2), Travis Barker Playing Zildjian Pitch Black Cymbals?, Zildjian Pitch Black Cymbals in France]
Ronn Dunnett’s Musikmesse Pictorial
April 30, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Sit down, shut up, and click on this link. It’ll be the best thing you visit on the Web all day, a superb collection of photos taken by master drum maker Ronn Dunnett at Musikmesse 2008. He’s posted over 1,000 images (everything from great gear shots to even greater drummer pics), so turn off your cell phone and your IM before you begin voyeuring: such seriously hot drum porn deserves your undivided attention. Especially if it involves Jojo.
[via Drummerworld]
TRX’s LTD Cymbals
April 26, 2008 | Leave a Comment
TRX crept onto the scene a few years ago with fistfuls of Turkish-influenced, acronym-laden cymbals—the BRT, ALT, DRK, and MDM series. Because having four forgettable three-letter designations is clearly not enough, the company has now introduced a fifth, the LTD line. It includes 20″ and 18″ crash-rides as well as a pair of 14″ hi-hats.
So far, so boring. But here is where TRX’s shite gets interesting: an LTD cymbal features three finishes, a different one for the outer edge, the bow, and the bell. According to the press release (more or less), this tri-finish process apparently produces a crash sound that is more crash-y and a ride sound that is more ride-y than ever before heard from a dual-purpose cymbal. Plus, they look pretty damn cool.
[via Music Radar]
Sabian Fierce Hats
April 18, 2008 | Leave a Comment
More Jojo-related stuff to drool over, and we ain’t complaining. To go along with Mayer’s Fierce Ride and Fierce Crashes, Sabian has unleashed the cleverly named Fierce Hats. The cymbals measure in at 13″, feature an unlathed surface with jumbo hammer marks, and are described by Jojo himself as having “a raw aspect and a complex darkness that works well in live and recorded contexts.” Yeah, well, just as long as they make us sound like this.
[via Harmony Central]
Paiste’s New Heavy Full Crashes
April 16, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Designed for hard-swingin’ rock and metal drummers, Paiste’s Heavy Full crashes are new additions to the company’s venerable Signature series. The cymbals come with a Reflector finish and in a variety of sizes—16″, 17″, 18″, 19″, 20″, and a whopping 22″. Because Nicko McBrain and Hena Habegger had a hand in the design, you also know the Heavy Fulls can survive a serious whacking. Check out their sound here.
Meinl’s Fat Hats
April 10, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Developed with input from groove dude Flo Dauner, Meinl’s new Fat Hats are 16 inches of B10-alloy loudness. Meinl also describes the sound of the cymbals as low pitched and dark, but we’re still putting our hard-earned sou on that “loud” part.
[via Drummerszone]
Sabian’s Family Squabble
April 9, 2008 | 2 Comments
A family feud between the brothers Zildjian actually created the cymbal company Sabian way back in 1981, and now it looks like another family feud could possibly tear it apart. Bill Zildjian, son of Sabian founder Robert Zildjian, has filed a lawsuit claiming that his father and brother have mismanaged, misdirected, and mishandled millions of dollars in company funds. Unable to sell his shares without dad’s approval, Bill is looking to be bought out by the family or to be paid dividends with interest. Another alternative, according to the lawsuit, is to
wind up, dissolve and liquidate the company and assets as a whole.
Yikes. Not surprisingly, the company has denied the allegations and has requested that the suit be dismissed. An official statement should be coming soon.
Lawsuits take eons, so there’s probably no need to run out and buy Meinl stock just yet. But if you got any cracked Sabians under warranty, you might just want to take care of those now.
Paiste at Musikmesse 2008
April 7, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Thumpers, get your cymbal porn here. Paiste has just posted a couple gazillion photos from this year’s Musikmesse, the European equivalent of winter NAMM. Except bigger and louder and with more Germans. Some sample pop shots:
Surge Electronic Cymbals From Alesis
March 12, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Whoa. And double freakin’ whoa.
If Alesis’s new e-cymbals play as good as they look…well, then at least one BDT’er is officially getting plugged in. The Surge line features, so sayeth the press release, a “custom brass-alloy with a special, clear dampening layer to merge the look and feel of real cymbals with the flexibility of electronic cymbals.” The series comes in a 12″ single-zone hi-hat, a 13″ single-zone crash, and a 16″ dual-zone ride. All can be mounted on standard cymbal stands.
[via Harmony Central]
The Hammerax Whipcrash
February 26, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Cymbal maker (or rather “sound maker”) Hammerax produces some way creative instruments—the Boomywang, the Dustbowl, and the Meanie, just to name a few. The latest member of the funky family is the Whipcrash, a heavy crash cymbal branded with an “S-shaped array of hammered microcups” that can be raked with a stick for various sound effects. You can check out how it and Hammerax’s other products sound here.
You just know Terry Bozzio is creaming his jeans over these things….Wonder when that Sabian endorsement is up?…
