Big Drum Thump

Drum and Drummer News and Photos

Category: Paiste

  • John Bonham Endorsement Contract With Paiste

    This is a very cool bit of drum history. Have a gander at the original contract that John Bonham signed with Paiste 50 years ago today.

    The first page says that Bonham agrees to allow Paiste to use his name in advertising and marketing. Bonham’s signature is at the bottom of the document.

    The second page lists all the cymbals that Bonham received from Paiste. A whole lot of duplicate sets here, probably for different kits housed around the world as Zep was touring.

    Bonzo got 15″ Sound Edge hi-hats, 18″ and 20″ Giant Beats, mammoth 24″ Giant Beats, a sprinkling of 2002s, a 38″ gong….and a solitary and clearly overworked 24″ cymbal bag. It looks like everything but the gong was free.

  • Paiste Cymbals at NAMM 2009

    Paiste didn’t have any new gear to show off at NAMM 2009, but that didn’t stop the Swiss cymbal-meisters from bringing every bloody model in their catalog. Their booth was a thing of absolute brass beauty—from the soundbooth itself to the floor displays for the Twenty and Black Alpha series. Some teaser pics are below. Be sure to check out our full Paiste gallery here.

  • Paiste Black Alphas

    Well, we’ve devoted a considerable amount of bytes to Zildjian’s Pitch Black line, so now it’s Paiste’s turn. The Swiss cymbal maker’s Black Alphas were designed with input from Slipknot shredder Joey Jordison and are made from Paiste’s proprietary CuSn8 bronze, the same alloy that is used in the excellent 2002 line. The sound is described as “bright, crisp, energetic, powerful, and cutting.” Anyone tried them out yet?

  • Paiste’s New Heavy Full Crashes

    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. [Update 2022: The sound files have been removed from Paiste’s site. Boo.]