CREEM SKIN TIGHT '82

CREEM SKIN TIGHT '82

A Comprehensive Guide To Drums And Accessories

by

Dave Patrick

(A special thanks to Strings & Things in Memphis for their valuable support and assistance in this project.)

The drummer represents the very heartbeat of music. He develops his mental and physical agility, translating it into drum power, the backbone and backbeat of every band. Skin Tight '82 is our annual salute to drummers and their equipment, recognizing the patience, discipline and practice required to create the power and the instruments to get you there!

☆ ☆ ☆

ROGERS

Rogers drums feature eight-ply maple shells with their revolutionary Memri-loc hardware and beautiful lacquer finishes. Rogers innovated many unique items in the percussion industry with one of these being the dual-matic hi-hat clutch for double bass drummers which allows then to raise and lower the top hi-hat cymbal with no-hands! (Foot operated.) Rogers introduced three new series of student oriented drums at Atlanta's June NAMM shows called R-340, R-360, and R-380.

The R-340 five-piece is basically the Remo pre-tuned set with the Rogers name on it and it lists for around $395.00. The R-360 set is an inexpensive five-piece set featuring nine-ply mahogany shells, heavy duty tom holder and medium duty stands. This would be fine for a beginner. The R-380 set is quite a bit nicer with double braced stands and the same nine-ply mahogany shells. This set incorporates many features found on more expensive sets and is reasonably priced. The baddest double-bass player in the world, Rod Morganstein (Dixie Dregs), plays Rogers and that's nuff said!

TAMA

Ten years ago, Tama was unknown in the professional drum business, and now, they own a lion's share of the drum outfit business. Tama revolutionized the heavy-duty hardware with their Titan stand line, and the attention this brought helped launch their drum lines which continue to improve constantly. Tama's people care, they listen to the wants and needs of drummers, and are also willing to constantly modify, convert, update and restyle their equipment to better suit the players' needs and wants. Tama's endorsee list includes drummers from all styles of music, including Billy Cobham, Elvin Jones, Lenny White, Stewart Copeland, Neil Peart, Clive Burr and Simon Phillips. Tama's communicating with their artists helps them to stay abreast of the constantly changing demands on percussion.

Tama offers four full lines of drums, each with a specific purpose. Swingstar outfits come in five-piece basic sets and give young drummers a chance to own a name brand set of drums with good resale value and parts availability, as well as a reasonable price tag. Tama introduced an optional 8" X 10" tom set-up to expand Swingstar sets to seven-pieces at the recent Namm show in June. The Swingstar outfits look good, sound good, and have excellent hardware at a good price.

Next, Tama Royalstar five-piece sets are very similar to Swingstar four-pieces, but are available on a Brazilian Grain natural wood finish and supplied with Mercury stands. ($1250.00 U.S.). Tama Imperialstar's shells are nine-ply mahogany, and come standard with Titan stands. These are the drums that put Tama on the map, and they can take what the rock gorillas dish out. Last is the Superstar Tama line. They come in hi-gloss natural wood finishes only and have six-ply birch shells with Titan hardware. The extended shell version of Superstar drums are called X-Tras and promise up to 30% greater volume than standard sizes. Tama offers 38 different versions of snare drums featuring Bell Brass, Rosewood, Fiberglas, Birch and Steel, with three different types of strainers. Tama has earned their place on the market with lots of hard work!

PEARL

Pearl Drums' popularity has grown by leaps and bounds in the last few years, and the excitement may just be starting. Pearl freaked out the entire NAMM show this year by introducing three new lines of hardware, extender drum sets, all-new Pearl marching drums and mallet keyboards, Pearl microphones, Pearl cymbals, guitar effects, and Export series drums. Oh yeah, Pearl flutes, too! The U.S. has only been exposed to a small part of Pearl's full potential and that is changing quickly. Pearl International's headquarters is in Nashville, Tennessee, and that's where the U.S. drums are built. The U.S. operation has several excellent drummers involved in production and sales, and they remain hip through their close working relationship with their artist, including some of the most successful drummers in the business, including Larrie Londin, Chester Thompson, Jim Keltner, Jeff Porcaro, and other popular session drummers.

Pearl's new hardware incorporates every good idea a drummer ever wished for, including hasslefree wingnuts and convenient portability. Pearl hardware uses a system of adapters and brackets that make most any set-up possible, yet not bulky, and it's all extremely easy to tear down. The entire Pearl hardware line is elaborate enough to handle any playing situation, yet practical in weight and size.

All Pearl professional drums have American-made eight-ply maple shells, and are available in a rainbow of colors, as well as wine red, maple, walnut, rosewood, and maple satin finishes.

The extender series drums are made similar to a tympani drum, with the head one inch larger than the actual drum shell, for a fuller more responsive tuning range. Extender drums make it easier to get a lower pitch sound and still have a relatively tight drum head that gives a better stick response. Pearl snare drums are available in extender models also.

Pearl builds each drum set custom to the dealer's order, so you can order most any combination of shells, hardware, snare drum you want without the usual "special order" bellyaching you get from some companies. And Pearl Drums sound good!

Pearl's new Export drum series may revolutionize the budget and semi-professional market. Pearl took a nine-ply shell and combined it with two of 'their new hardware lines and its hard to call these student drums. Most of the Export series equipment could easily be used on many professional gigs, and the low prices are incredible. Much has changed at Pearl in the last few years, and rumor has it that it's only the tip'of the iceberg.

SONOR

It's not fair to compare Sonor drums to other drums because Sonor spares no expense while trying to build the ultimate drum set, and this is reflected in their price structure. I find it impossible to talk about Sonor without mentioning price, but if you want a Mercedes, you can't get it at a Fairmont price. Sonor players are serious drummers. Steve Smith of Journey has done three clinics for us at Strings and Things in Memphis, and he won't even look at other drum lines after playing Sonors for years. Sonor-phonic drums have nine-ply beechwood shells and the Signature series have 12-ply shells with exotic veneers on the inside and outside. Signature series are available in either African bubinga wood or Makassar ebony finishes. Sonor drums are made in Germany and have the precision attention to detail you would expect from German craftsmen, and top quality materials throughout. Sonor just brought out a new catalog that still shakes me up just to page through it. Write for one!

CORDER

One of the little guys in the drum business, Jim Corder has a family operation in Huntsville, Alabama, that puts out a fine American-made drum at a reasonable price. Corder bought the Fibes Drum Co. and combined hardware with maple shells to make a nice looking, good sounding drum. Fibes owners will be glad to know that he will send you any replacement parts you need. Just write.

Corder offers maple lacquer finishes, eight-inch deep snare drums and power toms, along with most of the standard drum sizes, and his prices are very fair. Corder also makes marching drums and drumsticks that are half wood, half nylon. Boo-Boo McAfee played 37 days in a drum marathon with only one pair. Write for details.

CB 700

CB 700 offers the most complete line of student drums and percussion of any manufacturer, and their new drum catalog is one of the most complete I've ever seen. CB 700 is distributed by C. Bruno and Coast Wholesale, two of the nation's largest distributors of musical instruments and accessories. They specialize in lower-priced, quality instruments for student percussionists. The CB 700 drum sets have given many young drummers their chance to get a good-playing drum set at a price that will allow his parents to keep their sanity. The CB 700 drum line has grown to a full line, offering the most popular drum sizes set-ups, colors, and accessories. CB offers three lines of hardware, from econo to heavyduty, and many a budget-conscious pro had found this equipment fine for club gigs.

With cash a problem for so many people these days, CB 700 has become one of the world's largest percussion companies. But the CB 700 name means much more than just drum sets. Their new catalog includes the most popular percussion instruments, including student model vibes, xylophones and marimbas, as well as congas and Latin instruments. CB 700 has a full line of marching percussion and carriers, roto-toms, cases, bells, snare kits, cymbals, mallets, sticks and Latin instruments, made with value in mind. One of the best things about CB 700 is they carry a full line of parts, heads and accessories to repair and refurbish all of their equipment.

CB recently introduced their new Sebring and Daytona seven-piece sets which have many of the features usually found on more expensive sets, and these sets look nice.

CB 700 is a great place for the beginner drummer to get started, but now all drummers can appreciate a drum company this aware of the drummer's needs, yet willing to help him save a buck. Write for a catalog and see what CB 700 means for you.

SLINGERLAND

Last year, Slingerland introduced their Magnum drum line, which includes power toms, power basses, and their latest goodie, the slapshot snare strainer. This strainer is a simple idea well done and keeps the snares tight when disengaged from the bottom head. This helps keep a more consistent snare adjustment and the throw-off on the strainer operates easily and feels nice and solid.

The Magnum Superset hardware adjusts height-wise with just a one-quarter turn of the handle, a convenience that is only appreciated on those a.m. tear-downs when you can't wait to get home. As far as the actual drums are concerned, Slingerland offers most of their maple shells on three or five-ply versions. They are also willing to do custom tricks for you if you ask real nice.

The most unique Slingerland feature this year is their introduction of the May Electro-Acoustical Drum. Huh? That's right, electroacoustical! Inventor Randy May has come up with a permanent, internally mounted drum miking system. The microphones, made by Shure are mounted INSIDE the actual drum shell and can be turned from the outside for eq. purposes. This greatly speeds up set-up time when you need drum mikes, yet does not interfere when you want to play your set acoustically. This could be a revolutionary step in drum miking. It's called May EA Drums and it's only available from Slingerland. Wonder if this had anything to do with Rock "BadBoy" Carmine Appice recently coming to Slingerland.

YAMAHA

The Yamaha name is synonymous with quality musical instruments, and they've recently entered the drum business in a serious way. Their catalog is based on what they call "Yamaha system drums," an idea that lets the drummer combine shells, hardware, pedals, etc., from three different drum lines. Yamaha offers recording, tour, and stage series drums, each with different shells and hardware, but all interchangeable, making it as simple to have a custom drum set for your specific needs as filling in an order blank. The top of the line series comes with all birch shells and springless hi-tension lug casings. The recording custom series comes in a hi-gloss piano finish like a Yamaha grand piano. The tour series features laminated shells of birch and Phillipine mahogany, and a split lug design. All Yamaha lugs feature a springless lug design that eliminates "springhum," an irritating little resonance heard in some tension casings, that can only be eliminated by packing the spring with some kind of foam packing material. The tour series is Yamaha's suggested all-purpose drum line, and is more competitively priced than the recording series. The stage series of Yamaha's used a Philippine mahogany shell and are Yamaha's answer to Reaganomics. The budget-minded drummer can buy a less expensive set of Yamahas and still have the ability to inter-change the best hardware, etc., as his wallet allows.

Yamaha catalog prices their sets with or without hardware, so you can choose your favorite drum and hardware combinations.

Yamaha offers three hardware lines. The Nine series is their strongest, most massive hardware and it's definitely built to take it. The Seven series hardware is a scaled down version of the Nine series and is more compact. It is much more likely to fit the average trap case. The Five series hardware offers less expensive, stable hardware in a name brand for the rookie having to beg dad for his drum cash.

Some of Yamaha's pros include Steve Gadd, Peter Erskine, Cozy Powell and Jamie Oldaker.

PREMIER

Premier drums have always been fine drums, but never really well known in the U.S. Premier percussion instruments like tympani and mallet keyboards are some of the finest in the world, and are popular with many American schools and orchestras. Premier recently asked Music Technology, Inc. to take over their American marketing and distribution and this will surely help their American effort. Premier enjoys the respect of some excellent drummers, including Carl Palmer, Kenney Jones, Harvey Mason and Clem Burke.

Premier has recently introduced many new products and several new drum lines, including Royale, Crown and Soundwave, and they still have their standard drums and the Unique Resonators. Premier showed a "Black Shadow" custom double set at the recent NAMM that would bring a tear to a glass eye. This set features custom power toms shells and an ebony wood stain that was beautiful. The Royale outfit offers Premier quality at a very affordable price, and this set can be ordered with your choice of Trident, Tri-star or Tri-Lok hardware. The Crown series offers an improved set, again with hardware options, and probably the best shell in its price range. Soundwave drums have an extended collar design, like Premier's Elite tympani, for extra resonance. Premier's way of doing this is to actually make the drumshells smaller, so the heads are standard size. Resonator drums feature a "shell-within-a-shell" for more projection and a purer, cleaner tone. Resonator drums kick ass.

Premier's most exciting new product is the #2005 Snare Drum introduced at NAMM. This drum is an 8" X 14" Birch Shell with die-cast hoops and cast strainer and is a sharp looking and sounding drum. You'll be seeing more of Premier in the U.S. shortly. Write 'em.

GRETSCH

Gretsch Drums have been around since 1883, and for many years "that Great Gretsch Sound" was essential if you wanted to be a "hip" N.Y. jazzoid. A four-piece set of Gretsch with crusty green K. Zildjian cymbals was all you needed if you were a young Elvin Jones or Tony Williams. Some of the greatest jazz drumming in the world has been recorded on Gretsch. Gretsch has had more than its share of management and personnel changes in the past, but is presently at an alltime high with a positive forecast for the future. They recently introduced the extended-shell power toms and bass drums to their fine and their hardware is now the best it's ever been. The Gretsch finishes have always been the one to beat for other manufacturers doing wood-grain finishes, and they put this in a six-ply maple shell with super strength die-cast hoops.

Gretsch has recently moved from old quarters to a new and more spacious environment located in Nashville, Tennessee. It is just one part of their overall growth effort.

These days, with groups like Alabama, Gino Vannelli, Santana and the Knack playing them, Gretsch is in their best position in years. The quality has always been there; it's just a matter of getting them into the right hands. Just ask Charlie Watts or Tony Williams, they've been playing Gretsch for years.

Gretsch Drum Company now has the hardware and drums they need, the personnel and offices they need, and the K. Zildjian cymbals and Ufip Percussion effects. The time has come for Gretsch's best effort, and they look ready. Write for more info...

LUDWIG

The Ludwig Drum Company was recently acquired by the Selmer Company, one of the heaviest school instrument companies in the world. This union almost immediately produced a Total Concert Percussion Catalog that offers everything from snare kits to concert marimbas, tympani, concert drums, chimes, sound effects, gongs and most other percussion instruments. The Marching Percussion and Concert Percussion fields have always been incredibly strong with Ludwig and this closer relationship with the school programs can only help to strengthen their hold on the market. Drum corps and marching bands are more popular than ever, growing in leaps and bounds, and are the perfect place for young outfit drummers to get started out with good technique. Speaking of drumsets, very little can be said about Ludwig that hasn't already been said. Since long before Ringo Starr and the Fab Four, Ludwig has played an important role in all aspects of rock 'n' roll, and Ludwig outfits can be found in all styles of music all over the world. Ludwig recently revamped their entire outfit line and introduced their "modular" hardware line. The modular hardware offers total flexibility, combining tom holders, cymbal stands, cymbal mounts, tom stands and "outrigger" (legless) tom and cymbal stands that completely interchange to make assembly of today's mega-sets with 79 drums less of a nightmare. Ludwig also has offered for several years the extended shell power toms and bass drums that are so popular now and their shells are a six-ply die-mold maple shell with no reinforcing hoop. Ludwig snare drums are available in dozens of shapes and size, from the aluminum shell Aerolite to the awesome slotted Coliseum series and Challenger marching snares. All Ludwig drums are available with their new double channel die-cast hoops and come in natural wood finishes, as well as the usual cortex colors. Ludwig just introduced their new silk gloss colors at the NAMM show in June, and these are their best colors yet. Write for a free catalog.

NORTH DRUMS

North Drums raise any drummer's curiosity on sight because of their radical departure from conventional acoustic drum shapes. The North drum shape is best described as a curved megaphone or horn shape. In fact, some people are instantly reminded of miniature tubas! The idea behind North's shape was to achieve a more directional sound, getting the drum sound into the audience instead of into the stage carpet. For this reason, North drums come stocked in single-headed only. The North shells flare at the bottoms, so a 14-inch top head tom ends up being 18 inches wide at the bell. To say that North drums project would be an understatement—North drums have a unique sound, incredible projection and outrageous looks! North hardware is very heavy duty and reasonably priced, with an excellent, very comfortable drum throne. North Drums must be seen and heard to understand what all the fuss is about! Write for details.

REMO PTS SERIES

Remo Belli pioneered the plastic drum head as we know it, and saved drummers from incredible consistency problems of calf and other animal hide drumheads. (On a warm day your bongos sounded like toms and on a cold day, your toms sounded like bongos!) The Remo company has continued to lead the field in drum heads and in fact, are original equipment on most major drum manufacturers' drums. This year marks Remo's 25th anniversary and Remo celebrated by offering their new pretuned series of drums and percussion instruments. This line is not geared to compete with the other drum companies, but to help get students started on something that's inexpensive, but still sounds good. Five-piece drumsets are only $390! The secret is Remo's drumheads that are pre-tuned so they sound good on anything. The pre-tuned heads are also easily adapted to conventional. The pre-tuned line also offers Chinese toms, tambourines, bongos and 3-piece drumsets.

PRODIGY DRUMS

(Cosmic Percussion)

(by Latin Percussion)

Latin Percussion started as a hand-held percussion and conga manufacturer, but is rapidly headed towards becoming a full-line drum supplier. The latest development in this evolution is the Prodigy drum line by L.P. The Prodigy drum line is actually marketed by the Cosmic Percussion division of L.P., a new line developed to help students and pros alike on a limited budget. The Prodigy drum line is an imported drum line that features nine-ply shells, Remo heads and very functional hardware, with drumsets from three-piece to nine-piece. The Prodigy drumset prices seen very fair with a nine-piece set retailing for $1099 (list). L.P. has begun taking the drumset business very seriously and the Prodigy/Cosmic Percussion Line includes dozens of items including pedals, stands, thrones, timbales, bongos, congas, bells, blocks and covers all at student prices. The Prodigy hardware includes add-on tom adapters, mike clips and mike stand too!

LATIN PERCUSSION

As I review my L.P. catalog to write this review, I barely know where to start. The L.P. company offers excellent fiberglas congas, every percussion sound under the Sun, and now have expanded into cymbals, gongs, chimes, cases and covers and even sound effect toys. L.P. boss Martin Cohen has done much to : promote percussion sounds from different cultures and countries by importing or duplicating these sounds and by financing and promoting an entire series of percussionist albums and tapes. L.P. recently introduced a wooden line of oak and teak congas to supplement their already successful fiberglas congas and Cohen seems to be willing to expand his percussion company as far as drummer need him to. Any serious drummer would love a copy of the Latin Percussion goodies book, if only to wonder what sounds some of these wild looking instruments make. Get creative with Latin Percussion!

PERCUSSION PLUS & WORLD PERCUSSION

(Distributed by Midco & Pennino Music)

One of the most exciting percussion companies ever is World Percussion and for one reason... this is the real McCoy! All of World Percussion's Chinese, Brazilian and ethnic instruments are authentic instruments, imported without modification or "Americanization" for contemporary use, and offer some of the funkiest, most original sound around. The Wuhan gongs and cymbals are handmade in traditional fashion in the Wuhan factory deep in the People's Republic of China! Tell me they don't know what a real gong sounds like. The selection of gongs include many .interesting varieties with names like Chan, Kai, Wind, Fuyin, Pa Si, Bao, Jing and Yam gongs. Crazy sounds too! The Wuhan cymbals include "lion" cymbals, the original pang and neat hand cymbals called Jing, Ka Koon and Che cymbals, each with a voice uniquely its own. The World Percussion/Percussion Plus line also includes authentic Brazilian instruments from the Gope factory in San Paulo, Brazil. The instruments range from double and triple agogo bells to Ganza's, Cuica's, Chocalho's and Reco Reco's. The latest additions to the World Percussion line include Japanese temple gongs and Japanese plate gongs and temple bells. Write em, they'll send you a catalog you won't forget. P.S. The prices are great!

DURALINE

Duraline makes the strongest drumheads in the world, period! They're appropriately called Superheads, and are made from Kevlar, the material used in bulletproof vests. Duraline heads are made of woven fabric and can hold up for several gigs with a split in the head. Superheads come in a muted, no-ring studio version and a live, concert batter as well. Duraline also make drumsticks that are made to take a licking and keep on kicking.

SYNDRUMS

Syndrums put electronic drums on the map and paved the way for modern electronic percussion. Besides the usual "disco" sounds that were first heard from Syndrums, hundreds of other sounds, including "fat" toms to bells, claves, wood blocks and laser freak-outs, are also available. Imagine giant tom sounds, fat toms, birdcalls and steel drums all in one 21 pound rig. Syndrums have opened up a whole new world.

AQUARIAN ENTERPRISES

Roy Bums and Dave Donaho have been responsibly for many innovative goodies in the percussion industry, first for the Rogers drum company and now for their own company, Aquarian Enterprises. Aquarian makes graphite and nylon drumsticks with all the best qualities . of wood, but six to eight times the durability. They also make a Kwikkey combo key chain and drum key for space cadet drummers and a money saving cymbal spring. The cymbal spring takes the place of conventional cymbal tilters, allowing the cymbal to move when you lay into it, letting the spring absorb the shock instead of the expensive cymbal. Try 'em, your cymbals will love you for it.

CYMBAL FORECAST

I see a cymbal war on the horizon! Zildjian has for years been "King of the Hill" and has earned the respect and loyalty of many of the world's greatest drummers, but there may be trouble for them and any other cymbal manufacturer this year. Paiste, Europe's heavyweightcymbal maker, has been gaining ground with intense exposure and marketing in the U.S. and they've introduced many exciting cymbal and gong sounds to American drummers. Between these two, you'd think a drummer would have all the cymbal sounds he needs, but now there's a flood of cymbals and related sounds from other manufacturers, including Camber, Ufip, Peal and Sabian. Ultimately, we the drummers win this battle, as the fight for our hard-earned cymbal dollars will "weed out" all but the best sounds from the best companies. Also, thanks to free enterprise; many good-sounding cymbals are available in the "budget" lines of the name cymbals. So, drummers, shop with open ears, and may the best sound win. (Write for catalogs, know your cymbals!)

ZILDJIAN

The Zildjian family has been making cymbals since 1623, and started the Avedis Zildjian Cymbal Company, as we know it in 1929. The timing was perfect for a quality musical instrument maker with guts and foresight. The Depression had reared its ugly head, and music was welcome relief for the masses. Avedis Zildjian was instrumental in the development of many cymbal sounds during the Jazz Age, inventing and naming sizzle, swish, ride, crash and hi-hat cymbals. Zildjian's catalog claims they make more cymbals than the rest of the world's cymbals manufacturers combined, and they have" definitely held a near-monopoly on the professional cymbal market, especially in the U.S., for decades. Zildjian is the only professional cymbal made in the U.S., and they pride themselves on the fact that no two cymbals sound exactly the same, but instead, offer the drummer an opportunity to pick cymbal sounds that are as individual as he is.

Zildjian has over 100,000 cymbals in stock at their Norwell, Mass, factory at all times, and they have now expanded their cymbals lines to include two new cymbal lines: Amir and K. Zildjian. Amir is less expensive, non-cast cymbal with prices almost unbelievable for a product with the Zildjian name. Amir cymbals are brighter, crisper cymbals than most A. Zildjians, a "harder" sound that should project well. The Amir are available in only 20," 18" and 14" hi-hat sizes at press time, but this could change according to customer demand. Good cymbals at these prices have been hard to find!

Much mystery has surrounded the legendary K. Zildjian cymbal line, which is originally from Turkey and now being produced in the U.S. at the A. Zildjian factory. Moving production to the more modern facility and more accurate quality should bring about the consistency K. Zildjian has sometimes lacked, but the Zildjian family made sure to retain the handhammered processes and dark, "dry" cymbal sounds that made this the ultimate "jazz" cymbal for years. Zildjian also introduced at the recent NAMM show, the new A. Zildjan "China Boy" cymbal, adding a traditional Chinese cymbal sound to their line. The "China Boy" cymbals come in hi and lo pitches and sizes from 16" to 22." Write for info and free catalog on the entire Zildjan cymbal family.

CAMBER CYMBALS & PERCUSSION EFFECTS

Camber cymbals are by far the most popular medium-priced cymbals and they offer three lines of cymbals, as well as woodblocks, hickory drumsticks, cymbal toppers and four models of earthtone chimes. Each chime has a distinctly different sound with names like "mirror sound," "cutting sword," "crystal sun" and the "far Eastern arch." Good chimes at a good price. Camber Brass cymbals are a good price range for beginners with 14" hi-hats starting at $80 a pair. Nickel-Silver are Camber's most popular cymbals 'cause they're in that price range most drummers can appreciate. Camber's bronze cymbal line contains more copper than the others, making this their most expensive and professional cymbal line. Prices for 14" matched hi-hat pairs start at $150. Camber's woodblocks are made from mahogany and maple, and can be purchased individually or in their new five-block quintet outfit. They also offer quality cymbal bags and drum covers that are reasonably priced and durable. Camber is also the only cymbal maker with an electronic cymbal.

PAISTE CYMBALS

Paiste cymbals, gongs and percussion sounds have never really had the proper exposure in the U.S. until recently. Paiste has an overwhelming variety of sounds to choose from and they are making them more readily available with marketing and warehousing facilities under the name Paiste America. Their excellent clinic program includes Roy Burns, David Garibaldi, Jack DeJohnette, Rod Morganstein and Danny Gottlieb. Paiste cymbals are made in Switzerland and the gongs are made in Germany, so they've been a favorite of European percussionists for years. My favorite thing about Paiste is they're constantly trying to create a new sound or percussion device to stimulate percussionists.

Paiste offers six cymbal lines for the U.S., which are #404, #505, #602, #2002, Rude and Sound Creation Series, Each series is designed with specific musical needs and styles in mind. The #404 Series is Paiste's student model cymbals designed to sound good as inexpensively as possible and train young ears for the future. The #505 Series is a very well-rounded intermediate cymbal line, with many excellent models and weights to choose from, using a less expensive alloy than the #2002 cymbal line, but having many of the same characteristics.

Some of my favorite Paiste crash sounds are the #505 Series. The #2002 Cymbal line is the rock 'n' roll favorite, known for its bright highs and piercing projection. The #2002 is by far the most popular line and features several unique styles of cymbals, including China Types and Sound Edge hi-hats. Chester Thompson, Carl Palmer, Phil Rudd and Stewart Copeland use the #2002. Paiste Formula #602 series are designed more for a low to moderate volume situation and are best for jazz, gospel and studio work, where a more controlled cymbal sound is desirable. These cymbals could easily be abused by zealous rockers laying into 'em too hard. The Paiste cymbal manual and catalog clearly defines the difference in use and sound of all of their cymbals and is free for the asking.

Last is the Sound Creation cymbal line, Paiste's most "esoteric" cymbals! These are very specialized cymbal colors and sounds, most popular with jazz and free-form players, and the most misunderstood of all Paiste cymbals. Visit a Paiste Sound Center and hear these sounds for yourself. And when it comes to gongs and similar percussion effects, Paiste's in a field all their own. Write for more info.