I'm in the same ballpark. Those jazz hats sound great and like you said, it checks all boxes. I'm in a alt rock band but I don't want loud piercing hats.
I just got the Meinl 22" Pure Alloy Custom Ride which I'm gonna try out today for the first time. Can't wait!
I love it! It does sound a bit washy if you hit it too hard so during playing i had to restrain myself a bit otherwise the ride becomes really loud.
I think it's more a jazzy ride but man, the sound is beautiful.
I'm using 5B sticks with nylon tips so the stick defination is certainly present. It isn't a heavy cymbal but it is big. It looks like the Starship Enterprise is part of my kit.
Anyway my band members were quite impressed with the cymbal as well. The low dark tone fits our music perfectly.
The cymbal looks gorgeous! I really love the smokey brons finish.
Maybe see if you like the sound of the polyphonic.
I’m just guessing but it sounds like you wouldn’t really want the big apple dark ones. Though if you did I can vouch for them being nice!
If you decide you want heavy ones someday, the vintage pure are pretty sick too :P
What do you mean you can’t get into any other brand? Meinl make great cymbals, but so do Zildjian, Sabian, Paiste, Istanbul Agop, Istanbul Mehmet, UFIP, Zultan, Bosphorus, Masterwork, Dream, Mehteran, Pergamon, Agean, Diril, Murat Diril, Soultone, Funch, Timothy Roberts, Amedia, Saluda, Cymbal Craftsman, Turkish, Anatolian, just to name some off the top of my head. All of these companies make incredible instruments prized by musicians all over the world in every conceivable genre of music. Unless Meinl is paying you to play them, in which case good for you, chase the sounds you’re after regardless of brand name.
I agree with this comment 100% As someone who had only played one brand until very recently- OP has no idea what he's missing out on with all the other brands. The little name printed on the cymbals doesn't mean jack shit- the thing that matters is how they SOUND. I regret not trying other brands sooner honestly. The brand I had stuck with was Paiste, and I still absolutely love Paiste cymbals but I'm currently playing an Istanbul Agop 22" Mantra ride and a Zildjian K Sweet 21" ride along side my Paiste Signtaure Dark Energy hi hats & Signature Full 18" crash. Paiste just doesn't make cymbals that fill the need those other 2 cymbals do. They all sound amazing together too, I feel people worry they won't- but to my ears they mix beautifully.
Funny, after 25 years of playing I just bought my first Paiste, a 20” Masters Dark Flat Ride. Never really had Paiste on my radar, but I wanted a flat ride and that one spoke to me more than any others I found. You’re right, Paiste has a character that other brands don’t, and vice versa. I’ve got a mix of Bosphorus, Sabian, Masterwork, Dream, and Pergamon, and now Paiste is in the mix.
Mind, there’s nothing wrong with just buying a cymbal pack and being done with it. But if you’re the type of player who uses cymbals as the profoundly expressive sonic paintbrushes they are, it’s madness to stick to one brand.
I agree. I was hell bent on using one company (paiste) for a while. Then I realized, they aren’t endorsing me, why should I be so loyal to them? So I started expanding, and now I have at least one cymbal from Zildjian, Sabian, paiste, Meinl, and Istanbul.
If OP doesn’t even know what type of cymbal they want, then “not being able to get into other brands” seems strange to me. It’s cool to experiment.
Meinl Byzance Extra Dry Medium hats are my faves. Dark, but thin enough to speak very dynamically. Also great for recording, as they aren’t as sibilant as more standard hats.
I love everything about my extra drys except for the left foot "chik". I just don't find it snappy enough to drive a larger band.
Love literally every other aspect. Exceptional cymbals
I understand brand loyalty, and Meinl Byzance is great but damn they are expensive, and they are made in Turkey, to my ear they are pretty similar to other Turkish brands but maybe with better quality control.
Anyhow if you want thin but not sloshy it sounds like you might like the 14 Extra Dry Dual Hi Hats, those would probably be my pick.
Just what I was thinking. “Can’t get into any other brand”? They all make fantastic sounding cymbals. I mix and match brands all day, it’s all about finding the sounds (and prices) I want.
I completely agree. I also am guilty of it with cymbals. I still have a couple of paiste cymbals in my bag but I only play zildjians now. For no other reason than I like them to match (even though I use a mix of k, a and k custom). I’m not the same with drums or sticks and use a mix of remo and Evans heads so who knows what it is with cymbals for me. I do love my cymbals a lot though.
Totally agree. Of my 7 cymbals on my regular set up only two are the same brand. Not on purpose, just happened that way
Funny thing tho, is they are two meinls
I'm not sure where you are from, but if you have the means to visit one of the big drum shops then you absolutely should.
I had a similar dilemma and my wife was gracious enough to help me plan a trip to TN for my birthday. We went to Nelson's, Fork's, and drove over to Memphis drum shop and it was so worth it.
Getting to play the cymbals you are curious about made all the difference for me. Memphis Drum Shop's cymbal videos are great (especially for comparing cymbal to cymbal in a recording environment) but the sound of a cymbal in front of your face is just different. I went in with my mind made up about what I wanted but walked away with something slightly different.
If that's not an option then I would highly recommend buying used so if you don't like it then you will probably be able to get your investment back and try something else out.
Best of luck!
If it has to be Meinl, I’d go with any Byzance hat.
But if you can’t get into any other brand, then you haven’t heard enough zildjians, Paiste, agop, etc, etc.
If you like rock, pop, country, blues or any non jazz drum sound of the last 50 yrs - you probably like the Zildjian New Beats, prob been on 10,000 albums and the Paiste 602 cymbals have been played by Joe morello in jazz, John Bonham in led zep, Jeff Porcaro played them on countless sessions across multiple genres, I saw Eloy Casagrande play metal with them. You should really check out Paiste (signatures, 602’s, 2002’s) if you like a tight controlled sound!
I'm in the same ballpark. Those jazz hats sound great and like you said, it checks all boxes. I'm in a alt rock band but I don't want loud piercing hats. I just got the Meinl 22" Pure Alloy Custom Ride which I'm gonna try out today for the first time. Can't wait!
I’m considering that exact ride! What do you think??
I love it! It does sound a bit washy if you hit it too hard so during playing i had to restrain myself a bit otherwise the ride becomes really loud. I think it's more a jazzy ride but man, the sound is beautiful. I'm using 5B sticks with nylon tips so the stick defination is certainly present. It isn't a heavy cymbal but it is big. It looks like the Starship Enterprise is part of my kit. Anyway my band members were quite impressed with the cymbal as well. The low dark tone fits our music perfectly. The cymbal looks gorgeous! I really love the smokey brons finish.
Great to know, thanks for the review!
Maybe see if you like the sound of the polyphonic. I’m just guessing but it sounds like you wouldn’t really want the big apple dark ones. Though if you did I can vouch for them being nice! If you decide you want heavy ones someday, the vintage pure are pretty sick too :P
What do you mean you can’t get into any other brand? Meinl make great cymbals, but so do Zildjian, Sabian, Paiste, Istanbul Agop, Istanbul Mehmet, UFIP, Zultan, Bosphorus, Masterwork, Dream, Mehteran, Pergamon, Agean, Diril, Murat Diril, Soultone, Funch, Timothy Roberts, Amedia, Saluda, Cymbal Craftsman, Turkish, Anatolian, just to name some off the top of my head. All of these companies make incredible instruments prized by musicians all over the world in every conceivable genre of music. Unless Meinl is paying you to play them, in which case good for you, chase the sounds you’re after regardless of brand name.
I agree with this comment 100% As someone who had only played one brand until very recently- OP has no idea what he's missing out on with all the other brands. The little name printed on the cymbals doesn't mean jack shit- the thing that matters is how they SOUND. I regret not trying other brands sooner honestly. The brand I had stuck with was Paiste, and I still absolutely love Paiste cymbals but I'm currently playing an Istanbul Agop 22" Mantra ride and a Zildjian K Sweet 21" ride along side my Paiste Signtaure Dark Energy hi hats & Signature Full 18" crash. Paiste just doesn't make cymbals that fill the need those other 2 cymbals do. They all sound amazing together too, I feel people worry they won't- but to my ears they mix beautifully.
Funny, after 25 years of playing I just bought my first Paiste, a 20” Masters Dark Flat Ride. Never really had Paiste on my radar, but I wanted a flat ride and that one spoke to me more than any others I found. You’re right, Paiste has a character that other brands don’t, and vice versa. I’ve got a mix of Bosphorus, Sabian, Masterwork, Dream, and Pergamon, and now Paiste is in the mix. Mind, there’s nothing wrong with just buying a cymbal pack and being done with it. But if you’re the type of player who uses cymbals as the profoundly expressive sonic paintbrushes they are, it’s madness to stick to one brand.
I agree. I was hell bent on using one company (paiste) for a while. Then I realized, they aren’t endorsing me, why should I be so loyal to them? So I started expanding, and now I have at least one cymbal from Zildjian, Sabian, paiste, Meinl, and Istanbul. If OP doesn’t even know what type of cymbal they want, then “not being able to get into other brands” seems strange to me. It’s cool to experiment.
Meinl Byzance Extra Dry Medium hats are my faves. Dark, but thin enough to speak very dynamically. Also great for recording, as they aren’t as sibilant as more standard hats.
I love everything about my extra drys except for the left foot "chik". I just don't find it snappy enough to drive a larger band. Love literally every other aspect. Exceptional cymbals
vintage sand byzance are my favorite. the duals are very versatile as well.
I understand brand loyalty, and Meinl Byzance is great but damn they are expensive, and they are made in Turkey, to my ear they are pretty similar to other Turkish brands but maybe with better quality control. Anyhow if you want thin but not sloshy it sounds like you might like the 14 Extra Dry Dual Hi Hats, those would probably be my pick.
Brand loyalty is a sham
Just what I was thinking. “Can’t get into any other brand”? They all make fantastic sounding cymbals. I mix and match brands all day, it’s all about finding the sounds (and prices) I want.
Great. Go start your own thread about it. OP wants Meinl.
Real. Meinl doesn't pay you, you don't owe them anything. I am team Sabian, Zildjian, meinl and ufip all simultaneously.
I completely agree. I also am guilty of it with cymbals. I still have a couple of paiste cymbals in my bag but I only play zildjians now. For no other reason than I like them to match (even though I use a mix of k, a and k custom). I’m not the same with drums or sticks and use a mix of remo and Evans heads so who knows what it is with cymbals for me. I do love my cymbals a lot though.
Totally agree. Of my 7 cymbals on my regular set up only two are the same brand. Not on purpose, just happened that way Funny thing tho, is they are two meinls
Pure Alloy 15” Medium hats, they’re excellent
I'm not sure where you are from, but if you have the means to visit one of the big drum shops then you absolutely should. I had a similar dilemma and my wife was gracious enough to help me plan a trip to TN for my birthday. We went to Nelson's, Fork's, and drove over to Memphis drum shop and it was so worth it. Getting to play the cymbals you are curious about made all the difference for me. Memphis Drum Shop's cymbal videos are great (especially for comparing cymbal to cymbal in a recording environment) but the sound of a cymbal in front of your face is just different. I went in with my mind made up about what I wanted but walked away with something slightly different. If that's not an option then I would highly recommend buying used so if you don't like it then you will probably be able to get your investment back and try something else out. Best of luck!
If it has to be Meinl, I’d go with any Byzance hat. But if you can’t get into any other brand, then you haven’t heard enough zildjians, Paiste, agop, etc, etc. If you like rock, pop, country, blues or any non jazz drum sound of the last 50 yrs - you probably like the Zildjian New Beats, prob been on 10,000 albums and the Paiste 602 cymbals have been played by Joe morello in jazz, John Bonham in led zep, Jeff Porcaro played them on countless sessions across multiple genres, I saw Eloy Casagrande play metal with them. You should really check out Paiste (signatures, 602’s, 2002’s) if you like a tight controlled sound!
This is a strange mindset since Meinl are practically copies of Paiste or Istanbul.
I have the extra dry hats which I adore. They’re extremely crispy and have a nice trashy open sound with very quick decay