Steamer
10-22-2007, 03:33 AM
Well I went to check out some new Agops from a recent shipment to the Canadian Agop distributor Heartbeat Percussion just for the fun of it a couple of days back with also the intent of listening to a few possible ride candidates for a upcoming CD recording by a all original music 17 piece Big Band with the intent of using the same ride in live concerts with the same outfit in future concert dates too. The first candidates I tried which just came in for testing were very interesting cymbals indeed 22" and 24" Traditional Dark rides but not quite what I had in mind for what I was hearing in character for the group in question but would be amazing in other musical applications. After a bit of discussion my wise Agop guy Noel who always seems to pull the right cymbal up to check out at the right time suggested the Mel Lewis Signature Series 21" ride with 2 rivets for the Big Band. Made sense to me since it was based directly off Mel's cymbals sent back to the then pre-split Istanbul cymbal company in Turkey for replicating the sound and creating the Mel Lewis signature series cymbals to follow as a production line starting in 1987. Well folks this had it all with a great presence,projection,killer musical bell and a very warm woody stick on top all over a very smooth with zero bad overtones old K like wash and spread. I love the 2 rivets being the perfect amount and effect for this cymbal too. An excellent full quick and loud if need be responsive shimmering crash too which was also a important factor in a selection of a Big Band cymbal. In other words it had it all with the volume and projection I was looking for combined with a great loud musical bell and a defined clear but not pingy woody stick sound over the dark wash for hearing the time in a large loud at times group. The search was over a Mel Lewis 21" ride at 2180 grams came back home with me that day.
Got a a call the other day to do a trio gig for last night on a very small stage and with the request for a very small kit so with just a ride,hats and snare as my kit I decided to take the new Mel Lewis 21" ride and my 14" Sig hats to see how it would fair in this setting. Not only is this going to smoke with the Big Band but it sure sounded great in this piano,acoustic bass and drum combo playing standards with brushes and sticks having a wonderful stick and responsive to brushes sound. The piano player who I haven't worked with in nearly 4 years now since our last gig commented that if you could describe a cymbal as being warm sounding this was it.
Another outstanding Agop to add to my ever growing collection for covering every type of musical situation I may encounter down the road in the future.
Got a a call the other day to do a trio gig for last night on a very small stage and with the request for a very small kit so with just a ride,hats and snare as my kit I decided to take the new Mel Lewis 21" ride and my 14" Sig hats to see how it would fair in this setting. Not only is this going to smoke with the Big Band but it sure sounded great in this piano,acoustic bass and drum combo playing standards with brushes and sticks having a wonderful stick and responsive to brushes sound. The piano player who I haven't worked with in nearly 4 years now since our last gig commented that if you could describe a cymbal as being warm sounding this was it.
Another outstanding Agop to add to my ever growing collection for covering every type of musical situation I may encounter down the road in the future.