Zildjian Platinum

eastcoast1591

Junior Member
What can you guys tell me about the Zildjian Platinum series? Someone just dropped off a whole used set in excellent condition at my local store, great prices, can you tell me about the quality of the cymbals and why Zildjian stopped producing them?
Can you compare them to any of Zildjian's current lines?
 
Ive never heard Zildjian Platinums in person, but they are the line that Vinnie Colaiuta used to endorse, so I'm guessing they are similar in character to A Customs. However that may not be true, but because of that endorsement, they probably sound pretty sweet.

Zildjian stopped making them because platinum is toxic and bad for the enviroment.
 
DHW200 said:
Zildjian stopped making them because platinum is toxic and bad for the enviroment.

Was it really that Platinum is Toxic & bad for the environment?...I don't really think so.

Platinum Spark Plugs were sold all over the world, and is still around. The fall in sales of Platinum is because of introduction of Iridium not - any green issues (anyway that's for plugs).

I thought...there is also Platinum watch, platinum rings etc. in the market..

There must be other reasons to it I believed.
 
really? platinums are sold here for like $60 a piece for crash and ride.

i've played the ride, its like a thin K custom ride, doesn't sound as nice.
 
eastcoast1591 said:
What can you guys tell me about the Zildjian Platinum series? Someone just dropped off a whole used set in excellent condition at my local store, great prices, can you tell me about the quality of the cymbals and why Zildjian stopped producing them?
Can you compare them to any of Zildjian's current lines?

They're 'A' series Zildjians with the Platinum treatment. Not real Platinum, but a shinny silver metallic coating. Weak sales along with bad wear killed the line. When the were not cared for (and even when they were) the 'Platinum' coating wore off and tarnished in a very unpleasing way. Made the line and Zildjian look bad. V Coliauta did pimp them, and was later rewarded with the A Custom line.

They will be very collectable in the future (in great condition of course). Sonically not that impressive, a slightly more noticeable hi-end brightness. More show than go. Titanium ZXT's used a similar (if not same) coating process.
 
I remember Vinnie and A.J. Pero (of Twisted Sister), were endorsing them for awhile.

I seem to remember that Zildjian was having trouble with the EPA over the manufacturing process associated with the line.

They looked cool but sounded the same as regular A's to me. You see them pop up now and then on ebay.

Price will be strictly up to the demand of collectors.
 
Miggle said:
really? platinums are sold here for like $60 a piece for crash and ride.

i've played the ride, its like a thin K custom ride, doesn't sound as nice.

That can never be 100% pure Platinum....
 
its a platinum coating. i have a pare of rock hats, and the the coating peels off. under it is an unfinished cymbal. it was the paint they made which was toxic, if they were solid platinum, my hi hats would not hae been 100 bucks.
 
its a platinum coating. i have a pare of rock hats, and the the coating peels off. under it is an unfinished cymbal. it was the paint they made which was toxic, if they were solid platinum, my hi hats would not hae been 100 bucks.

If they were solid platinum too they'd weigh a ton, because platinum is a very HEAVY metal. (hehe pun semi intended)
 
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Hi, The Zildjian Platinum series was produced in the late 1980s to about 1990. The "Platinum" Coating is just nickel. The cymbals themselves are standard A Zildjian and they have become a collectors item because of their limited run. If the cymbals are in good shape -- the coating is still largely intact and the logos are still in good shape -- you can easily sell them for their original retail price. The series also had two different colored labels, black and blue. The black labels are the older cymbals, the blue labels came out I believe in 1990. Hope this helps!
 
+1..You are absolutley correct.No platinum was used in their manufacture.The Titanium line does use a titanium alloy,and is more of a wash than a true plating.Titanium is expensive also,although nowhere near as real platinum.

Steve B
 
I had a set of Platinums back in the late 80's, they looked fantastic, but in less than three months the coating started peeling off all over and they looked pretty bad. For a cymbal to hang on the wall and admire the unique coloring, go for it, to use it on a kit, I never would again. I traded them in for their bronze counterparts and they are still going strong.
 
Hey I have a set of 14" Platinum Rock Hats. I traded them with a friend my old Sabian AA hats. They are still pretty nice looking except around the bell of the top hat is peeling a bit from the clutch. They sound great. Not exactly my cup of tea though (I'm not a fan of rock weights) but for rock/metal they would fit in very nicely. I think I have an older set. They have black logo top and blue logo bottom. They are for sale by the way :p
 
I used to have black logoed 14" platinum new beats & a crash. I paid 125 for them in the late 80's and sold them to a friend for 150, I really liked them for recording but otherwise i found them too bright.

Zildjian claims that they were eliminated because of environmental issues with the plating process, but part of me believes they scrapped them due to poor sales. When a cymbal just sounds bad, no amount of glitter will fix that.
 
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