Desert Island Cymbal Pack

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eric.elwell.1

New Member
After putting down the sticks and selling my last kit (Yamaha Recording Custom) 35-years ago, I'm building a new drum kit. I've decided on the shell pack (20" BD/10-12-14 toms) and I'm unlikely to play gigs or in the studio, but as a successful audio engineer here in Nashville, I know what good sounds like.

Now I'm polling the community here... You have to choose 5 cymbals - Hi-Hats, Ride, 2 Crash, 1 specialty (China, Splash, other).
1. What are they?
2. What makes them special enough to make the cut?

Thanks eveyone!
 
Hats and ride have gotta be Paiste:
Hats - 14” Paiste 2002 Sound Edge
Ride - 22” Paiste Blue Bell

The above will cut, ping and really sing with clarity.

Crashes - 18” Sabian HH Thin Crash and 19” Istanbul Agop Dark Traditional…beautiful cymbals, the perfect pair!

China - 21” Zildjian A ultra hammered china…it’ll smash your face in should you require it and really bring out those accents!
 
What kind of music are you playing?

My answers for a do-everything kit would be as follows (all Paiste):
Hi Hat: 14" Modern Essentials (or 15")
Crashes: 20" and 18" Masters Dark or Big Beat
Ride: 22" Modern Essentials Ride OR 22" Traditionals Light Ride
Specialty: 22" Masters Swish

What makes them special? Well, I was thinking more as a whole set for multiple applications, and what makes this configuration is that you have cymbals that sound amazing together but also have distinct sounds. And they'll work for everything-- I've recorded loud rock stuff with my Modern Essentials and lots of Americana with the Masters. And the Masters Swish is just one of the most beautiful, versatile cymbals anywhere-- it's rich and interesting and it ends up on so many of my recordings.

So, this combination is versatile, beautiful, rich, integrated, and varied.
 
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I have carefully curated my cymbal selection over the years. I have what I consider to be GREAT specimens of these cymbals, for the style that I play (low to medium volume), so take this list with that in consideration:

14” 1960s thin A hats
16” 90s A Thin Crash
16” 80s K Dark Crash
20” 80s K Crash Ride
10” 90s AA Splash

I love thinner cymbals, because you can open them up at lower volumes, and you have a lot of character to work with. You can draw the sound from them, rather than beat the sound out of them. These cymbals work well for that.
 
eric.elwell.1 said:
You have to choose 5 cymbals - Hi-Hats, Ride, 2 Crash, 1 specialty (China, Splash, other).
1. What are they?
2. What makes them special enough to make the cut?
Click to expand...
Yes.

IMG_6996.jpeg

Only five? You're a masochist.

Today's Premium Selection:
Hats: Paiste 15" 602 ME​
Crash #1: Paiste 16" PST-X Thin Crash​
Crash #2: Paiste 17" Signature Fast Crash​
Ride: Paiste 22" Signature Traditional Flat Ride (probably too quiet for mere mortals)​
Specialty: Paiste 22" Signature Traditional Light Swish (good luck finding one)​

Tomorrow's selection is—no doubt—subject to change.
 
But seriously folks, Paiste Dimensions as the permanently unattainable desert island set. Only managed to get the 19" Power Crash
and the 11" Power Splash before Paiste dropped the line about a year or so after introducing it. Would have filled out my set with;
22" Power Ride, 18"& 20" Power Crashes, 20" Power China (anyone else noticing a recurring theme here?) and 15" Power Hats. TOTALLY
LOVED their sound and look. Had to "make do" with 2002's🤷‍♂️ Now, if we're talking stuff we can still actually GET, I'm inclined to think
either/or Paiste 602 Classic or 2002 in matching weights and diameters: 20" Heavy, 18" Medium, 18" Thin Crash and 15" SE hats :cool:(y)
 
my cymbals are "set-dependent"
a mix of - old A & old K - rides and hihats if it's one of the 60s sets
the 00's set - it'd be newer mix of all Bosphorus traditionals and Bos Turks..
So a 20th century and a 21st century set
 
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I'll pick from what I have in the arsenal that sound the best together and mics seem to like too

15" K light Hats
19" K Dark Thin Crash
20" Amedia Vintage Crash
22" K Constantinople Renaissance Ride or ye olde A Medium
24" 70s Wuhan China
 
14" 602 SE hihats
16" 602 ME crash
18" 2002 crash
20" 602 medium ride
22" 2002 or Wuhan China
Actually similar with what I have now, an 18" 505 ride, a 20" 602 medium ride, and a 20" Haiping Pang.
 
Any cymbal pack really.

As long as........

1) The first cymbal doubles as a radio to call the Coast Guard to be rescued.

2) The second cymbal doubles as a water purifier.

3) The 3rd cymbal doubles as a rifle with plenty of ammo.

4) The 4th cymbal doubles as a fire starter with dry wood.

5) The last cymbal doubles as a big canvas tent.

Unfortunately I don't have the opportunity to include a 6th cymbal which would double as a toilet bag full of toothpaste, toothbrush, comb, cologne, razor and shaving cream, moisturiser, dental floss, mouthwash, phone and charger.

I'm not too concerned at this point with the wash, the quality of the bell or any overtones of the cymbals may have.

If they can all perform their expected duties as per my list......I'm a happy drummer.
 
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Zildjian 14" New Beats HH
Paiste Formula 602 Ride
Paiste Signature Crash
Paiste Giant Beat Crash/Ride
Zildjian 17" K Custom Special Dry Trash Crash
 
A full set of Paiste 602 Modern Essentials would be versatile enough for me. Though I don't know if they're available in cymbal packs?

( I'd want the 22" China in that line so I could scare away any harmful creatures on the island or use it's reflection to signal a rescue plane.)
 
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Never head of Desert Island Cymbal company but I found the "Desert series" from the Red Cymbal company-which I also never heard of ROFL.:ROFLMAO:
So is this like just one set up or can you pick line ups of Zildjian, Paiste, Sabian, etc and then build a large climate controlled building, on the deserted island, for the large collection. It would be next to the Desert Island Drum kit storage facility which is about 10 coconut trees down from the Hardware facility. It's a deserted island I'll need something to occupy my time. I'll have to build a stage and then an audience with coconut heads that bob in rhythm to my playing. I call this deserted island Paradise.
 
for me, it would be...and sort of is right now...

all Zildjian

15" 90's era A Quick Beat hi hats
18" 90's era A Thin Crash
19" 90's era K Dark Medium Thin crash
22" 80's era Ping ride
14" 90's era K Dark mini China

my personal desserted island set up would also include:
6 and 8" A splashes
16" 90's era A Rock crash as well
 
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