Help me choose between 3 packs for classic 70's rock

Which cymbals pack should I get?

  • PAISTE PST7 Light set

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • ISTANBUL Agop Xist Brilliant Set

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • ISTANBUL Mehmet Samatya set

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    0

Anaon

Junior Member
Hi everyone!

I'm asking for your help because I'd like to upgrade my set of cymbals and I'm no expert at all.

All I know is that it's only for recording purposes and I like and want to get close to 70's classic rock/progressive rock (Led Zeppelin, Yes, Rush, Pink Floyd, etc...).

It seems that the Paiste 2002 were quite popular during the era but it's out of my budget. The Paiste PST7 range seems to be a good cheap alternative, what do you think? Is it true that the light range of the PST7 are the closest to the 2002?

My actual cymbals set is quite mismatched...
HH : Sabian AAX studio hats 14"
Crash 16" : Meinl Raker
Crash 18" : Istanbul Mehmet
Ride 20" : Meinl Raker

I thought about these packs so far:
PAISTE PST7 : https://www.thomann.de/fr/paiste_pst7_light_set_16_crash.htm
ISTANBUL Agop : https://www.thomann.de/fr/istanbul_agop_xist_brilliant_cymbal_set_pro.htm
ISTANBUL Mehmet : https://www.thomann.de/fr/istanbul_mehmet_samatya_cymbal_set_1.htm

What do you think?

Thank you for your help (y)
 
All I know is that it's only for recording purposes and I like and want to get close to 70's classic rock/progressive rock (Led Zeppelin, Yes, Rush, Pink Floyd, etc...).
I'd shop used. 499 euro/$554US is enough cash to dial in what you. Check out the Zildjian Armand series. Now discontinued, they replicate the Zildjian sound of the 60's/70's.

Also shop Paiste 2002 used. I found (in a matter of seconds on eBay) a 20"ride/16" crash/14" hats totaled 421 euro/$469US.
 
Side by side I prefer the sound of the medium-weight PST7 cymbals to the thin weight. The thin crashes are just a little too hollow-sounding to me, and lack some of the fullness of the PST7 mediums, and especially of the 2002s.
 
I'd shop used. 499 euro/$554US is enough cash to dial in what you. Check out the Zildjian Armand series. Now discontinued, they replicate the Zildjian sound of the 60's/70's.

Also shop Paiste 2002 used. I found (in a matter of seconds on eBay) a 20"ride/16" crash/14" hats totaled 421 euro/$469US.
Well, I'm not against buying used cymbals at all, it's just easier and quicker to buy them new but I'm not in a hurry...

Side by side I prefer the sound of the medium-weight PST7 cymbals to the thin weight. The thin crashes are just a little too hollow-sounding to me, and lack some of the fullness of the PST7 mediums, and especially of the 2002s.
Ok I'm not sure about the medium or the light. I tend to prefer the light hit hat when I watch test videos on Youtube but not sure about crashes and rides...
 
Well, I'm not against buying used cymbals at all, it's just easier and quicker to buy them new but I'm not in a hurry...
Well, of your the three ..... I like the Mehmet Samatya the best.
 
I would probably keep the hats that you have now AAX studio hats should be pretty darn good. Then I would shop for a couple of used crashes in a ride. Usually when people buy the economy cymbals they end up becoming dissatisfied with them after a while and wish they had bought the good ones in the first place.
 
Well, of your the three ..... I like the Mehmet Samatya the best.

I like them too, the thing is I like the three packs equally I think :LOL:

I would probably keep the hats that you have now AAX studio hats should be pretty darn good. Then I would shop for a couple of used crashes in a ride. Usually when people buy the economy cymbals they end up becoming dissatisfied with them after a while and wish they had bought the good ones in the first place.

Do you think hit hats in those packs won't sound better than the AAX Studio hats?

I'm not in a hurry so I could wait and make the money in a new ride and a new 16" crash first but I don't really know which ones...

Thanks for your help (y)
 
I'd shop used. 499 euro/$554US is enough cash to dial in what you. Check out the Zildjian Armand series. Now discontinued, they replicate the Zildjian sound of the 60's/70's.

Also shop Paiste 2002 used. I found (in a matter of seconds on eBay) a 20"ride/16" crash/14" hats totaled 421 euro/$469US.
What he says! Buy used 2002s and safe some serious cash.
 
Is there something to know about 2002 models? Maybe some models sound better than others regarding the year of manufacture?

That´s the beauty of Paiste - they are really, really consistent. I have new 2002s and had some from the 80s and they sounded pretty identical. So no worries there. 14" hats, 18" crash and 20" ride and you´re good to go.
 
Although I'm a die hard vintage Ziljian user and fan, in your case I go down the Paiste 2002 road. Gonzo, Nick Mason etc. You can't loose.

Pete
 
I like them too, the thing is I like the three packs equally I think :LOL:



Do you think hit hats in those packs won't sound better than the AAX Studio hats?


Thanks for your help (y)
[
I like them too, the thing is I like the three packs equally I think :LOL:



Do you think hit hats in those packs won't sound better than the AAX Studio hats?

I


Thanks for your help (y)
AAX is one of sabian's professional cymbal lines. They're very popular and generally sound good. The three cymbal packs that you mentioned are entry-level or budget line cymbals. It is possible that you might like one of those hi hats better. The only way to know would be to try them all out. Also don't be afraid to mix cymbal brands. I have a 22in aax Omni ride that I take to all my gigs as well as 14 in Zildjian new beat hi-hats. My crashes can vary sometimes I use a hand hammered crash by Sabian and a Zildjian a crash along with it , or a might use a k Zildjian crash and a Sabian hand-hammered. I also have an18-inch Paiste signature I got that cymbal in 1990 and for many years I used it along with a 16 in Zildjian A. I bought my cymbals one at a time whenever I could afford one and I just picked out something that I liked that I thought would go good with what I already had.
 
Do you think hit hats in those packs won't sound better than the AAX Studio hats?
I'm not in a hurry so I could wait and make the money in a new ride and a new 16" crash first but I don't really know which ones...
If you have a drum shop or two in your area ..... spend some time hitting some cymbals. If you know any other drummers .... pay attention to what they're using. If not .... dive into the interweb and check out as many cymbal video's as you can.

Your AAX Studio hats .... are you happy with those? If so, those are great hats to build a cymbal set around.

If you go down the 2002 road, either as a 2nd set of cymbals, or to replace what you currently own, you really can't go wrong. And if you buy used, 2002's hold their value really well. I bought a set of Black Label 2002 14" hats in 1992, for $250. Played them for 15+ years, and sold them, for $250. For a while, I had a whole set of Paiste Colorsound 5 cymbals .... and again, when I sold them, I hardly lost anything.
 
Well, I'm not against buying used cymbals at all, it's just easier and quicker to buy them new but I'm not in a hurry...

Follow your own advice and save up a little longer. Buy some top end cymbals, sadly you can't take short cuts with cymbals. Buy once, cry once.

2002s/Giant Beats were the the offerings from Paiste for classic rock then and they're still around now. You can't go wrong with either. Look at the Meinl Pure Alloy range too, very similar. I'm just thinking of manufaturers that are European so you'll get them cheaper. UFIPs are beautiful cymbals too, made in Italty.

If you want to go down the North American route there's the Zildjian and Sabian offerings and again between the Zildjian A and Sabian AA you won't go far wrong but they're a little pricier I find due to the travelling they have to do to get here and import duty etc.
 
OK I'll upgrade step by step if it's worth it (y)

I could keep my AAX which I play for years and can't complain about it at all, I like it!

I think I should start with my 16" crash and replace it by this:
https://www.thomann.de/fr/paiste_2002_16_crash.htm

And also replace my ride (Meinl Raker) by this:

https://www.thomann.de/fr/paiste_2002_20_ride.htm

Is it a good start? I stick to the Paiste 2002 because it was a reference in the 70's (and still is) but I'm open to something else if it has the vintage 70s vibe ;)

Thanks!
 
OK I'll upgrade step by step if it's worth it (y)

I could keep my AAX which I play for years and can't complain about it at all, I like it!

I think I should start with my 16" crash and replace it by this:
https://www.thomann.de/fr/paiste_2002_16_crash.htm

And also replace my ride (Meinl Raker) by this:

https://www.thomann.de/fr/paiste_2002_20_ride.htm

Is it a good start? I stick to the Paiste 2002 because it was a reference in the 70's (and still is) but I'm open to something else if it has the vintage 70s vibe ;)

Thanks!

Some good advice above. The adage "buy once, cry once" is especially true for cymbals, IMO.

Get yourself some 2002s / Giant Beats and be happy. Plus, if you change your mind, they retain their resale value pretty well. Good luck! :)
 
Hi there!

Back in the game, still thinking about this cymbal upgrade project.

I'm quite sure now that the Paiste 2002 range is the way to go but I just wonder about how loud they sound?
I won't do live, it's just for recording in a quite small room so I'm a bit concerned about the volume of the 2002s...
 
2002's are fairly bright and penetrating, but that's what makes them sound like 2002s.

I think if you stick to somewhat smaller sizes (16 & 18) and avoid the heavy weights you should be fine. You might also consider Giant Beats, which are a little less bright.
 
The 2002 ride is nice for 70's rock, I have a 20" and I like it, bought it used and in immaculate condition for half the price compared to Thomann. 2002 Heavy ride could be of interest, a little less wash, or the 2002 Power ride, even less.
 
I have a bunch of 2002s and like the 16" crash the least. I'd stick with the 18" and 20" if I was starting over.

The 20" ride is great but the 24" is killer if you've got room for it.

15" Sound Edge hats are incredible, but pricey. The 14" PST medium hats are not bad at all.
 
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