PAISTE PROTOTYPE CYMBALS?!?!?

I called guitar center and they only have 3 left are they worth buying i could really use some new cymbals most of my old zildgians have cracks in em are they worth the money anyone wanna tell me b4 i drive an hour to guitar center and find out there no good? but im not looking for perfect i just really need some new cymbals mine are getting crappy? im lookin to buy 2 crashes and mayyybe a ride. my b8 20'' ride is doing ok for now
 
Are they worth buying? Yes, as long as you like them. Paiste prototypes have a history of being nicely priced at GC.

I was at my local GC last week and they had about 10 of them. Three or four were cymbals that sounded great to my ears. They didn't have prices on them, but I'm sure that they were deals to be had.

I don't think you can go wrong as long as you like them.

Later,
Matt
 
I saw them last weekend, but did not play them. I believe GC told me they were 2 for 1, but I did not even ask the price, as I was already set on Paiste 2002's. They appeared to have the turkish 20% tin mix just by their appearance, but don't quote me on that.
 
If its true to the definition, are they F*** ups or something?
Im sure that there isn't a line called "prototypes".

I as well, am interested in buying these at the Guitar Center.

No no, it's either cymbals that were tests or ideas for a cymbal line or cymbals made for a particular endorser that they didn't like for whatever reason and didn't send them back to Paiste.

G
 
I just checked them out at GC today. Some of them sounded pretty good, especially as they were offering a two for one. To be honest, a lot of them look like prototypes for the new Twenty series. So if you like that sound, you're getting a really good deal.
 
I looked at them again this weekend. Some looked exactly like 20's, and the others looked like they had the CuN8 mix (2002's). All of them looked and sounded really fine (no damage or defects), and I would have bought a pair, except all the GC in OKC had were hats and rides. I'm looking for crashes and splashes. They were still offering 2 for 1.
 
Hey I bought a paiste prototype crash and ride in march of 06. All I have now is the ride. Does anyone else have any of these cymbals? The ride sounds great but the cymbals never came out? Why so?
 
My son and I went to our local GC last night to check these out. They had a few rides, a few crashes, 2 chinas and a pair of hi hats. First off, the sales guy told me up front if I'm going to spend money, I should buy him a "real cymbal" because he said the prototypes sound like .... Well, we listen to all that they had and there was one 17 crash with a reflector like finish that sounded.. ok. That's it.. not bad, not great.. Just ok. The chinas were alright but nothing great. We tried one 16 crash that felt like it weighed as much as a 20 inch ride. That sounded like a cross between a cymbal and a trash can lid. It also had some brown marks on it as well as some dents. It looked like it got blasted with buckshot. Blahhh!!!!

So... for the ok sounding crash and a china, it would have been about $250. To me that was a lot of money for 2 cymbals that just sounded ok. I don't know if all the stores have the same models that we saw. I think it's a total ripoff. I really do. That's my thoughts. If you want to check out Paiste prototypes, look for shops that are authorized Paiste super sound centers. Not only do they have basically every Paiste model "in the store" but they usually also have a mass of used odds and ends which may include prototypes. I'm in NJ (USA) the nearest one to me is in Rockaway NJ called Ritchies. This is an excellent store. I think I'll make a trip there and see what they have going on for the holiday's .
 
Hey I bought a paiste prototype crash and ride in march of 06. All I have now is the ride. Does anyone else have any of these cymbals? The ride sounds great but the cymbals never came out? Why so?

If you don't mind me asking, what did you pay for those 2 and what sizes are they?
 
They were realy cheap but oddly the didnt sound bad at all. I realy liked the crash.
The crash was 16 inches and the ride was 20 inches. I think I payed about 200$
They wernt bad but nothing compared to the cymbals I have now. Paiste Signatures 1 Giant beat and 1 2002
 
nutshell.....if you WANT something different...this is your chance.
if you are looking for a go-to session crash..this is NOT your bag.

As an odd ball drummer...I always preface my opinions with context.
I like old slingerland sets....20" kicks....I have a radio king with calf skins
....and I use it.

I am NOT a modern sounding player...and don't aim to be.

There are both good and bad ones....and odd ones that might serve specific purpose

...and I've noticed that sometimes you won't know which is which right away.

These seem to me to be anomolies in the manufacturing process
or attempts at something new....in the case of the T20...I think it's an attempt at a sister line next to the Twenty's or failed attempts at the next generation of Twenty's...they don't seem to sound like the Twenty's at all.....I think the Twentys are WAY better.

T20's were the only one's that I had any extended interest in....the rest sounded like trash to me....ala Sabian B8 that a kid attempted to hammer himself.
...but I gave them very little time....I might be missing the good ones there.

the T20 20" (i say crash/ride) are what I found was best.
I've seen 3 of them....all sound glassy and washy with a nice bounce to them.

...they suit my taste well...but one should be aware...their primary flaw is volume
They are NOT really a Ride in the modern sense...they lack enough mass and tuning to punch through....however they are GREAT by themselves....so if you want a one cymbal approach...this dude does it well...but it WILL get lost in blending with others and die in a mix...I use it in jazz-ish sort of one cymbal approach.

The 17" and 18" crash sound to my ears like attempts at softer attack washy mellow crashes....only they are a little TOO soft on the initial attack.

My other paiste are sig full 18" , 20 drycrisp and a sig 17" fast crash
...and the soft attack T20's is a great contrast to the sharp attack
of the heavier full crash....but it NEEDS the other cymbals for punch.
these are ballad cymbals...best for behind the beat dragging...not punchy hard music.

I also took a 16" free with the 20" ......and took it back 24 hours later.

The 16" was crap....didn't notice right away...sounded FINE by itself...but in context with everything else it sounded brash, obnoxiously loud...piercing and disonant in hamonic spread....like a RUDE that'd gone all wrong in some attempt to hammer it......hated it....really like a rhino clearing it's through in your ear......upper mid spread was so abrasive it was hard to imagine why is sounded ok in the store....maybe I had a head cold that day...or forgot to q-tip my ears...dunno

I took an 11" (think it was a flaw from the traditional line) as replacement for the 16"

it is EXACTLY what I like in a splash and what some drummers avoid....paper thin
....thin even for paper thins....like early zildjian sock hats or 11" splashs from the 30's
you find around that I think USED to be considered hihats for toy drums sets...for kids....yes it is THAT thin...and sounds trashy and all wash.

Even though I trust it will break it at some point....when splashes are THAT thin they have a true watery splash sound that most "splashes" made today never have....I call most modern splashes .."bells" because that's what they sound like...with the exception of paiste's sig 10"s and zildjian's hybrid 9" and 11" most others are just too thick for my taste...and this prototype sounds great to my ears.

I'm STILL considering a 20" or a 22" china from the T20 line.....but...well...how does one quantify a china anyway...they ALL sound like trash to me...I think i've only ever heard two china's I like at all..and even those I ddin't buy

....what makes one trash sound better then any other trashy sound....I don't know
All china's sound like trash can lids to my ears....maybe that's the point...chinese ears must function differently then caucasian ears.

I also ran across a 24" T20 ride...which...to be honest sounded SO bad I started laughing at it...and the salesman started laughing with me and said "yeah, I know..."
it HAD to have weighed WELL over 4000g....it was SO heavy the could've made TWO 24" zildjians out of it....really I think the 24 was the ONLY one meant to be a ride and the 20" I took was intended as just another crash.....but WHO uses a 24"s HEAVY ride? really? who? what for? it was dark....woody...and drone-y like rubbing mallets one a church bell...even when hitting it with nylon tips it never quite chimed or sang or washed or anything...it was like a manhold cover with some lathing to make it look pretty....serious I'd rather ride on a cardboard box.

ok...to sum up:
I spent $450 four cymbals...11", 17", 18" and a 20"
...and got some free coated Remo Vintage A heads in the deal
with a club card and $30 off and wheeling dealing that GC does so rarely anymore....

I don't feel gyped...but I feel the same way I did when I bought Zildjians from the FX line...crash of doom....oriental....trash splash....spirals....sabian paragon rattled swishes ....they are not going to replace ANY of my go-to's

My '60s A's and recent dark crash K's are still the kings of the castle..the Paiste Sig's have their place as a go-to studio tone cymbal......but these T20's are just really interesting colors in the bag...alternative tone that I'd use for diversity or off beat sounds.

....again, as an odd ball drummer...I always preface my opinions with context.

hope this helps someone.
 
i just bought 2 prototypes from my local GC. i ended up getting a 16" and 18" crash that was from the 2002 family.( the model number next to the bar code read 2k2 so thats how we figured that out). the cymbals sounded great! especially the 16" . the 18" was around $190 and i could of got another one just like it for free but i got the 16" cause it was so nice . so i got those two cymbals a drumdial, a evans prepack of 10 12 14 16 heads a aquarian 14 head , a big bag of sticks 5 drum magazines and some groove juice all for $307 (tax included). i used my 15% off judge card and another GC card i got in the mail that if you spend $350 you get another $50 off!! so after all discounts i got 2 badass sounding Paiste cymbals for around $160 dollars ! sorry for the ramble but i'm stoked!!
 
i just bought 2 prototypes from my local GC. i ended up getting a 16" and 18" crash that was from the 2002 family.( the model number next to the bar code read 2k2 so thats how we figured that out). the cymbals sounded great! especially the 16" . the 18" was around $190 and i could of got another one just like it for free but i got the 16" cause it was so nice . so i got those two cymbals a drumdial, a evans prepack of 10 12 14 16 heads a aquarian 14 head , a big bag of sticks 5 drum magazines and some groove juice all for $307 (tax included). i used my 15% off judge card and another GC card i got in the mail that if you spend $350 you get another $50 off!! so after all discounts i got 2 badass sounding Paiste cymbals for around $160 dollars ! sorry for the ramble but i'm stoked!!

Were they thin? Like you could bend them with your hand? They had one like that at my gc but i was eehhhh about it.
 
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