Vintage Zildjian Avedis Rides

DrewTheShoe

DrewTheShoe

Senior Member
Hey guys, how are we doing?

Today I've come to ask our vintage Zildjian fanatics about the Avedis line.
The time has come for me to upgrade from my 20" B8 Ride, sadly. I have looked, listened, tested, and touched just about every ride that I could get a hand one.
The one that really caught my eye was a 20" Zildjian Armand ride, I just really liked the sound of it. I did a little more research on it, and found out that it was based on the 60's/70's sounding Avedis lines. I checked up on eBay, and sure enough, vintage Avedis rides were aplenty, along with having lower prices.

My question is that do vintage rides really sound anything like the Armand line? In fact, does any currently made cymbal sound like a vintage Avedis? If so, what brand/model? Don't be afraid to school me with lines like "Nothing sounds vintage!" cause honestly, I was born in 1993. These cymbals are twice as old as I am, if not more.

Thanks for the help!
 
caddywumpus

caddywumpus

Archnemesis of Larryace
Hi, we're doing fine! Thanks for asking!

Well, let me be the first to say that nothing sounds like a vintage A. A cymbal's sound will mellow as it gets older. Even the newer Armands that supposedly throw back to the sound of 60s and 70s cymbals won't recreate the sound of a "settled" old A. The Armands sound really nice as they are, and they probably are among the closest-sounding cymbals to vintage As that I've seen. If you like the Armands, get an Armand, and you CAN find them used, but not as easily as old As.

Don't look on eBay but craigslist. You always want to hear and examine a cymbal in person before buying, in my opinion. There are a lot of great vintage As, but also a lot of not-so-great As as well. It's all about your preference. Do you want a heavier "pingier" ride or a thinner "blendier" ride? Or, something in between? When you find a good cymbal that you like, you will know it.

Checking it out in person will give you a FEEL for the cymbal, which is important, as well as an opportunity to see if there is any keyholing, cracks, or bites (small dents that might turn into cracks) on the cymbal. Oh yeah, and you get to hear it in person, too.

I have a few vintage As, but I've gone through a whole mess of cymbals looking for the ones that I picked out specifically for their sound and feel. It might take you months, it might even take years, but when you find a cymbal that you really like, you'll be glad you spent the time looking. Good luck with your search, and let us know what you get when you get it!
 
S

sshu

Senior Member
FWIW - the other place you can look for vintage As are at pawn shops and you can generally take a stick to try 'em out. I picked up a vintage Zildjian A ride 22" for like $50 there. The guy that worked there even took requests for vintage Zildjians because they came in every couple of weeks.

The vintage As (e.g., hats and ride) that I have are definitely more mellow sounding (not as bright and less washy) than my other cymbals which are newer (e.g., HHX Legacy and K hi-hats). The vintage A are easier on my ears and have less high frequency sounds. Good for certain situations and moods that I'm in.

Although I don't have a lot of experience with the Armands, they definitely capture part of the vintage A character to my ears. A bit brighter, a large part probably due to the lack of patina from aging.

Steve
 
mattsdrums

mattsdrums

Member
Hey There..

I own a few vintage A's all of which I found at various drum shops gathering dust! I guess I've been very lucky but if look in the dark 2nd hand corners of your local drum store you may be suprised at what you'll find!

I have an amazing 60's 22" ride that sounds like nothing else I've played - the age & dirt definitely helps with the mellowing. Same goes for an 18" mini cup ride & 15" hats (both mid 60's) I picked up. I would recommend hearing old cymblas if you get the chance rather than buying them blindly so to speak from Ebay.

As for new cymblas that may recreate the sounds, you may want to look toward some of the Turkish manafactures making hand hammered instruments. I mainly use a set of Bosphorus New Orlenas series cymbals these days and they come pretty close ... just the right amount of wash & overtone with the dark & controlled decay ...
 
rmandelbaum

rmandelbaum

Platinum Member
Almost all of my cymbals are Zildjian A and most of those are what many would consider vintage. The sad thing is I am the original owner of many of those
wink.gif

I am just guessing but I would bet that the Zildjian A cymbal is the most recorded cymbal line ever.
 
drumtechdad

drumtechdad

Gold Member
I bought my 20" A ride new in the 1960s. The Armands sound very similar. There's still enough variability, though--both with old ones and new Armands--that you can't really say you'll be happy with any such cymbal. You still have to try them.
 
DrewTheShoe

DrewTheShoe

Senior Member
Well guys, thanks for all your help!

For my Christmas present this year, I wanted a new ride. Thus, I asked about the vintage A's. Well, my dad took me out to my local Just Drums for their 10% off Black Friday sale and said go to town. Long story short, after much testing and blind testing and playing and listening, I ended up leaving with a K Custom 20". How this happened, I do not know. I still love the thing though...

Now I'm rambling, so I'll cut to the chase. I took into account what all of y'all so kindly bestowed onto me, and have been looking more locally for the vintage rides. While I doubt I will get one soon, it's definitely on my list for my next purchase [with my own money, so that'll take AWHILE.]

Anywho, thanks to everyone that contributed even a tiny bit, as I am now MUCH more knowledgeable about those gorgeous rides, and plan on getting one in the near future. :)

-Drew
 
Drumsword

Drumsword

Pioneer Member
I've owned a couple Vintage Avedis rides, and nothing sounds quite as good to my ears. I had a 20" and 22' mid 60's ride. And Loved them. I spent appx $75 on the 20" and about $120 on the 22". Unfortunately, one was stolen and the other eventually developed a crack.
 
RogerLudwig

RogerLudwig

Senior Member
I'll throw in my two cents.

I owned Avedis Zils, a 22" ride, 18" and 16" crash and a set of 14" rock hi hats, all purchased in 1973. I recently bought a set of Armands: 20" and 19" ride, 18" thin crash, 16" med thin crash, 10" splash, and 14" hi hats.

The crashes are very similar. The sounds of the new Armands are the closest thing to the old A's that I've ever heard.

And I sold the entire vintage collection to the drummer from Viernes Trece. That's how much I like the new Armands.
 
gallendrums

gallendrums

New Member
DrewTheShoe said:
Hey guys, how are we doing?

Today I've come to ask our vintage Zildjian fanatics about the Avedis line.
The time has come for me to upgrade from my 20" B8 Ride, sadly. I have looked, listened, tested, and touched just about every ride that I could get a hand one.
The one that really caught my eye was a 20" Zildjian Armand ride, I just really liked the sound of it. I did a little more research on it, and found out that it was based on the 60's/70's sounding Avedis lines. I checked up on eBay, and sure enough, vintage Avedis rides were aplenty, along with having lower prices.

My question is that do vintage rides really sound anything like the Armand line? In fact, does any currently made cymbal sound like a vintage Avedis? If so, what brand/model? Don't be afraid to school me with lines like "Nothing sounds vintage!" cause honestly, I was born in 1993. These cymbals are twice as old as I am, if not more.

Thanks for the help!
Click to expand...
i am loving my 22 inch Avedis Vintage ride i only use the Avedis for my go to ride the rides compared to the others you cannot beat,just as well as my hi-hat New Beats they has definition and brillance ,and i use K's for crash/ride ,crash and splash
 
gallendrums

gallendrums

New Member
DrewTheShoe said:
Well guys, thanks for all your help!

For my Christmas present this year, I wanted a new ride. Thus, I asked about the vintage A's. Well, my dad took me out to my local Just Drums for their 10% off Black Friday sale and said go to town. Long story short, after much testing and blind testing and playing and listening, I ended up leaving with a K Custom 20". How this happened, I do not know. I still love the thing though...

Now I'm rambling, so I'll cut to the chase. I took into account what all of y'all so kindly bestowed onto me, and have been looking more locally for the vintage rides. While I doubt I will get one soon, it's definitely on my list for my next purchase [with my own money, so that'll take AWHILE.]

Anywho, thanks to everyone that contributed even a tiny bit, as I am now MUCH more knowledgeable about those gorgeous rides, and plan on getting one in the near future. :)

-Drew
Click to expand...
Kustom K's are awesome my favorite is the K 16 " Custom Dark Crash
 
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