I am fortunate to have an endorsement with the company that I consider to be the best at manufacturing cymbals. For years I have played Paiste by choice as I feel that they have the clearest sound of any that I have used. Although there are many excellent cymbal brands to be had, Paiste are the top of the heap, in my eyes.
For heavy metal the cymbal clarity can sometimes become a problem onstage unless you have the right types selected. Martin Potts, the UK Paiste representative, was the first person to guide me through selecting not only the best cymbals for the job, but the best combination of cymbals for the job. This was something that I had frequently overlooked during the years that I have spent drumming and for the first time I began to realise the obvious: it is not just the individual cymbals that matter; it is the complimentary effect of using them together.
I quite often use combinations of cymbal crashes, often accenting four beats rapidly after one another and the sonic possibilities that Martin demonstrated in the Paiste warehouse was a real eye opener.
Cymbals are expensive pieces of gear – so if you are buying some, make sure you get a chance to try them out in the store before you part with your hard-earned money.
Currently I use:
Paiste 14″ Wild Hi-Hats
Paiste 20″ Reflector Heavy Crash
Paiste 18″ RUDE Wild Crash
Paiste 18″ RUDE Crash/Ride
Paiste 17″ 2002 Power Crash
Paiste 2002 18″ Novo-China
Paiste Signature 22″ Blue Bell Ride
Once again a good case is vital or your expensive pieces of metal will be turned into shrapnel in no time.
I also have a Paiste 8″ Bell Cymbal that belonged to Cozy Powell. I like to use it when I can, but it’s not an essential part of my touring gear. (Update….not any more. Some bastard stole it .)
The Paiste website has a ‘Soundroom‘ where you can get a fairly accurate idea of what each cymbal type sounds like, when played in various ways.
Another interesting tip I picked up was in cymbal care. Obviously the cymbal stand must carry felts, at least underneath the cymbal, and should be protected by a rubber or plastic sleeve over the mount to prevent the cymbal rocking against bare metal. For cleaning, though, I learned that expensive cymbal cleaner was unecessary and that household washing up liquid did the job perfectly. Afterwards the cymbal needs to be dried properly and then I tend to apply ‘Paiste Cymbal Protector’ afterward.
In the course of gigging, cymbals can oxidise quickly as a result of sweat amongst other things, and this needs to be wiped clean as soon as possible.
