Latest Reviews

Percussion instruments will be reviewed in this section, including drums, cymbals, and similar items.

Meinl 22″ MB20 Heavy Bell Ride Cymbal

Meinl, whose home base is in Germany, produces some excellent cymbals. Most of them are forged in Germany, but some, such as the MB20, are forged in Turkey and then finished in Germany. This MB20 Heavy Bell Ride cymbal produces some mean pings that will be heard above all the amp stacks and the crowd noise. It has a gorgeous tonality that will make its drummer's smile as bright as the cymbal itself.

Paiste 18″ Signature Reflector Heavy Full Crash Cymbal

Paiste has several styles in their Signature line. This one is an 18" Reflector Heavy Full Crash in their Signature line. I imagine it is called "Reflector" rather than "Brilliant" in terms of the finish because the lathing lines are very fine and very evenly spaced, indicating that the lathing was done by CNC (Computer Numeric Control) machining which results in more of a mirror (reflection) surface than simply being shiny (brilliant).

Paiste 18″ Alpha Brilliant Metal Crash Cymbal

For you metal drummers out there, Paiste makes this one in the Alpha line, which includes 17", 18", 19", and 20" sizes, all in a Brilliant finish (shined with an abrasive). There is also a 20" Alpha Metal Ride available. Alphas are made from a B8 alloy (92% copper, 8% tin), and this can be seen in its very coppery color. It's thick, heavy, and delivers a bright punch that will cut through any stack of guitar amplifiers. It will take a beating, for sure. In fact, when I ran the test, it overloaded my microphones, so I had to back them off a few more inches. My microphones will handle up to 130 dB!

Paiste 18″ RUDE Thin Crash Cymbal

Paiste's RUDE cymbal line was developed as part of the need for a heavy cymbal line that could take a pounding and produce volume that would cut through the high output amplifier stacks that were piled on the stages for Metal band performances. In this review, we take a listen to the RUDE 18" thin crash.

Paiste 24″ RUDE Mega Power Ride Cymbal

Paiste's RUDE cymbal line, which debuted in 1980, and went through being incorporated into several other model names, emerged again in 1999 with its own separate identity. It was developed as part of the need for a heavy cymbal line that could take a pounding and produce volume that would cut through the high output amplifier stacks that were piled on the stages for Metal band performances. It has endured over the years, and the king of this line is the 24" Mega Power Ride. It has a ping that is razor sharp and will have the guitarists trying to turn their volume knobs past the end point.