Help! I need a new jazz ride!

[SBdrumz]

Hi gang.

I've fallen in love with a 20" K Constantinople Medium Ride, but as has been posted numerous times on this board before, they are insanely expensive. I would love to find something complimentary to the Constantinople in the Istanbul or Bosphorous lines, and I've been cruising through the sample files at www.cymbalsonly.com.

My issue with cymbalsonly is this: the sound files aren't created with the same sticks I use (VF SD4 combos), so I'm not sure I'm getting an apples to apples comparison. Also, I'd love to hear them played with brushes. There's just no one in my town (Columbia, SC) with a decent inventory for me to listen to in person.

I have a 20" A Custom Ping which I use for all of my variety gigs (the usual R+B/rock/disco/country/Unchained Melody wedding reception gigs!) that covers all those bases really well. It's very bright and articulate and really projects well. But, I've become involved in a 5 guitar jazz combo, and the A Custom is WAY to bright for me.

Has anyone here A/B'd the Constantinoples and Istanbul/Bosphorous cymbals? Where should I start?

For a couple of samples of the K, here's a couple of tunes we did at a recent show. The links are on our bass/sax player's homepage.

1)I Remember April - http://homepage.mac.com/kevindjones/iMovieTheater4.html

2)Stolen Moments: A very subtle groove with brushes- http://homepage.mac.com/kevindjones/iMovieTheater6.html

Forgive the mix - The soundguys gave me 2 OH's, and they mic'd the snare and kick. Plus, the bass gtr is WAY too hot! As far my cymbals used:
13" K hats
18" Pre-Aged K with 3 rivets
16" A Custom Medium crash
and the borrowed 20" K Constantinople Medium Ride.


Any advice from you guys would be appreciated!

-Scott

[Vdrummer]

I think the only way is to check them out in person and bring a wallet full of cash.

I've got 5 Sabian Vault Artisan cymbals in my basement now and they are all excellent. If I were going to recommend one or two either the 20 or 22 medium is a great all around ride, or the 22 light is also killer but darker, with a slight oriental vibe.

I've got the Stanton Moore Bosphorus cymbals too, the 20 and 22 and prefer the more controllable 22. The trash crash is cool too, in an "Oriental crash of doom" kind of way.

Good luck.

[Timbata]

Istanbul is making a 22" Mel Lewis ride W/O rivets (the 21" has 3 rivets). it's the closest thing I have heard to my old K 22" .

[Lee Collins]

I bought an Istanbul signature agop from cymbalsonly. To be honest, the soundbites are good enough to judge by, regardless of sticks. I use different sticks from the ones tony at cymbalsonly used and though there's subtle differences, the overall sound of my ride is close enough to the soundbite. If you can pick out a few cymbals there that sound close to what you want, I wouldn't be surprised if tony would oblige you by recording some more soundbites with your sticks. Ask him. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Groovemeister]

The 21" Zldjian Special Dry Ride is one of my favourite cymbals in the world...

Try it out for yourself if you can!!!

MP

[SBdrumz]

Thanks for the feedback, guys!

Rudy- Tony has a Bosphorous Masters series that I like the sound of...I'll mail him and get him to send me a sample using SD4's and brushes if he can.

Groove- I've heard the Dry Ride. It is gorgeous, but in this case I'm looking for something a little thinner with a little more wash.

-Scott

[Lee Collins]

Originally posted by SBdrumz:


Groove- I've heard the Dry Ride. It is gorgeous, but in this case I'm looking for something a little thinner with a little more wash.

-Scott

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Sabian fierce ride then. [img]wink.gif[/img]

http://www.sabian.com/english/webmayhem/soundcheck.cfm

Click on that, then click on 'signature' at the bottom of the columns, then click on 'rides' then scroll down to fierce ride and listen to the soundbite. It really is a fabulous ride. I was torn between the special dry ride and the fierce, and the fierce is definitely a bit washier or, trashier sounding, but with a similar pitch. Or in fact, I'll post a soundbite later of my signature agop, now THAT has wash but a gorgeous tone. It's very thin.

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ May 24, 2005 09:35 AM: Message edited by: Rudy_Ment ]</font>

[SBdrumz]

Rudy-

The fierce was a little 'fierce' for me. I liked the Signature 'Duo' a lot, but I really liked the 20" Artisan light ride. Unfortunately, that keeps me in the same dilemma as the K...dem tings be to d@mn expensive!!

I would love to hear your AGOP ride!
-Scott

[Lee Collins]

Here ya go SB, 20" agop ride, 1881gm weight. It's got a few different tonal colours in it, sounds very much like the old K sound, but the bells on these agops are VERY flat. You can hear it in the clip at 00:41, it's not that prominent, but its nice nevertheless. I either played this clip with the gadd sticks or the erskine sticks, can't quite remember. I think it was the gadd sticks.

http://freespace.virgin.net/roman.fi...Agop%20Sig.mp3

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ May 24, 2005 11:11 PM: Message edited by: Rudy_Ment ]</font>

[SBdrumz]

That's nice, Rudy. I like the character of those Sigs, but I think it might be a little TOO much character for the type stuff I'm doing. If I was playing in a bebop group, that 'character' would really come in handy. The stuff I'm doing now (like in those links up above) may require something a little more subtle.

I'll tell ya what-right now I'm kinda liking one of the Bospho Master's on Tony's site.

-Scott