I've owned one of these cymbals for a few weeks now. I purchased it after taking a punt on a pair of Dune 15" hihats a few months ago, and being pleasantly surprised at the quality of sound and value for money.
I'm a big Richard Spaven fan and have been trying to augment my fairly middle-of-the-road cymbal collection with some unlathed cymbals to get
some of that dark, dry sound going on.
I've been blown away by the quality and versatility of this cymbal since I bought it. It's exactly what I was looking for at a fraction of the price I'd expect to pay from Sabian, Zildjian or Meinl.
This cymbal has a lovely low pitch and warm sound that blends very well with other instruments when playing acoustic music, with plenty of stick attack and playability at a lower volume. I use the Vic Firth Maple 5A's for lower volume and acoustic music and never feel like the cymbal is washing out, even when giving it one on Blakey-style shuffles!
If you were to try and use it as your main ride on a rock gig I would recommend some gel or tape, as it opens up to a roar very quickly especially with heavier sticks. The bell probably wouldn't cut through in a higher volume scenario as it has a very low profile and is not very resonant. This is a big reason why it's such a great cymbal to play with an upright bassist or acoustic piano. Probably best used as an out-and-out crash on a rock gig.
I would previously have held the opinion that it can be a recipe for disaster to buy cymbals sight-unseen, but at this price point any cymbal in the Zultan range is worth a punt. I've been delighted with both of my Zultan purchases having played the cymbals regularly for a few months now. I'll be adding a crash or two from the RAW range in due course, as they represent a great way to add diversity to your cymbal collection at a lower price point. Hats off to Zultan!
