MEINL EFFECTSCYMBALS

EXCLUSIVE
92 RHYTHM DECEMBER 2009
T
he Generation X range is a reflection
of the inventive sounds and rhythms
in so much contemporarymusic and
is confirmation of just how creative
and keen to experimentusdrummersare.
Build
On review is a selection from the Generation
X stable. The newest models, two pairs of FX
hats, are the only recognisably conventional
cymbals of the lot. Available in 8" and 10"
diameters, the hats aremade from FX9, a
tinless blend of copper,zinc,manganese and
aluminium. Unlathed but regularly
hammered, theyare buffedtoamirror fi nish.
Each bottom cymbal has a pair of punched
holes 30mm in from the edge while stencilled
tribal graphics adorn the outer faces.
Hands On
The 8" hats arerazor sharp,with little in the
way of a conventional note beneath their
whiplash attack. In keeping with their
PRICES
8" FX hats, £155; 10"
FX hats, £167; 12"/14"
Trash hats, £178;
8"/10" Electro stack,
£129; 10"/12" Electro
stack, £145; 12"/14"X-
treme stack, £178; 15"
China crash, £199; 17"
China crash, £238; 19"
China crash, £289
CAST OR
PRESSED
Pressed
ALLOYS
FX9, B8, B10
FINISH
Polished
HAMMERING
Machine
COUNTRYOF
MANUFACTURE
Germany
DIAMETERS
8" to 19"
MODELS
FX hats, Trash hats,
Electro stacks, X-treme
stack, China crashes
CONTACT
Active Music
Distribution
7Goose Green
Trading Estate
47 East Dulwich Road
London SE22 9BN
Tel: [phone]
Website: www.meinl.
com
diminutivesizetheyreactsoquickly that just
shaking a stick in their general direction
seems to provoke aresponse.The 10"hats are
equally speedy and snap at the sticks like an
angry Jack Russell. There is a little more in the
way of body present in the larger pair, though
the note is still supremely bright and glassy.
Both pairsofhats have clearly been designed
to suit super-fast dance/drum’n’bass players
and are capable of expressing whatever
runaway patterns are thrown at them. By the
same token, though their shrunken diameters
might suggest a lack of volume, the high
frequencies they produce carry pretty well.
Up next are German wunderkind Benny
Greb’s signature12"/14"Trash hats. Also made
from FX9, they pair a normal 12" top cymbal
with a 14" china below. Benny intended them
to be used as auxiliaryhats, but theycan be
mounted on a regular cymbal stand. First
impressions areofahigh-pitched and
metallic-sounding pair of hats; trashy, but in a
clean way, without any darkness or exotic
overtones. Closed tightand playedwith stick
tips they are dry and crunchy. Once opened up
alittle theysoon froth with atrashywash.
When hit with the shoulder of the stick the
sound is reminiscentofatinnysnaresample.
The 12"/14"X-treme stack bearssome
visual similarities to the Trash hats, combining
a regularly-shaped 12" top cymbal with a 14"
china beneath. Riveted to the china are four
pairs of jingles. Designed to be mounted on a
cymbal stand, the X-treme stack’s sound is
fuller than that of the Trash hats. The attached
jingles emphasise each stroke, creating an
additional accent.Looseningthe cymbal stand
nut encourages the twocymbals to participate
in what sounds like asizzlingquarrel, while
the jingles keep the attack focused.
Electro stacks are based around the same
principle of sandwiching two differently sized
cymbals together.Made from B8 bronze, the
larger bottom cymbal has a normal bell, but
the bow of the cymbal rakes upwards, with
the edge beingonly fractionally lowerthan the
MEINL EFFECTS CYMBALS
From £129 Adam Jones weighs up Meinl’s diverse Generation X range of cymbals
ESSENTIALSPEC
CHINA CRASHES
sportbetween fiveorsix
cut outs for radical tuning
RHY171.gear_meinl 92 30/10/09 6:18:7pm