Meinl Byzance Ride Cymbals

106
| OCTOBER 2015 WWW.MUSICRADAR.COM/RHYTHM
GEAR REVIEW
M
einl is a company that needs
little introduction when it
comes to the cymbal world.
With an artist roster boasting
huge names such as Benny Greb, Anika
Nilles, Matt Halpern and Thomas Lang, the
German giants are undoubtedly one of the
world’s pioneering cymbal manufacturers.
Founded in 1951, the company has
developed and grown to now produce a
wealth of cymbal types suitable for players
of any style and budget. With many of its
cymbal ranges benefi tting from a host of
new additions for 2015, the beautiful
Byzance series is no exception to this
treatment. With six separate lines under the
Byzance name alone (collectively dubbed
the ‘six degrees of darkness’), Meinl has
clearly gone all-out to offer us drummers
a wealth of unique and interesting
instruments. This month
Rhythm takes a
look at a few of these recent arrivals in the
form of three intriguing jazz ride cymbals.
Build
New to the Byzance Dark line is the 22" Big
Apple Dark Ride, successor to the original
Big Apple ride (released to the Byzance
Jazz line in 2012) which was crafted in an
attempt to capture the essence of the
traditional New York City jazz sound. This
cymbal, like the original, has a fl atter profi le
and under-sized bell, typical of many rides
designed for jazz styles. The new version
however, has not undergone a lathing
process, which leaves it with a very rustic,
dark matte fi nish. This ‘straight from the
oven’ look, which has been all the rage in
recent years, should give a dramatically
darker and drier tonality than that of a
lathed and polished cymbal.
The other items in question here are the
22" Symmetry ride and 21" Nuance ride, new
to the Byzance Jazz line and both signature
models of renowned jazz drummer and
From £393 to £443 Three not-so-shiny new additions
to the Byzance Dark and Jazz ranges
MEINL BYZANCE
RIDE CYMBALS
WORDS: TOM BRADLEY
Berklee Professor,
Ralph Peterson.
These cymbals benefi t
from a similar treatment to the
Big Apple, although the difference
here is they are only partially lathed.
Starting 2" in from the rim of each
cymbal, the coarse lathing pattern runs
up just shy of where the domed bell
shape begins. Coupled with the large
hand-hammed marks across the bow
and smaller ones on the bell, this
generates a striking aesthetic that
evokes a real sense of tradition in the
cymbal-making process. Both cymbals
are incredibly similar in appearance,
barely distinguishable if not for the slight
difference in diameter and the six rivets
sported by the Nuance ride. Most
noteworthy for these rides is the
aforementioned semi-lathed appearance
and the quite frankly enormous bells.
Hands On
The fi rst on the stand is the Big Apple Dark
Ride, and what a beauty it is. This classy
cymbal with its simple and earthy
appearance just begs to be explored. Of
course with a cymbal of this nature (and
name for that matter), it just had to be
christened with a jazz ride pattern. With a
trusty Peter Erskine signature jazz stick in
hand, the cymbal subtly bounced into life
with a “tah, tah, tah-tah, tah”. And let me tell
IT PRODUCES A PERFECT BLEND OF SWEET,
WOODY STICK DEFINITION AND WASH WHICH IS
ABSOLUTELY PERFECT FOR ANY JAZZ STYLE
you, the stick
response on this thing is
absolutely unbelievable! Often
with un-lathed rides, there can be a lack
of initial stick response which is usually
substituted for more wash. Somehow
though (likely helped by the fact it is fairly
thin), it produces a perfect blend of sweet,
woody stick defi nition and wash which is
absolutely perfect for any jazz style,
particularly bebop. The cymbal is rather on
the quiet side which allows it to handle a
fairly good thrashing without being at all
overbearing. This could possibly hinder it
within other genres, but if you like your ride
sound dark and dirty, this will complement a
wide range of styles.
Ironically, the Ralph Peterson signature
Also try…
1
SABIAN BIG AND
UGLY RIDE
CYMBALS
We say: “ Sabian has
produced a stunning
and intriguing set of
high-end, provocative,
challenging, complex,
dark and great-to-play
cymbals. ”
2
ZILDJIAN K
CONSTANTINOPLE
RIDES
We say: “ Clearly
these cymbals are
outstanding, while being
far more versatile than
you might think. ”
RHY247.gear_meinl.indd 106 03/09/2015 14:30