Paiste 2002 Black Big Beat Series

90
| JUNE 2016 WWW.MUSICRADAR.COM/RHYTHM
GEAR REVIEW
F
irst we had Giant Beat and now we
have Big Beat. What’s going on?
Paiste’s Giant Beats were a
pioneering B8-alloy pro series
played by John Bonham until they were
replaced in 1971 by the 2002s. The 2002s
were (are) a bit sharper, tougher and more
focused. Giant Beats were reintroduced in
2005 as a more mellow all-round version of
the 2002 sound. And now we have the 2002
Black Big Beats (to give them their full
handle), which are sonically related more
closely to the 2002s than the Giant Beats.
Coinciding with the 45th anniversary
of the original 2002 launch, the Big Beats
are true to their name, with all large sizes –
18", 19", 20", 21", 22" and 24" – plus 15"
and 16" hi-hats.
Build
Big Beats are made from Paiste’s 2002
alloy, B8 bronze or CuSn8, with 92 percent
copper and eight percent tin. This alloy has
more of an orange-brown tint than B20
bronze’s silvery-gold. Then the Big Beats
are slightly darkened with what Paiste calls
a ‘semi-matted’ fi nish and there’s a new,
more striking all-over hammering pattern.
Profi les are classic with not too prominent
bells, while the weights are on the
medium-thin side.
Hands On
Isn’t it great when a cymbal takes you
completely by surprise? That’s what
happened with this lot. Characterised by a
softness and warmth of tone I’d previously
associated with B20 alloy cymbals such as
Zildjian’s K Keropes, I’m not even sure I
From £264 Living up to its name, this set of big cymbals
introduces a more gentle giant from Paiste
PAISTE 2002
BLACK BIG BEAT
SERIES
WORDS: GEOFF NICHOLLS
would have thought it possible to make B8
cymbals this temperate and buttery. I am
pretty sure Paiste has never come up with
anything quite like this before.
I don’t have any Giant Beats to compare
them with, but they are darker and warmer
than the 2002s, partly because of the
medium-thin weight and also the
special hammering and fi nishing.
Being medium-thin and ranging
from 18" to 24" the cymbals
work as crashes or rides or
both. Which is why Paiste
has not given them
descriptive names – a
salutary reminder that
the functional
denominations cymbal
companies stick on
their wares are guides
not strict orders!
So to get down to
specifi cs, the 18" and
19" are the obvious
crashes. Being
medium-thin they are fast
to engage and quite short on
sustain. The 19" in particular
crashes quickly and brightly and
then cuts out, gated-style, rather
abruptly. The 18" has more of a
smooth retreat.
The soft deep character comes out
immediately you start to ride them. The 20"
crashes brightly, like the 19", and the
stick-tip ride beat is lively and clear. But the
body cushions the stick so that underneath
that clean beat the spread sinks into a
translucent pool of warm wash. This is best
THE BIG BEATS ARE DARKER AND WARMER
THAN PAISTE’S 2002S, PARTLY BECAUSE OF
THE MEDIUM-THIN WEIGHT AND ALSO THE
SPECIAL HAMMERING AND FINISHING
appreciated with a not too heavy or thick
stick-tip. It’s a cymbal you could confi dently
take out for a low volume acoustic piano trio
and luxuriate in the fi ne ambience it creates.
The bigger cymbals continue in this vein
with more spread, volume and breadth. The
21" really hits the sweet spot and by the 22"
and the huge 24" it’s credit to Paiste that
they still work fi ne as crash-rides. There is of
course an almighty whoosh if you do crash
them, and what a great effect that is! But
they still feel almost as happy played as big
crashes as they do rides.
Overall the single cymbals are all broad
with a complex wash and can give quite a bit
Also try…
1
ZILDJIAN KEROPE
We say: “ Recalling the
classic era of 1960s
Zildjians, dark and
mysterious, malleable
and full of complex,
bittersweet character. ”
2
SABIAN HH
REMASTERED
We say: “ Sabian
updates its classic line
too, balancing dark, rich
tonality with a little
more attack. ”
RHY255.gear_paiste.indd 90 18/04/2016 11:39