Paiste PST 3 and PST 5 Cymbals

86 R HYTHM JULY
PRICES:
Paiste Sound
Technology Cymbals
PST 3:
10" splash £17
Hi-hats £48-£52
Crashes £26-£37
18" crash/ride £47
18" china £47
20" ride £56
Boxed set (14" hats/
16" crash/20" ride)
£145
PST 5:
Splashes £25-£31
Hi-hats £88-£96
Thin crashes £48-£84
Medium crashes
£66-£84
Rock crashes £84-£95
18" crash/ride £84
Chinas £66-£84
20" Medium ride £105
21" Groove ride £116
22" Rock ride £125
Boxed set
(14" Rock hats/
16" Rock crash/
20" Rock ride)
£267
CONTACT:
Paiste Trading EU
GmbH
Gorch-Fock-Str. 13
D-24790 Schacht
Audorf, Germany
Tel: [phone]
www.paiste.com
Email:
[e-mail]
TRIED
AND
TESTED
S
wiss cymbalsmith company Paiste
produces a mind-boggling array
of pro-level cymbals to cover just
about every musical genre. The
company also endeavours to provide a
similar (if not equal) spectrum of sizes and
weights a little further down the food chain.
This is the case for its all-new PST ranges,
which have been designed to offer younger,
less experienced, or simply cash-strapped
players a broad palette of cymbals from
which to choose. These include different
thicknesses and a good selection of sizes,
including odd-number diameters, a feature
that is rarely found in budget territory.
PST stands for Paiste Sound Technology,
which is fitting, as Paiste has always
embraced hi-tech production methods
with enthusiasm. The production of the
new ranges is undertaken at Paiste’s factory
in Germany. The company claims that new
digital technology has enabled it to improve
standards in sound quality and appearance
at this end of the market. All of Paiste’s
manufacturing knowledge and sound
concepts, not to say legendary reputation
for consistency, seem to have travelled well.
All change
The PST range is split into two lines,
numbered simply PST 3 and PST 5. The
two sets replace Paiste’s 302, 502 and
802 ranges. As with the previous ranges,
the new PST lines are budget rather than
beginners’ cymbals, sitting above Paiste’s
entry-level 101 and 201 series.
The PST 5 cymbals are easily
distinguishable from their PST 3 siblings by
virtue of their reddish-brown (as opposed to
yellowish) colour. This is due to the fact that
they are made from the same bronze alloy
as Paiste’s classic 2002 cymbals. It would
also explain the contrast in the prices of
the two ranges. Comparing the PST 5
cymbals with a genuine 2002 cymbal of
mine, I found that the colours didn’t quite
match perfectly, although I was comparing
a fairly stick-marked, road-weary example to
a new, unblemished cymbal. There are also
manufacturing distinctions between the two
that could well throw up different nuances
in colour. Whereas 2002 cymbals are
cast individually and then beaten from
a raw ingot into cymbals, the PST cymbals
are cut from sheets of the 2002 alloy,
then worked.
A familiar trait of all budget cymbals
is that they are only available in the most
popular sizes. The PST 5 range does not
revert to type here, offering the sort of
choice that you would expect to find
a little further up the price ladder. Among
the cymbals are 10 crashes, three pairs
of hi-hats and four ride cymbals, as well
as a pair each of chinas and splashes.
The cymbals are separated by weight as
well as diameter, particularly in the crashes.
All the PST 5 cymbals have been
fashioned and tuned in a roughly
comparable manner. Regular hammering
patterns are more visible from below, while
on top, widely spaced grooves of lathing
score into a bed of tighter and shallower
banding. The Rock models differ slightly
in that the deeper lathing stops short of
the bell. The chinas meanwhile, bear intense
lathing on both sides up to the curve of the
lip, at which point similarly concentrated
hammering takes over.
Gimme five
Hi-hats are generally the most important
and expressive of all cymbals and tend to
set the tone of a range, so that’s where I
began. First out of the box was a pair of
13" Medium hats. They immediately
conjured up a clean, bright, typically Paiste
sound, which was pleasing. There is an
impressive depth to them that belies their
budget status. The 14" Medium hats that
followed were a little deeper and warmer,
but otherwise displayed the same sort of
sonic characteristics as the 13" pair. They
give a good chunky crunch when closed
and open up nicely to a wash.
Moving onto the heavier 14" Rock hats
things get a bit louder. Their extra weight
imparts to them a more strident nature that
would suit a high volume rock setting. Their
higher note gives them an aggressive edge
compared to the 14" Medium hats and they
are certainly capable of cutting through.
Paiste PST 3
and PST 5 Cymbals
Paiste’s new PST range of cymbals aims to offer a
comprehensive choice of metals for the player on a budget.
Adam Jones gets his hands on a full selection.
ESSENTIALS
UP CLOSE
A wide range of cymbals, all
at budget prices makes up
Paiste’s new PST series.
RHY113.tt_paiste 86RHY113.tt_paiste 86 19/5/05 5:04:02 pm19/5/05 5:04:02 pm