Dream cymbals - any opinions out there?

[69OysterBlue]

The local Five Star dealer in Cleveland is having a Dream cymbal event at their store this coming weekend (factory reps, special deals, etc . . ).

I was planning to go but I am going to try hard not to get caught up in the moment and buy something I don't really need.

Anyone out there have anything good or not-so-good to say about Dream cymbals? I honestly don't think I have ever laid a stick on one before so I'm looking for a little guidance.

Thanks

 

[RyanR]

There's a great seller on eBay that does an excellent job sampling and comparing these cymbals. It'll be pretty obvious who he is if you do a quick search... I think he goes by Brandon Trading Emporium. Something to that effect.

Dream's are fairly inconsistent, like most of the handmade brands. There are some definite gems for not a pile of cash.

The "Bliss" line seems to be a bit more washy/trashy old school.... and the "Contact" line seems to be a little cleaner sounding.

I think it's definitely worth checking out. Don't expect to be blown away by everything, but you might just find some magic. If it wasn't so far away, I'd love to get up there! I've come real close to pulling the trigger on some Dream's.

-Ryan

 

[Bongo Congo]

Thanks for posting this topic. I've also been considering picking up some of those, specifically the Bliss Series. But I know nothing about them other than the basic sales info.

Anybody using them? How are they for sound? How do they blend in with other cymbals? How's the durability factor (do they seem basically durable)? What are they like for sustain, crashability, wash, complexity, playing volume, etc? Any opinions would be carefully read....

Thanks, 69OysterBlue.

 

[lossforgain]

I have a Bliss 19" crash ride that I absolutely love. I used to have a 20" that I also loved but had to let it go to satisfy a debt, unfortunately. These were hand picked out of about 60-70 pies, and what people have said about inconsistency is true. However, these days the distributor is doing a much better job of refusing the real dogs. Some are trashier than others but one man's trash is another man's treasure, right?

 

[Marc M]

I have played a few in person at atlanta pro percussion,they don't have a lot at any one time,mostly bliss,a few contacts,but I always check out what they have.Like Ryan says they are all over the map,Paistes these are not,but I have played a few terrific ones,A 22 bliss ride that sounded just like a nice bosphorus wide ride that I compared it to side by side,a 16 thin bliss crash that sounded like a k,but was better than the 4 k thin 16's the 16 byznance and paiste trad that I compared it to,and a street price of 85.00.Some of the bliss hats would work well for jazz or as darker gen purpose hats. They are really getting quite close to that turkish hand hammered sound ,they never have a lot of contacts in there but they seem to be a bit brighter like a zil a,I hav'nt heard one I liked but I havn't heard many either.Some guys have said on these forums that they have found some nice contacts that remind them of 50's 60's A zils.If you like the sound of darker warmer trashier turkish style cymbals I have a feeling you could find something you really liked if you could audition enough of the bliss.If you go get there early,because there should be some gems there but they probably will get snapped up quick.A nice alternative,esp if say for instance you don't gig/play alot of jazz and can't justify paying 300 + for a big 3 jazz ride,but would like something that inspires when you do want to spang a lang.Can't comment on durability,but I think you could put some nice ones up with your current high quality set up cymbals and I don't think you would hear them as being "cheap sounding" the good ones are nice instruments I think.As far as volume goes the ones I compared were consistent with the other brands ,they were around the same volume as the thin /light cymbals .Worth checking out for sure.

 

[Dark Overlord]

As indicated above I have found Dreams to be very inconsistant from pie to pie. However some do sound very nice esp if your looking for exotic, trashy sounding crashes and dark rides. I've found more Bliss that I've liked then other lines but every piece is unique, probably even more so then handmade pieces by the big 3.

 

[stevesmithfan]

There's a great seller on eBay that does an excellent job sampling and comparing these cymbals. It'll be pretty obvious who he is if you do a quick search... I think he goes by Brandon Trading Emporium. Something to that effect.

Dream's are fairly inconsistent, like most of the handmade brands. There are some definite gems for not a pile of cash.

The "Bliss" line seems to be a bit more washy/trashy old school.... and the "Contact" line seems to be a little cleaner sounding.

I think it's definitely worth checking out. Don't expect to be blown away by everything, but you might just find some magic. If it wasn't so far away, I'd love to get up there! I've come real close to pulling the trigger on some Dream's.

-Ryan

I've heard this guy on Ebay test Dream cymbals. After he plays it, he gives his honest feeling about the cymbal, good or bad. I love that integrity, it makes me want to buy 1 from him.

 

[jazzerone]

Also, check out Virtual Cymbals. Chris is a friend of mine and I've bought several Dreams from him. His site has audio and video clips of everything he sells, he's a longtime hanger over at cymbalholic, and one of the nicest, most knowledgeable cymbal guys you'll ever meet. He doesn't deal junk, he sorts through his pies so you pretty much get the cream of the crop... on top of which, if you don't like something he sells you, he'll take it back.

Dreams have a deserved reputation for being inconsistent, so it's important to either play them before you buy, or deal with somebody like Chris where you have a fallback position. All the Dreams I've ever owned have been top notch cymbals, but I had the luxury of hand picking them from Chris' stash. They're the sleepers cymbals of the bronze world, but you do have to do some work to find the good ones.

 

[Bongo Congo]

Thanks, stevesmithfan, I'll have to look out for that guy... it sounds like you really need to be able to test these cymbals in person. Bummer, but at least what you're talking about (a video demo) would give you a close idea. I'll 86 the mail-order option.

 

[jeannie]

There's a great seller on eBay that does an excellent job sampling and comparing these cymbals. It'll be pretty obvious who he is if you do a quick search... I think he goes by Brandon Trading Emporium. Something to that effect.


-Ryan

I've heard this guy on Ebay test Dream cymbals. After he plays it, he gives his honest feeling about the cymbal, good or bad. I love that integrity, it makes me want to buy 1 from him.

Same here. He'll tell you if something crashes better than rides, sounds trashy, has a lousy bell, what sticks he's using etc.

I listened to several samples over and over before buying n 18" Dream crash-ride, and it did not disappoint. It has been a great dynamic cymbal playing in smaller rooms.

The only problem is that the finish looks a little different after a while, definitely doesn't look like my K or Sabian AA's.

 

[RyanR]

I've heard this guy on Ebay test Dream cymbals. After he plays it, he gives his honest feeling about the cymbal, good or bad. I love that integrity, it makes me want to buy 1 from him.

I actually inquired about one of the Dream Bliss's he had on Christmas day. He got right back to me, and said he'd be happy to talk about cymbals even though it was a holiday. Seems to be a stand up guy.

-Ryan

 

[pete]

i have 2 bliss crashes, an older 16 and a newer 18. got them off ebay and am very pleased with both. the 16 gets trashy when you really lay into it, i like that. they seem about as loud as the istanbuls i had been using but do seem a bit darker. i use them for rock and when recorded they definitely sit back in the mix which is perfect for what i'm doing. they seem quite durable, no problems in the year or so i've had them.

i don't think it's any harder to find one that you like than with any other brand. but then, maybe i've been lucky and i also usually don't have a specific sound in mind when buying cymbals.

 

[drewbertca]

I have a 16" Bliss Crash - awesome and a 22" Vintage Bliss Crash ride - I made a sizzler for it and it's amazing.....they react well to hard or soft playing and have a lot of character....My 16" crash is my favourite cymbal

 

[DrumBob]

I have played perhaps a dozen Dream cymbals over the last couple of years, and honestly can say I didn't like any of them enough to break out my wallet. The Bliss rides were all very trashy and, dare I say, "K like." That's fine, but I don't need that sound, as I already have 3-4 rides that basically sound trashy and "K like." The rock series Dreams I've tried were all hit and miss. Let's put it this way; I would absolutely never buy a Dream, a Stagg, or a Wuhan western style cymbal (or any cymbal for that matter) without hearing it first, and I prefer to actually play it than hearing an MP3 online.

I'm told that jazz drummers especially like Dream Bliss rides because of their K like qualities and because they're cheap, and we all know jazz drummers supposedly don't have any money!!

In any event, I would definitely go to that cymbal event, because you can be sure that the Dream reps will bring out the best stuff they have.

 

[cearleywine]

The contact hats are probably my favorite Dreams I've heard and played. I own a 20" paper thin bliss crash/ride. Very dark and wobbly with a cool roaring crash that sounds almost like a china. As a ride it's nice for certain light occasions in jazz. The contact line seems to be the best all around series they offer.

 

[RyanR]

I can't remember if they were Contact or Bliss, but I heard a pair of Dream hats that totally had that "old-A" sound.

Thing to remember is that *any* hand formed cymbal will be unique compared to others of the same model.

-Ryan

 

[reidjazz]

Also, check out Virtual Cymbals. Chris is a friend of mine and I've bought several Dreams from him. His site has audio and video clips of everything he sells, he's a longtime hanger over at cymbalholic, and one of the nicest, most knowledgeable cymbal guys you'll ever meet. He doesn't deal junk, he sorts through his pies so you pretty much get the cream of the crop... on top of which, if you don't like something he sells you, he'll take it back.

Dreams have a deserved reputation for being inconsistent, so it's important to either play them before you buy, or deal with somebody like Chris where you have a fallback position. All the Dreams I've ever owned have been top notch cymbals, but I had the luxury of hand picking them from Chris' stash. They're the sleepers cymbals of the bronze world, but you do have to do some work to find the good ones.

Ditto...I have a nice collection of Bliss that I got from Chris (have the luxary of living an hour or so from him)...they are my main go-to cymbals, although lately I've been taking some old A's out on gigs as well.