Paiste 602

[Pickinator]

Is this line of cymbals worth the high prices being charged and are they superior to the signatures or 2002s?
I understand that better is subjective. $620 is a chunk of change to spend on a 24" ride.

 

[NobleCooleyNut]

I sold my 2002s and Dark Energies and bought 602s as soon as they were reintroduced and have never regretted the decision . I had the first set of 602 cymbals in Canada when they were reissued . I have 602 classics and Modern Essentials in my main setup .

 

[Mcjnic]

Worth it?
Most likely.
I purchased quite a few of the 602's and the Modern Essentials.
I don't currently own any of them anymore save for a single 15 602 SE bottom hat.
Honestly, they are great sounding cymbals that just didn't sit well with my very damaged ears.
That's about the most honest statement I could make concerning them.

 

[dsop]

They're quite different from the 2002 and Signature lines. Kind of the perfect cymbal line really.

 

[KillinBill66]

None of Paiste's high-end lines are cheap. That's why I almost always buy them used

 

[Pickinator]

Is 602 considered a high end line.

 

[Mcjnic]

Is 602 considered a high end line.

absolutely

 

[supershifter2]

In the 70's I bought a used pair of 602 14" hihats and they were nice. Several years later I sold them and bought 2002 hihats for a different sound. I also owned some Signature and 3000 series I bought used for my rehersal room kit. Neither is better than the other(s). All are top of the line Paiste. All have different sounds. I use to describe the 3000 and Signature as having a silky sound. $620 is a tad high for a 602 24" but if you like it buy it.

 

[TPC]

As good an all-purpose cymbal as there is. The thinner ones excel in acoustic music, the heavier ones shine in slightly louder settings. They’re wonderful.

They can come across as a tad “vanilla”. And in an era where technicolor and novelty is the order of the day, they can be overlooked and mistaken as boring. But they sure sound great in the music.

I’m down to just two 602’s, both pre-serial, a 23” medium-thin ride, and a thin 15” hihat top. Those days that I can pry the Nolan’s off the stands, the 602’s are among the first to stand in.

 

[Seb77]

Is 602 considered a high end line.

It‘s interesting: I have no idea how they came up with the name originally (back in the late 50s!), but there hadn’t been a cymbal line“ using numbers before..Later they continued this theme, down to 502 and 302 lines which were beginner cymbals. If you got into drumming in the 90s or 2000s, you learned to associate those numbers with beginner cymbals, hence 602 might look less professional than say „Signature“.

In the end, you need to listen in order to decide if they are worth the coin to you.

 

[Griener]

If you're interested in that crystal-clear sound that Paiste Fo 602 cymbals are famous for, but want to save a few bucks, you might be consider to check the LEON series made by Cymbal & Gong out of Portland.
They sound very similar to Paiste 602, but not as sterile as some of the Paiste cymbals.
I play a full set of them and they sound great by themselves as well as in a group.
They have a sale currently because they change their logo and want to get rid of their stock with the old logo.
I bought all my current C&G cymbals from Todd Bishop (who's a member here) who carefully handpicks from their storage room and sells them through his cymbalistic website.
You get to see a video of the actual cymbal you will buy.
I can't recommend doing business with Todd highly enough; he will make sure that you get what you're looking for.
Now is a good time to check those cymbals; the current discount prices are great and it won't get any cheaper than that.
Disclaimer: I am not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with Cymbal & Gong (but I wish I was).

 

[DavedrumsTX]

Is this line of cymbals worth the high prices being charged and are they superior to the signatures or 2002s?
I understand that better is subjective. $620 is a chunk of change to spend on a 24" ride.

“Better” is relative. It all comes down to your ear and the musical situation you are in. Cymbals are like tools in a tool box. You pull out the cymbal you need for the job you have to do. 602s are amazing cymbals and if the sound is the tool you need, buy it. Let your ears and not the price be your guide. I have bought expensive, top of the line in the past and have been disappointed. Ears first!!!

Incidentally, I am a huge Paiste fan and I own around 25 different Paiste Cymbals(Signature, 2002 Black, 2002 Red, Giant Beat & Masters, Rudes, 602s). Paiste’s Quality is primo and their consistency is very high. While I have played Sabian, Zildjian, Bosphorus, Meinl and Ufip, I am exclusively a Paiste player now. The mics love them and they just sound great to me.

 

[Tarkus]

It‘s interesting: I have no idea how they came up with the name originally (back in the late 50s!)....

For those interested: there is a website with lots of information on Paiste 602 (other Paiste series as well): Cymbal-Wiki

But the origin of 'Formula 602' remains unanswered ...

 

[JDA]

I think the 02 in 602 had some relation to the 02 in 2oo2
some internal development number. Where the 6 was a development digit. 20 a later development digit.


Beyond that 602 are B20.
The only B20 Paiste until the Masters much later.
But the 602 B20 was made by an industrial firm. And was used in the Sound Creation line.

Is this line of cymbals worth the high prices being charged

 

[mfk252]

All my Paistes were bought used. They tend to be very consistent soundwise from cymbal to cymbal so I'm comfortable buying them online.

IMHO defining one of these series as "better" than the other really comes down to how they fit your musical application.

602s, Signatures and 2002s are different animals in that the alloys are all different. I believe 602s are B20 cymbals, so they are much closer to Zildjian/Sabian et al and darker and more complex than a B8 cymbal. 2002s are B8 cymbals and IMHO some of the brighter sounding Paistes, but they are great when brighter cymbals are called for.
The signatures are in between but can sound fairly complex, depending on hammering/lathing.

I think 602s are among the most versatile cymbals (like many A Zildjians). I have a 22" 602 Dark Ride (precursor to the Sound Creation Dark Ride) that hardly ever leaves the stand in my drum tracking room. I also often use a pre-serial 602 15" SE bottom hi hat. 602s play (and record) nicely with most everything I have (Zildjians of all flavors, UFIP, Meinl, etc).

 

[Tarkus]

I think the 02 in 602 had some relation to the 02 in 2oo2
some internal development number. Where the 6 was a development digit. 20 a later development digit.


....

That order would be strange, as 'Super Formula 602' appeared in 1957. The name 2002 came up 14 years later, in 1971 - now 50th anniversary by the way.

The name '2002' was chosen, because it should have represented something 'new' 'looking forward (to year 2000)'. Just '2000' was too simple and '2001' was already branded by the then popular book/film '2001: A Space Odyssey' (Arthur C. Clarke/Stanley Kubrick). So, they took 2002. At least, that's what I heard...

 

[JDA]

I meant some relation on paper not in the cymbal itself. Some internal development number on paper. Maybe.
like the 505, 302, 1000 etc.

 

[jmato]

Coincidentally, I pulled out my 602s and put them on the stands for band rehearsal last night. It's a small space. 14 hats, 16" thin crash and 20" thin crash, and a Sound Creation 20" Bright Ride. I just missed playing them, and was hoping for less volume in our enclosed space. They were beautiful. Bright without being too loud, sparkly with complexity, washy with quick decay, exactly what they are known for. I think they have a very unique sound that fits great in the mix and allows them to be played very musically. They are quite distinctive.

 

[JDA]

Is this line of cymbals worth the high prices being charged and are they superior to the signatures or 2002s?
I understand that better is subjective. $620 is a chunk of change to spend on a 24" ride.

here's a nice 19" if you want to get feet wet on 602s.
Just imagine a 24 as larger and lower

Price Cut 50s A Sizzle 17" and Vintage Paiste 602 Ride 19"

$180 + shipping for each. 50s A Sizzle 17" 1636g: Vintage Paiste 602 Medium Ride 19" 1965g:

www.drumforum.org

~
what cymbals Pickinator are you playing using now?

 

[bbshams]

it’s a little know fact that the 602 actually refers to the 602% tin content
in the alloy...