Paiste Giant Beats - Let’s discuss

[Cannons]

The GB Thins are fantastic cymbals. I use Giant Beats as crashes with 2002 rides and hats. Love ‘em!

 

[purity]

The GB Thins are fantastic cymbals. I use Giant Beats as crashes with 2002 rides and hats. Love ‘em!

I picked up one of the 20" thins just a couple weeks ago and its quickly become one of my favorite crashes. Makes me really wish they made a 22 and 24 version...

 

[Gunnellett]

I really dig the thins also and prefer them over my 20" White Labels.

I used 18" and 20" thins along with 15" and 24" White Labels last night to jam with.

Sounded especially good playing "What is and What Should Never Be".

 

[DanRH]

I ordered a pair of the 14” GB hats from my LDS. These will reside in my shed. I use 15” ME’s when I gig. If I dig’em, I may unload my 15” 2002 SE’s.

 

[Mcjnic]

bbb

 

[Seb77]

I have a vintage 20", quite versatile (put a bit of muffling on it to tame the "zong"). The newer 20"s seem thinner, more crash than ride? I liked the reissue 24" when I tried it.

 

[Heartbeat]

I ordered a pair of the 14” GB hats from my LDS. These will reside in my shed. I use 15” ME’s when I gig. If I dig’em, I may unload my 15” 2002 SE’s.

I've owned all of those (literally, in your case with the MEs! LOL!), and they are all VERY different from each other. This is to say, don't sell the SEs.

 

[scheme]

Would you rather go with 15/18/20/22 or 15/18/20/24 and why?

 

[GMFrancis]

My first set of Paiste were GBs back in the mid 70’s and I used them for everything, dance bands, jazz, function bands and rock bands. I bought a set of the new ones a while ago 16” HH/18”&20” Thin and a 24” Multi and I love them. They really sparked my love of Paiste again. Prior to that I’d used Sabian, Istanbul.
I’ve since built up a set of 2002s and a set of 602MEs . I use the sets more for the size of the venue or even how I feel for a rehearsal. If I had to have one set it would be the GBs. They kind of sit between the 602 & the 2002. Loud enough for pretty much any setting but with some of that smoothness the 602s have.
I think they are a massively overlooked range of cymbals both in the wider range of cymbal brands and within the Paiste offerings.

 

[type85]

My first set of Paiste were GBs back in the mid 70’s and I used them for everything, dance bands, jazz, function bands and rock bands. I bought a set of the new ones a while ago 16” HH/18”&20” Thin and a 24” Multi and I love them. They really sparked my love of Paiste again. Prior to that I’d used Sabian, Istanbul.
I’ve since built up a set of 2002s and a set of 602MEs . I use the sets more for the size of the venue or even how I feel for a rehearsal. If I had to have one set it would be the GBs. They kind of sit between the 602 & the 2002. Loud enough for pretty much any setting but with some of that smoothness the 602s have.
I think they are a massively overlooked range of cymbals both in the wider range of cymbal brands and within the Paiste offerings.

Fantastic description!

May I ask, do you remember when and where you bought your original Gian Beats? I assume it was before 1975? Was it a music store in the U.S? I assume ythey were black labels?

 

[Steech]

What’s the main difference between the big beats and the giant beats? Is one washier than the other in general?

 

[type85]

What’s the main difference between the big beats and the giant beats? Is one washier than the other in general?

Big difference; the big beat has much heavier hammering drier sounding (less sustain) and also has the "asymmetrical" lathing of the 2002:

Virtually the same weight but the hammering is much lighter and the lathing is very fine and smooth compared to 2002's and Big beats.

 

[type85]

What’s the main difference between the big beats and the giant beats? Is one washier than the other in general?

Vinnie with a full set of big beats and 602 "ME" 18 & 22" chinas!

 

[mkelley]

What’s the main difference between the big beats and the giant beats? Is one washier than the other in general?

The Bigs are thinner and darker. Really the b8 strong suit, big & thin cymbals.

 

[Flamateur Hour]

I paired my 24" GB up with my 22" Bounce Ride at a session today. That cymbal has always held a special place in my heart. There really is nothing like it. Amazing bell, warm and broad sounding. Bow has great stick articulation if you play ~4" away from the bell (you'll notice Bonham did this a lot too). In that spot you get this really amazing combination of shimmering wash, ping, and the "pop" of the stick sound. I've never owned a cymbal that seemed to bring out the sound of the particular stick I'm using like this one. The crash sound is *chef's kiss*. Lay into the edge of it and it will bloom into a gorgeous shimmering open roar. However, sometimes playing the GB is unforgiving because pretty much any time you hit within 3-4" of the edge it will also bloom into said gorgeous shimmering open roar.

I will say, as much as I love the wash, it is a little hard to find the sweet spot. Mine doesn't really open up into the "KSHHHHH" white noise-esque wash like my B20 cymbals. I find there to be a bit of a low humming frequency present at any level of crashing that in some rooms is extremely prevalent. I can cover this up with the shimmer of crashing into it a bit harder, but some dynamic levels I find it really hard to get it to speak in the way I want. I found that if I put tape on the underside at about the halfway point of the bow it seems to dampen this hum and allow the cymbal to break up at lower volumes, but I still struggle with it at times.

Because of this I generally only lay into it crash style on BIG open hits (like whole note long tones and stuff) whereas my Bounce Ride allows me to alternate between articulate bow playing and crashes in sequence fairly easily because of it's slightly shorter sustain and cooperation at different dynamic levels.

Ultimately I love it when I love it, but when it isn't the right tool for a gig or even a certain room/stage it is blatantly obvious.

 

[GMFrancis]

Fantastic description!

May I ask, do you remember when and where you bought your original Gian Beats? I assume it was before 1975? Was it a music store in the U.S? I assume ythey were black label

Fantastic description!

May I ask, do you remember when and where you bought your original Gian Beats? I assume it was before 1975? Was it a music store in the U.S? I assume ythey were black labels?

Do I remember buying my first set of professional cymbals? Like yesterday! I’m based in the UK in the North of England . It was around 1973 and every rock drummer seemed to have Paiste GBs & 602s. John Bonham, Cozy Powell, Carl Palmer. I had a number of jobs over that time, a function band, a club residency , a jazz quartet , a dance band and depping as well as gigging for acts.
I really liked the 602s but the drum store owner was adamant I should try the GBs especially as he knew as a young kid I was going to end up playing rock. I got the 18” & 20” first and then the 14” hi hats a few months later. Honestly they were great for everything I did. I absolutely loved them. When I got into a big local rock band they were killer sounding cymbals in the mix. I added a “Seven Sound Set” China to them. That was basically a precursor to the 18” 602 China.
I used the GBs until the 2002s came out and switched like a lot of rock drummers did. Of course I had to PX the GBs towards the 2002s. Then when the Rude range came out I got a couple but really never got away with them.
As ever I wish I’d kept the original GBs. In hindsight I could have just stored them and used them occasionally as the gig demanded. I kept the China for ever until I cracked it in a very loud band, it’s the only cymbal I’ve ever cracked. I can still remember the gig!
A good while back my local store got a pair of16” GB HH in for a customer who never bought them. They kind of hung around and I was playing Istanbuls (both Mehemet and Agop) I told the store manger I’d used them ages ago and he suggested I try them. That was it! it was like being taken back in time! To my ears they’re like beefed up 602s, loud enough but with a very smooth sound. I added 18”&20” thins and a 24” multi and that was me back on the Paiste bandwagon again. Since Ive added a set of 2002s , a set of 602 MEs and a set of Masters/ Signature. Ive also started a little side project of vintage 602s that I had decades ago… Ive got an 18” thin flat ride, an 8” bell, next on the list is a pair of 13” heavy hi hats or an 18” China . I cant see me playing them much but as long as they‘re clean and in good condition I’ll add to the collection.
Bit long winded but I hope I’ve answered your question!

 

[DavedrumsTX]

I’m a Paiste guy big time. I’ve played Zildjian, Sabian, Meinl and Bosphorus, but I always came back to Paiste. It’s the sound of my drum heroes. I own about 50 different Paiste cymbals, Big Beats, Giant Beats, 602s, Signatures, Masters, Twenties, Rudes and 2002s.

With that said, I love Giant Beats. Before we talk about sound, I think the greenish color is cool.

From a sound perspective, they are great low volume cymbals. They always feel pre-eq’d to me. I use them to record and for low volume gigs where I don’t want them to be overpowering. I also mix them with Signature Traditionals. My only comment is that they are a bit easier to dent on the edges, so they are not bulletproof like 2002s. I’m a big fan

Here is my current favorite Paiste configuration. 22 Signature Traditional Ride, 20 Masters Dark Crash Ride, 19 Giant Beat Thin, 16 Traditional Crash and 16 Dark Energy Crash for hi hats.

 

[Gunnellett]

Here is my current favorite Paiste configuration. 22 Signature Traditional Ride, 20 Masters Dark Crash Ride, 19 Giant Beat Thin, 16 Traditional Crash and 16 Dark Energy Crash for hi hats.

I didn't realize there is a 19" Giant Beat Thin. I really like my 18" and 20" Thins.

 

[Gunnellett]

I just listened to the sound samples on the paiste page. It‘s a bit odd, the 22“ seems to have a lower pitch than the 24“?

What do folks think of the 22" Giant Beat? More of a Crash? More of a Ride? Or a nice mix between a Crash and Ride?

Compared to the 24"?

 

[BennyK]

I use an 18" GB thin crash and 15" GB hats . I had a 20" GB multi that I should have kept . The 18 is paired with a 2002 thin and they work well together .