The strangest sounding Ziljdian Hollow Block "Mystery" ride cymbal ever.

[Tama CW]

https://reverb.com/item/63511283-1950s-a-zildjian-22-hollow-block-mystery-ride-cymbal-2590g

Open the Reverb link before reading any further comments to get the full experience.

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Accurate description on this one. I don't know about "making records" with it.

More interesting questions is what got this way.......and what is such a cymbal really worth? Would be a good question for a "poll."
I could possibly buy that it was toasted in a fire. So would this be an example of cymbal with zero or infinite tension? I have a trans stamp cymbal even darker than this one
which I thought could have survived a fire.....but, it's tonal quality is excellent. And this HB ride cymbal has a lot of lighter areas on it (and factory brilliance) to suggest maybe it wasn't flamed on.

 

[owr]

Oh my. I knew what to expect going in, but was still surprised by that. I guess its not just about having the right shape.

 

[DWSlingerland45]

No idea how it ended up sounding like that, or how it got out of the factory sounding like that. It sounds like someone is striking the pipe frame of the swing set/ jungle gym in my neighborhood park when I was a kid....sorry but the price is crazy too.

 

[Tama CW]

Oh my. I knew what to expect going in, but was still surprised by that. I guess its not just about having the right shape.

I know. I waited for that first stick hit on the video. And then my jaw dropped..............

 

[Tama CW]

No idea how it ended up sounding like that, or how it got out of the factory sounding like that. It sounds like someone is striking the pipe frame of the swing set/ jungle gym in my neighborhood park when I was a kid....sorry but the price is crazy too.

I agree with you there. I couldn't dream of asking even $50-$100 for this DAAD example.

I've had a couple of very dullish trans stamp ride/crash cymbals that I didn't like because of they sounded so choked and lacking sustain. But at least they did have "some" sustain
and "ring" tone of sorts.

 

[JimmyM]

Oh my!

 

[Lennykenard]

I’m curious what it would sound like with the rivets in. A thud with some buzz?

 

[curly]

Who knows if the left the factory like that?

Could be that its just played out. Done. Fin. Lost its tension after years of use.

Here's where the opinion of Craig, Matt, etc on cymbaholic would be helpful.

Not the driest cymbal I've ever heard, maybe close. I remember Bettis intentionally making super dry lathed cymbals.

 

[trashman]

I've got JCR cowbells that have a wider spread and more wash than that sad-ass dead horse.

 

[zenstat]

Nice groove with the woodblock on the snare. But the woodblock has more spread and resonance than the cymbal.

As curly said

Could be that its just played out. Done. Fin. Lost its tension after years of use.

Every once in a while we come across "played out" cymbals. Sometimes upon radical cleaning and a very close inspection a hairline crack is found. But not always.

I had a 1950s UFIP that sounded a bit like that. It turned out the problem was the mounting hole was too small for the stand I was using. I enlarged the mounting hole a little bit and it sounded much more lively. I can't tell if that is a likely possibility with this one. It doesn't look like it is binding on the stand, but then neither did mine.

 

[Lamontsdad]

bwahahahaha!!!! Horrible!!!!

 

[Skeet6]

That's truly terrible, LOL. I wonder if fire was involved?
Mike B

 

[Lamontsdad]

That's truly terrible, LOL. I wonder if fire was involved?
Mike B

Fire needs to be involved, as in firing up the furnace and melting that thing down!

 

[Redfern]

Zero tension…it happens, but dang, that is insane. I’ve hammered the tension out of cymbals and they do exactly this, plus get terribly flimsy. It’s the weirdest thing.
It could be re-hammered and tension regained. I wish a truly talented cymbalsmith would buy that and show the after results.

 

[Markkuliini]

Crazy price! But I would definitely buy that for a hundred just to be used as a gag later.
"Hey buddy, could you loan me a cymbal, I'm on the way to a gig, and I forgot my cymbal case home."
"Sure thing, here you go..."

 

[curly]

Make it into a clapstack.

 

[JimmyM]

Make it into a clapstack.

It already is.

Seriously, what are they thinking with that price? I wouldn’t buy for $20, let alone $400.

 

[bassanddrum84]

Wow. Well given the crap zildjian has been putting out lately I’d say it’s priced accordingly. Lol. I don’t even know if that could be reworked into a decent cymbal?

 

[Lamontsdad]

It already is.

Seriously, what are they thinking with that price? I wouldn’t buy for $20, let alone $400.

I think the scrap value is $3.50.

 

[owr]

I had a similar thought. If I was a rich man with a mean streak it would be fun to sell as a normal block stamp, but "sorry, no sound files". If you could be a fly on the wall when someone pulls it out of the box for the first time. The "rich" part would be the immediate refunding of $ + a few bucks for their troubles.

Crazy price! But I would definitely buy that for a hundred just to be used as a gag later.
"Hey buddy, could you loan me a cymbal, I'm on the way to a gig, and I forgot my cymbal case home."
"Sure thing, here you go..."