SeriesPaiste 2002

The Paiste 2002 20" Ride is the Paiste cymbal that I have owned the longest. It was my first ride, so I am pretty partial to it. It is probably not the best from the line, but it gets the job done. Unlike many other 2002's, this is definitely the most versatile. It has a complex sound that could be used in certain jazz or Latin contexts. For this reason, I have many different rides but I still bust this out frequently. The ping is really clear. It differs greatly from one part of the cymbal to another. The shoulder is much darker and condensed, where the edge is brighter and more open. The bell is loud and smooth. I really enjoy rolling on it with the stick tips as it produces great individual stroke clarity. It is a reasonably heavy cymbal, so I rarely crash it as it is very overpowering. It is on the dry side when compared to other 2002's. This ride also has great stick response and rebound on all parts of the cymbal. I usually don't consider ride to be a very breakable cymbal, but this is more durable than the rest for sure. It provides a vintage rock sound reminiscent of Bonham, Copeland, or Giles. If this is the sound desired, look no further. I have been playing a lot of dum n bass style music lately, and have been using the 2002 ride quite a bit. With the addition of some felt muffling, this sounds great in recordings mimicking electronic drum characteristics. For these reasons, I really love this cymbal and would suggest it to anyone. It isn't cheap, but is still a lot cheaper than Paiste Signatures. Check it out and you will not be disappointed. I will always keep this one handy.

I owned my 2002 22" ride for a few years before sadly parting with it. I had it paired with an 18" crash from the 2002 series, and they were a match made in heaven, though I wished I could have had a 20" crash to fill it out. Paiste makes awesome cymbals, and they really shine when you get up into bigger sizes like 18"-20" crashes and 22" rides. Some things I liked about my 22" ride were: 1) The 2002's durable finish. Fingerprint, smudges, hand oils.... never hurt the finish on this cymbal even when I was constantly setting up and breaking down without wiping the cymbals down. I can't say the same thing for the finish on a Sabian AAX crash I owned previously, which actually hurt the sound in time for that cymbal. 2) The fullness of sound- it is a thick ride, and you can get a great ping from it but theres always a moderate wash underneath the ping depending on your technique. I played further out on the edge and got a lot of volume from the wash (for a "large" sound) while still having articulation of the stick on metal cutting through the band. It was a perfect balance. 3) You can actually crash this cymbal! Even as thick as it is, with proper technique you can ride it like a crash and get a beautiful LOUD wash. I employed this alot for the indie rock band I played in. 4) Its durability. I played this cymbal heavily for a few years, never had a dent, ding, scratch, or crack. Even when playing on the edge a lot, it stood up to it. Paiste makes quality cymbals. Things I don't like: 1) It is heavy. Not a huge deal, but due to its 22" diameter and thickness you have to be careful when putting it away. If you dropped it it would break a toe for sure. 2) The bell is a little harsh, or hard to find the sweet spot since its a bit small. If you are one of those ride-the-bell-of-the-cymbal on the chorus of the song kinda guys you might feel disapointed. I'm more of a play-it-in-the-fied kind of guy who likes moderate wash underneath a subtle ping. So it didn't bother me. If I had to buy all new cymbals over again, I would definitely look at the 2002 line, and consider the Signature series if my $$ allowed it since I'm not playing as heavy of music as I was then. The 2002's were great for my band but were a bit much when I filled in for a church band once. The 2002's cut through and are LOUD, even though retain more sensitivity and musicality than something like the RUDE series which are aptly named.

I owned my Paiste 2002 18" crash for a couple of years before sadly parting with it. I like the lower overtones and the deep wash it gave me, which were mostly due to its 18" size. I started to stray away from smaller crashes and splashes due to the weak wash or sustain and harsh high frequencies, and ended up playing only a 18" crash and 22" ride form Paiste's 2002 series. The two cymbals blended perfectly together for playing in an heavy hitting indie rock band. I like the finish on the 2002, its not very brilliant but it held up really well for years even though I was constantly setting up and breaking down my set, and never even wiped the cymbals down from hand oils and fingerprints. This had ruined the finish and even dulled the sound on a Sabian AAX crash I had previously. Another thing I liked about this cymbal, was that it was fairly loud, not in a harsh way like the RUDE series but in a way that filled a room and still cut through a band. I would say that the entire 2002 series is probably sonically somewhere between the RUDE series and the ultra expensive Signature series. They have a bit of the power, projection, and volume of the RUDE series, though more musical and sensitive like the Signatures. They lack some of the complexity and refined tone of the Signatures though, to be a more powerful cymbal that would stand up better for heavier rock music. My 18" crash proved very durable as it served me in playing heavy rock music. My technique involves setting the cymbals low and flat and being struck most on the edges instead of the face, so the edges received a lot of abuse from the sticks wihtout ever being dinged, dented, or warped. I think it has a lot to do with the thickness of the cymbal, and yet again is another reason why I was better off with 2002's than Signatures which can veer to the thinner side. My Paiste cymbals were the most expensive cymbals I had ever bought, but I had become disatisfied with zildjians sound, and Sabian's quality of anything below the Hand-Hammered line which was too pricey for me. I believe I paid almost $170 for the 18" crash, more than I had ever paid for a crash, but still more affordable than had I bought Sabian Hand Hammered or Paiste Signature. If I had to buy another setup all over again, I would try and buy Paiste Signatures if I could afford it because I would enjoy the complexity and brilliance, but for what I was playing when I owned the 2002's- they were perfect. I followed good adivce from fellow drummers in the same style of music, and played a ton of cymbals before buying them, and they stood up to the abuse I gave them.