Meinl Byzance Series Jazz Cymbals

Meinl
Byzance Series
Jazz Cymbals
GEARREVIEWS
All in Hand
All Byzance cymbals are cast individually and
worked by hand in Meinl’s factory in Turkey
092 RHYTHM SEPTEMBER 2007
ESSENTIALS
PRICES
Meinl Byzance Jazz
cymbals
14” Hi-hats £295
18” Crashes £253
20” Rides £317
22” Rides £430
CONTACT
Active Music
Distribution
7 Goose Green
Trading Estate
47 East Dulwich Road
London SE22 9BN
Telephone
020 8693 5678
Website
www.meinl.com
T
he latest addition to Meinl’s
acclaimed and highly individual
Byzance range is this batch of
Byzance Jazz models. The Byzance
range represents Meinl’s attempt to
capture the qualities of the sort of vintage
cymbals that drum afi cionados talk
about in hushed tones. Since its launch
the range has been well received and has
been extended to incorporate fi ve
distinct lines.
Don’t be put off by the ‘Jazz’ label,
as these cymbals – like any lighter,
darker-sounding cymbals – are suitable
for many applications. Both visually
and sonically, there is plenty to
distinguish the Jazz cymbals from
other Byzance models.
Casting Vote
Like all Byzance cymbals, the Jazz
models are a product of Meinl’s
Turkish factory, cast individually from
tin-rich B20 alloy and worked by
experienced cymbalsmiths. The
cymbals have a natural fi nish and,
beneath the lathing patterns, there are
plenty of hammer marks visible (more
so than, for instance, Byzance
Traditional models). After the
cymbalsmiths are satisfi ed with a
cymbal's tuning it is transported to
Meinl’s German HQ for fi nishing. After a
period of resting of up to several months
to allow the metal to fully relax, the
cymbals are then ready for playing.
Included in the selection for review are
a selection of 20” and 22” rides, two 18”
crashes and the sole pair of Byzance
Jazz hi-hats. Other models also available
are a 20” fl at ride, a 20” Wolfgang
Haffner signature fl at ride that promises
that sort of versatility that you wouldn’t
necessarily expect from a bell-less ride
cymbal, and an intriguing-sounding 22”
China ride.
Hats of Distinction
It’s a rare thing for a manufacturer to be
confi dent enough to produce just one
model of cymbal, but Meinl must feel
that what it has come up with in the 14”
Jazz Thin hi-hats is so spot-on that
alternatives are not required.
The absence of any harshness makes
them ideal for acoustic settings – in all
probability their intended use. However,
that same mellowness pays dividends in
louder scenarios (as I found out), where
they very successfully occupy a different
set of frequencies to most hi-hats.
Of the three types of crash, Meinl
supplied us with the Extra Thin and
Medium Thin models, both 18” in
diameter (the only choice). Of the two,
the Extra Thin crash was unsurprisingly
softer and darker than the Medium Thin
model. The thicker cymbal had a little
more power about it and a more
pronounced decay. Neither crash
explodes in what could be described as a
biting manner, but they are surprisingly
authoritative when whacked.
They could both be used as left-hand
rides, which almost certainly explains the
choice of diameter.
The top hat is conventionally lathed
and fi nished, while the bottom hat has
simply been hammered and left raw.
First impressions are of bags of warmth
and a soft feel. Sitting over them in a
playing position, their almost total lack of
top-end is at fi rst disconcerting – in
comparison with your average pair of
hats they sound almost muffl ed.
However, getting out front, especially
when mic-ing up, sees the qualities of the
hats shine through.
All too often hats that sound crisp
close-up are reproduced as a blinding
wash in the mix, with any underpinning
body swamped out by the cutting
top end. These hats are exactly the
opposite: their deep tonality is naturally
brightened by the mic-ing process,
making them sound full and aggressive
when needed, but all the while
articulate and warm.
From £253 | Meinl’s new Byzance Jazz cymbals hit the spot
regardless of drumming style, as Adam Jones discovers
RHY142.gear_meinl 92 14/8/07 20:17:10