I Bought a Set of PROTOTYPE Cymbals!

IG: / davidraouf
Drums stems and mixes for this video available on Patreon: / rdavidr
Music used (background & playalongs)
www.epidemicso...
After checking out a bunch of weird cymbals, I figured it would be worth a shot looking at some prototype cymbals. Not all prototypes make it into production so maybe there are some hidden gems that us drummers have been missing out on this whole time, or maybe theres some that are too weird and should never be heard by a human ear. The cymbals in this video are from Zildjian, Sabian, Bosphorus, and Saluda. These were the only prototypes I was able to get my hands on in the time frame I had, but there are countless other prototypes out there, so this is just a small sampling.
I Found A Bunch Of PROTOTYPE Cymbals!

[@rdavidr]

Which Prototype is your favorite?

[@FuzzImp]

My firstborn

[@CertifiedsillybilIy]

19” hybrid thing

[@paxton69]

That stack was crisp

[@oakXpocalyptic]

The hybrid

[@juanemmanuelsalinas2001]

My favorites was the hybrid crash and that stack cymbal

[@JazzyJonas]

Fun fact: HH stands for "hand hammered" and AA stands for "automated anvil."

[@miguelgoldberg]

I really didn't knew that! Ty!

[@tommaybury]

What does the AAX stand for?

[@JazzyJonas]

@@tommaybury IDK but I guess extra or extreme?

[@tommaybury]

@@JazzyJonas that makes sense

[@theviraldrummer]

@@tommaybury “eXplosion.” They actually used to say “AAXplosion Crash” on them but I guess it’s just simply “AAX crash” now.

[@DustBinny]

One thing I think often gets overlooked in David’s videos is how he manages to find the perfect musical context to use everything he’s showcasing to highlight their ultimate potential. 👌

[@Lemon_Drums_USA]

He’s unassuming on the cover, but he’s a Session drummer.

[@ozzku]

Prototypes are always cool to see. Especially the ones that are lost to time.

[@james10890]

100% agree. I don't make it out to drum stores too often anymore, but I remember seeing a lot of cool Sabian and Paiste cymbals

[@gregwonhoff7161]

I just love your videos, and I am so grateful that you share your projects with us. Not only is your information super interesting, your delivery presented in such an entertaining manner. Thank you for being here for us.

[@flapjack413]

Sabian definitely makes (made?) other cup chimes. There was a whole bunch of them in the Terry Bozzio Radia series of cymbals.

[@rdavidr]

dang, dont know I forgot about those! haha

[@elipassage844]

​@@rdavidr Matt Greiner from August Burns Red had his Blast Bell produced by Sabian prior to Zildjian making it even though he was never endorsed by Sabian

[@Dan-hc1ow]

Are Jack DeJohnette's OM Bells cup chimes?

[@stevenraparelli3396]

Great video. Those 16" hats that you made from the two prototypes sounded great. The only thing about that is they would cost $1000 retail. 😮

[@panzeroftruth7500]

beard

[@DoubleD_93]

Sabian does make cup chimes! They're just stupidly expensive because they're grouped under the Terry Bozio Radia lineup. They sell 7/8/9 Radia Cup Chimes...I have the 7" and it's the equivalent to the Zildjian Matt Griener blast bell :)

[@saydlowski]

True. But these are AA and HH which they never made as a catalog item

[@the_minimalistic_adventure]

Sabian will make anything custom for you, too!

[@DoubleD_93]

@@the_minimalistic_adventure i actually heard that they recently shut down the custom shop! Likely due to COVID but they haven't made any note about when it will reopen

[@dysecta]

Dude I hope you see this but your videos helped me SO MUCH getting started drumming ❤

[@SmangItDrums]

Both the 3-cymbal stack and the Saluda china were my favorites, hands down. The stack worked well and probably worked even better with just two of them (the two chinas, that is). Smaller chinas (8” and 10” especially) work better as stack cymbals, anyways. The Saluda china sounded WAY better than I thought it was going to. It’s just the right amount of sustain, wash, and exotic flavor. Hell, I’d buy that from you if & when you were to ever sell it.

[@whatthisjokerrossuptonow]

The L80 stack 🔥

[@vidavieira1595]

Hell yeah I swear to god I'm going after this sound

[@Rab35]

The breakdown of the double China was awesome. Your face! 😂 Plus, I thought the double China sounded really good.

[@creamyhummus]

"Will it Stack" is my new favorite game show on youtube

[@nickj2508]

8:21 I like it, Saluda: mission accomplished.

[@drew2dee2]

personally i really liked the l80 stacked with the mini china, has a lot of character to it edit: i was there for the saluda days :)

[@RogerBergqvist]

The small china cymbal is like a Paiste Novo China. but small.

[@mightymrmousempls]

"If I was in an Alice in Chains cover band maybe" dead

[@ChrisKellyDrums]

Stack at 3:00 sounded so good!

[@tincantoy4441]

Yoo

[@JonManProductions]

1:09 "Hi there, my name is Jared and THIS.... is the QUESTIONABLE GARAGE."

[@raf.raf.]

That game of will it stack was fun! It would be cool to see a giant stack with like 10 small cymbals. Or maybe a game of will it hihat.

[@Skeleton_Dork]

The China/splash stack at 3:00 actually sounds gnarly, I would totally use that

[@lucscott3631]

Tbh 4:05 I loved when you put the l80 on it. It sounded so good. To me.

[@drumdude68]

Dope

[@coreyw5981]

Anyone remember Sabians viewers choice thing or whatever it was called? There was so much weird shit that didn't make the cut. Nonetheless they were made. So where are they hiding for david to try!?

[@StreetsOfVancouverChannel]

I can imagine a guitarist or vocalist watching this at the 6:40 point and wondering "Are all you drummers on crack or WHAT?!" ;)

[@joshuacarraso-lm7ni]

Interesting

[@M4RCM0NT31R0]

If Sabian does not produce the 16" hi hats, I'm legit gonna riot

[@Dan-hc1ow]

If you ask me, Sabian is the king of 16" hats, whether they're prototypes or crash hats that you make yourself. I use two 16" HH Medium thin crashes as hats. Oh, man...

[@mattnieri1202]

I liked the mini china best with the L80.

[@shank0022]

Sabian still makes cup chimes! A little known guy named Terry Bozzio has about 20 of the on his kit, HH Radias look it up!!

[@BrokenRealityYT]

I have a Paiste 21" Ride Prototype that I love, it sounds great and I found it at guitar center in great condition for like 180. Only thing is I wish the bell was a little bigger but its not too bad.

[@binaural189]

Rdavidr

[@TriggerThat]

Cymbal manufacturer: Here's a stack, its made up of 2 cymbals so we're gonna charge you 3 times the price Me: You think I'm an idiot or what???

[@alsdrumhang]

I love the trash smash crash bash slash thing. The Sabian inverted china splash made some killer stacks. That Bosphorus trash crash is hella nasty sweet. And can we talk about your breakdown face...?!

[@sketchydrumchannelph]

If bro has a prototype drum set, then that complete the set. EVEN THE SNARE

[@brianbjur4796]

Anyone who like the sound of the cup chimes, look up Gavin Harrison and your day will be made.

[@Nathan_7978]

i love that 19" trashy K crash

[@danielk2292]

This mini stack NAILED IT. Where do I buy thooooooose

[@formu1fan]

I never thought I would hear "Bob Lazar" being used to describe a cymbal

[@etmation6608]

hey do you think u could review table top drums sets for a vid? think it would be fun :)

[@KylenXanderSancho]

the cymbal was lagging

[@kaibergsohn2417]

the best crash cymbal I ever heard, let alone owned, was an 18" Sabian, simply marked "18 in. Rock Crash" with a giant AA stamp on it. I emailed Sabian pictures of the cymbal, and they were like "That's a prototype, but idk which year." Well too bad for them, bc that crash was perfect and I want that cymbal back, but now I'll never see it again. I want that crash back. Sad face.

[@Dan-hc1ow]

Oh, man! 😭. Did you have to sell it?

[@kaibergsohn2417]

Yeah, I had to get rid of my drum kit for space and $$ and that cymbal went along with it. :( @@Dan-hc1ow

[@cowlson_21]

The double china pentagon thing was actually really good lol

[@Lucid.-.]

HEY WHATS THE FIRAT SONG YOU PLAYED WITH THE TRASH SMASH TRASH CRASH THING I LOVE IT SM

[@Orochimarus9]

Is it possible for you to do a review on the Evans dB One Mesh heads and cymbals?

[@sarojaband4664]

7:24. Channelling Terry Bozzio 🔥

[@jc3drums916]

I'd say Chad Wackerman, since he was using them upside-down.

[@paxton69]

First

[@RedeyePerc]

Bonus points for the Donner acrylic with stock head!

[@rborawski]

What about those 8" chimes as hi-hats? 😆

[@DadBodDrumming]

I liked the cup chimes. I think they had a great sound when played together. I also like the extra large hi-hats and the riveted hi-hat. That thing had fantastic sizzle.

[@uber_stuber]

that 2nd prototype might have an insanely long title, but i love the tone of it! honestly my fav. as far as the experiments of splash/mini china stacks, i liked the 2nd stack option the best.

[@stephenchildress7275]

I own a Sabian AAX 17" Mega Bell Ride I got in 2017. Brilliant finish with a massive raw bell, and about 20 or so holes drilled around the bell. I was looking for something that sounded like Mario Duplantier's ride. It was cheaper than the Zildjian equivalent and looked way cooler lol

[@Gugupunkfanclube]

Thats cool!

[@whiterabbit6343]

a rdavidr on my birthday is crazy, today I also get my first drum set. wild

[@rdavidr]

letssss gooooooo!

[@1xo._chino]

Yo

[@Finduh]

that china is incredible

[@eddgutierrez5811]

Prototype and frank Zappa go great together hence his music was experimental

[@mcgrud]

For the algorithm. ✊

[@merlin704]

I need that Saluda china.....

[@CGMeeks]

Could see Adam Janzi playing the mini stack!!

[@stevemacqueendrums]

Hey David what snake do you use. I’m looking for a snake that has Quarter inch and Xlr. I remember in a old video you had snake that took that I’m not sure if you still use the same one but if you do if you get a chance let me know what brand makes it. Thanks love the videos.

[@ampyred8153]

L80 stack sounds great. I like also 16,18 or 20" thin Chinas with "silent" cymbals as stack for breakdowns etc

[@sim0n17]

I thought the L80 stack actually sounded pretty good

[@Cancun771]

There is a time and a place for everything. Even for mini China cymbals.

[@ArrowThrills]

4:38 I have a cymbal like that it used to be a 16 inch Agazarian crash cymbal until the cymbal cracked then I had a A guy Named Timothy Roberts Cymbals he lathe and modify the cymbal and he cut it into the shape of a bell hes partnered with reverie drums and stack ring percussion. The modified cymbal makes a good cymbal stack sir

[@craigstrickland1572]

I thought Sabain made Radia cup chimes for Bozzio? Might be misremembering... Your breakdown face makes babies flinch...miles away

[@thefigure13]

That 10” mini China prototype is perfectly shaped for stacking.

[@TheGain790]

As a Sabian cat, I've myself a couple of mini chinas, HH + Mini Aero China. On their own, the tone plus overall sound quality is not as appealing as expected.. Once stacked with a splash/aero splash it makes it MUCH better. So I would say, it stacks 110% 😂

[@Alberto-mc6yk]

Can you try some cheppy amazon low volumes?? I just bought a set and I was pleasantly surprised with most of them (the mosico brand). Splash...sad.. but the other "standard" sizes were surprisingly vibrant.

[@kaibergsohn2417]

"... not a fan of the K Custom hybrid line-" I love your channel and all ur info Ruh-David-Err, but BOOO THIS MAN 🤣

[@davewestner]

I tend to figure there's a use for any cymbal that's ever been made and am pretty into just about anything. But that Zildjian K custom crash/china/trash/etc cymbal......wow.....it makes it sound like the mics are broken. Maybe I'd like it for a low volume situation. Really didn't enjoy the bash on it. No offense....drumming sounds great, and I know the mics aren't broken...it's just the cymbal. Have run into a few cymbals like that over the years.

[@JC-fj7oo]

I was really expecting him to put those 6" ones together and make a mini hihat. That would actually be pretty neat.

[@Dan-hc1ow]

Ha! I was thinking he should try it with the 8"!

[@BayouMaccabee]

Pretty sure Stanton doesn't use any of his Bosphorus cymbals anymore. I believe he is now endorsed by Zildjian.

[@rdavidr]

he does, I guess I should have said he uses that style cymbal, instead of just "this cymbal"

[@BayouMaccabee]

@@rdavidr It's all good, great video. I really enjoy your channel.

[@Dan-hc1ow]

Think he went Bosphorus, Crescent (Sabian), Zildjian but he gets every company to make the same cymbals. I don't get it.

[@javiergonzalez5703]

Some time ago i bought a Zildjian 22" prototype ride for 100 bucks and it's awesome, i love it, the thing is, i can't find no info about it.. it has some clusters and a really define hammering pattern and 3 ribbet holes, but idk... Someone know something about it? Pls help 😂

[@TriggerThat]

Cymbal manufacturer: We have this prototype cymbal here, its all messed up and unfinished so of course it more expensive Me: You think I'm an idiot or what???

[@nehomarrichardson4063]

I think that Sabian lamp shade thing is probably a Carmine Appice custom model (ddrum makes it now). The flat edge on the ride might be a sound control protoype of some sorts.

[@Dan-hc1ow]

That's what I was thinking. Sounded very controlled. Oh, maybe it was the Cymbal Vote Groove Control!

[@drulius]

If you decide to sell the Bosphorus 21" prototype, hit me up! I was looking at that on Reverb and didn't pull the trigger fast enough.... Sounds great!

[@Quartiano]

6:40 makes me think Tim Alexander’s Eleven drum intros from the Fromage/Hallucino tours

[@craigjohnchronicles2504]

WAIT! What jerry-rigged-Gibraltar-boom-stand are you using for your three chimes? That batshit crazy Zildjian Sound Lab concoction was a surprise.

[@rdavidr]

haha its a regular Tama boom stand with a Tama CYA5E in the middle and a Gibraltar SC-DCT-BT on the end

[@bensexton254]

My preference is the L80 stack. Nice short trashy sound!

[@addisoncarpenter5675]

The sabian bells would would work maybe for the Marcus Gilmore aux hihat thing

[@jeffjefferson8137]

you should try my prototype. it’s a sabian b8 ride that cracked and has been slowly peeling itself all the way around. i got it for $30 after putting a huge crack in my dads 25 years old ride. the new one doesn’t sound great but it’s got a special weird sound. pretty good for riding like a crash, super dead though lol

[@Newberntrains]

the lick with those cups kinda would be perfect for songs about plumbing it has a hollow sewer tunnel sound to em and high hats need to be huuuge

[@KylenXanderSancho]

I mean ? Cymbals

[@bobbarksofficial4335]

Ooh

[@rkfhbccfhzjdf8294]

Gonzalez Matthew Anderson Ruth Gonzalez Timothy

[@PeteLamont]

A few years ago I ended up with the 24" version prototype of what became a 22" production model Zildjian cymbal. It was really cool to have, but the sound wasn't really there.

[@DanielDaybreak]

My least favorite new drummer trend is not using felts or wing nuts on crash cymbals. Looks so cheap and tacky. Not a fan.

[@BradsGonnaPlay]

2:48 DUDE ZBT splashes make the perfect stacks. I have two stacks, one with expensive cymbals and one with cheap ones, and the cheap stack with the ZBT sound sooo good.

[@jeremiegonzalez]

What is going on?! He played a breakdown lol sick!

[@moser7536]

That Bosphorous at the end was DISGUSTING in all the right ways

[@DrMackSplackem]

4:48 Or perhaps they sliced down some of their larger splash cymbals to make these 6s. I don't know why they'd do this, but a stamp centered on a cymbals edge is a bit weird and hard to explain otherwise.

[@benscrumhalf]

Surprised and disappointed that you didn't hi-hat those little bell cymbals. Next time..

[@TheyCallMeNoobieButItsNewBa]

1:15 the part where he went ham on the hyrbid cymbal sounded soooo goooooodddd

[@delane013]

i dunno, i really liked the l80's on the stack, sorta a quiet 9" max stax decay, and brighter

[@BLastoiD27]

Saluda China sounds like Wuhan 18 China.. Love the sound profile!

[@gamingborger]

i like that double china. the chime demonstration reminded me that i do not like those little things

[@WDShorty]

Man that last one filled up so much frequency space in the mix

[@m6hill983]

Dude, I think you should build your own drumkit from scratch your self..