DRUMMER CAFE - Community Forum

So I've had a few people ask me about these stainless steel Keplinger cymbals I've got.   And I finally got around to recording some samples and taking a few snaps.  

I got some single hits so you can hear them ala carte, some bouncy hits, and some crashes, as well as a bit with them together, riding on the big 'un and crashing on the little one so you can hear what a "set" would be like.   The pictures were with my camera phone, not ideal, but it gets the point across.

I've got a 22 and a 16 (samples and pics labeled ride and crash) I don't have any Kep hats unfortunately, but he doesn't really make "hats" per se.  He makes a 14" ... but they don't exactly lie flat, so they aren't really ideal for hatting.   Generally speaking, they are relatively consistant.  He gets sheets of stainless, cuts discs, and hammers.   So they're all the same thickness, both from edge to hole and from cymbal to cymbal.  The differences are the size of the bell, the amount and pattern of hammering, and whether or not the bell was cooked.  I've heard more than a few, and the differences between them are actually pretty slim, despite the physical differences.  

So ... on with the good bits!

First up the 16" ...

(http://www.allthetransients.com/misc/KepCrash.jpg)

Average (slightly misshapen ;) ) bell with a relatively drastic edge, thats been cooked, with a little radiant heat going off the shoulder.   Most of the hammering is dead on, making small round marks, but with longer glancing blows around the edge.  That ring around the middle is kind of a scuff and you can't really feel it.

crash mp3 (http://www.allthetransients.com/misc/KepCrash.mp3)

The 22" ...

(http://www.allthetransients.com/misc/KepRide.jpg)

Small shallow bell, no cooking.  Relatively even number of dead on blows and glancing blows in the hammering, with some circumfral, some radial.  

ride mp3 (http://www.allthetransients.com/misc/KepRide.mp3)

pair mp3 (http://www.allthetransients.com/misc/KepPair.mp3)

The 16-inch cymbal sounds almost exactly like my old, beaten CB 18" crash/ride.  That's a big savings right there. ;D

The ride, now...that's interesting.  I'm hearing something like a tape slap during the decay, which I like.  That's a piercing ping.  

I couldn't help but notice, however, that during your demonstration rhythm it sounded as if you were quoting a couple of classical pieces; namely (or not very much so, as the case is) that woodwind-sounding march I heard during an Erector set commercial sometime in the mid-1990s, then a segue-of-sorts to the Barber Of Seville overture (or the theme from Rocky And Bullwinkle, I haven't decided).  I liked it. :)

I ordered a Keplinger a while back - I think it's a 20. Much as I wanted to love it, mine sounds like utter crap. Not musical in any way.

Your 22 sounds nice. Mine sounds like what it is - a banged up piece of metal. Oh well. I'd give them another try IF I could play the thing first.

Those are really bizarre sounding.  Wow.  Kind of an fx cymbal sound- sorta scary sounding.  I'd would want some regular cymbals to go along with these.  I think you could use them to great effect in the right musical context.

Would I get some?  That's a stretch considering my taste for some of the Bosphorus sounds.  I can hear the attraction though.

The 16 definitely isn't as usefull as the 22.   One thing about the recording too, theres a little more ambient low frequency in that rides overtones than got picked up by the mic.  

I also wonder how much the size of the bell makes the difference between something like my 22 and Mr.A's 20?   Seeing as how you were speaking in the present tense, can you tell us what the bell is like on that 20?

As for musical context, I was recently working with some folks and found that 22" to be my fave ride for that project.  The guitarists tone was pretty edgey (G&L Tele style into a Vox amp), and the bassist only spent about half his time on the lower strings.   So the meaty low end really filled out that range nicely.    It went well with a really thin 20" ride/crash since they had a comprable awkward wobble.

Also, they're relatively cheap.  Maybe $120 for a 22".   They aint free, but if you want some unique color, and like the sound, its cheaper than a handmade turkish ;)

The 22" Kep 563 has used to be mine.  I used it for a hot minute and decided it didn't really make it as my main ride.  It is trashy and it opens up beautifully.  If I played like 563 (smaller sticks, busier ride patterns) I'd have loved it.  But I'm a basher and in my hands it was more like a china with more sustain.  

My new fav cymbal: a 20" STagg vintage ride I banged on at Trading Musician yesterday.  Thin, trashy, crashable, enough definition and a painful bell.  and only $175.  My credit card started singing rather sweetly to me so I ran back to the car before I could blow money I didn't have.

So what was it you were playing? :)

Oh, nothing ... just spang-a-langing around

Neither cymbals was to MY taste.  They sound more like "effects" cymbals or something I may use as an add on.  Definitely not my primary cymbals.

Just me.

I heard these cymbals live for the first time this past weekend...I agree totally with Jon E.  However, they are rather interesting sounding and would add a lot of color to an array of cymbal sounds.

Who was playing 'em?  

Well...I was.  I couldn't find the "Auto Play" switch, so I just picked up a drumstick and went into manual mode.

Sorry, your comment read to me like you saw someone performing somewhere with them.    ;D     I think it was the use of the word "live" which I apparently equate to a performance vs an in store test.   My bad :)

The ride is sounding good..