So tell me why you love (or hate) Paiste 602's

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DanRH

DanRH

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My GoTo's for cymbals are Paiste 2002's for my hats, crash and ride cymbals live. I picked a pair of 14" SE 602 hats and I love them. They're a bit "softer" but are very musical. So, I've been thinkin'...

I'd like to get some 602 crash's. I'm happy with my 22" 2002 ride. I also use my trusty 21" Raw Bell ride in my studio and rehearsal.

Thoughts?
 
I’m not sure how hard you hit but I’ve heard good things about the 602 paperthin crashes especially the 20 inch and I listened to some YouTube videos of it and it does sound pretty good.
 
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I love 602's! GREAT for all genres.
Transparent, nice blend, and they record perfectly. In my mind they are the Paiste equivalent to old A's.
I have a 19" Medium which is a GREAT LSR for jazz, or a loud cutting crash for rock.
18" Thin Crash is a perfect all around crash that pairs wonderfully with the 16" Paperthin.
Although, if I was getting a 20" Paiste Crash, I would lean towards the 20" Giant Beat.
The (thinner) 14" Medium 602 hats are probably my fave hats ever.
You didn't ask, but my riveted 22" Paperthin is a GREAT jazz ride!!!!
And then there's those amazing flats...

A popular LA drummer told me that many of the LA guys were using 602 crashes in the studio in the 70's and 80's, and that even some engineers had sets of 602 crashes that they asked guys to play at recording sessions.

MSG
 
nomsgmusic said:
I love 602's! GREAT for all genres.
Transparent, nice blend, and they record perfectly. In my mind they are the Paiste equivalent to old A's.
I have a 19" Medium which is a GREAT LSR for jazz, or a loud cutting crash for rock.
18" Thin Crash is a perfect all around crash that pairs wonderfully with the 16" Paperthin.
Although, if I was getting a 20" Paiste Crash, I would lean towards the 20" Giant Beat.
The (thinner) 14" Medium 602 hats are probably my fave hats ever.
You didn't ask, but my riveted 22" Paperthin is a GREAT jazz ride!!!!
And then there's those amazing flats...

A popular LA drummer told me that many of the LA guys were using 602 crashes in the studio in the 70's and 80's, and that even some engineers had sets of 602 crashes that they asked guys to play at recording sessions.

MSG
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Yeah I almost said Giant Beat thin 20”. A lot of guys seem to like that cymbal. When I was picking out my 20” crash I ended up getting a Masters Prototype crash and the problem with it is that it’s not as thin around the edge like the giant beat or 602 so it’s not as buttery and easy to crash but I don’t think Dan likes crashes bigger than 18” anyway and I’m starting to agree too.
 
I have the following reissues (classics) and MEs. I love them all. The classics are very straight forward and are not complex cymbals, but the glassy smoothness and tone are just tremendous. I would not use them for super high volume work unless properly mic'd, but they should work very well in low to *just* approaching loud volume situations.

16" Medium - Great crash, fast decay.
20" Paperthin - This one is just super fun to smack. Very early Zeppelin-esque.
20" Medium - No frills, just pure and smooth. More of a ride than a crash.
22" ME - On the bright side with a subtle low-pitched wash that's just perfect. More complex than the classics. You can even get a bit of trash out of it, but only if you want to.
24" ME - My favorite 24" that I've played / heard. Just gorgeous. Similar complexity / trash potential as the 22".
 
RyanLovesDrums said:
Yeah I almost said Giant Beat thin 20”. A lot of guys seem to like that cymbal. When I was picking out my 20” crash I ended up getting a Masters Prototype crash and the problem with it is that it’s not as thin around the edge like the giant beat or 602 so it’s not as buttery and easy to crash but I don’t think Dan likes crashes bigger than 18” anyway and I’m starting to agree too.
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No, I love 19's and 20's. I just use a 17 and an 18 on my funk band. I use the bigger cymbals in my Petty band. The 2002's just work for me.
 
As you know, I LOVE 2002s and Giant Beats and have a bunch of each, but I wanted some 602s for a slightly more mellow sound for a country band, and for recording. I grabbed 18", 19", and 20" thin crashes, 22" medium ride, and I'm working on the hi-hats (15" medium top over heavy bottom -- kind of a New Beat equivalent).

I absolutely love the 602s. Just fantastic cymbals that speak, but don't get in the way. Not as cutting/loud as 2002s. I sometimes use my 22" 2002 ride with the 602 crashes and it works fine. The 602 ride is much more washy than the 22" 2002 ride, not as pingy.
 
Heartbeat said:
As you know, I LOVE 2002s and Giant Beats and have a bunch of each, but I wanted some 602s for a slightly more mellow sound for a country band, and for recording. I grabbed 18", 19", and 20" thin crashes, 22" medium ride, and I'm working on the hi-hats (15" medium top over heavy bottom -- kind of a New Beat equivalent).

I absolutely love the 602s. Just fantastic cymbals that speak, but don't get in the way. Not as cutting/loud as 2002s. I sometimes use my 22" 2002 ride with the 602 crashes and it works fine. The 602 ride is much more washy than the 22" 2002 ride, not as pingy.
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602 are magical. 2002 a staple for high volume.
 
Not that 602s are bad, but they wouldn’t be my first choice when going for B20 bronze, there are definitely better options from manufacturers that specialize (and have the tradition) in B20 alloy.

Paiste makes the BEST B8 and B15 cymbals in the business, but when trying to compete with B20 it’s like sending a big-breasted, small bum model to a booty contest :-D
 
Mcjnic said:
I've gone through three sets of 602's and another set of Modern Essentials.
I just can't force myself to like them.
Even today, I have a set of 15 Medium hats with a SE bottom (extra).
I don't like playing them.
They are like the rides and crashes ... they are stiff, way too direct, almost a one note sound.
There's really no depth of character.
I listened to some members here and purchased a good collection of older models (60s and such).
Man oh man, they genuinely do not sound or feel good.
I've got a 19 medium light weight one from WAY back that sounds just as bad as the new 19 I didn't like.
Not a fan ... at all.

Now, the ME's are a different animal entirely.
Those have the potential to be really nice.
Unfortunately, they suffer from this bizarre thing where they are sonically muted ... like they have cotton balls all over them.
They never quite open up.
The lack is very apparant when you put one on a stand next to a handful of other nicely hammered examples from other lines.
They just don't hold up to my ears.
And that is a shame.
Genuine lost potential.
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I have generally felt the same way about most all Paiste’s in the past (had an endorsement with Istanbul Agop for 15 years). I just got a set of Paiste Masters Dark’s though, and they are phenomenal.
 
My only experience with 602s is with the vintage ones. I always found them to be too bright, which is probably the same reason why others love them.
 
Absolutely love the reissued 602's! I stumbled into a 20" medium ride as well as 16" & 18" thin crashes from the original re-release of the series that a local Guitar Center was blowing out 8-9 years ago. Up until then I had only heard a handful of them over the years, but these really appealed to me. They are "perfect" sounding cymbals, completely balanced tonally. Eventually I acquired some of the larger sizes (20" thin crash, 24" ride, etc.) and they worked extremely well with the top 40 country bands I was playing with. They even work well with my classic rock band in smaller venues where I need to keep my volume in check.

IMO the Signatures are the logical extension of the 602's for higher volume situations. They take the "perfect" thing to another level, and were my introduction to Paiste in the early 90's.
 
I like them cause I can buy one without hearing it and know I'll be getting a good cymbal.
Wish I could say the same about other manufacturers.

I like the ME's more, some folks like the standard models more.

Didn't John Densmore use a 602 ride on "riders on the storm" ? that's a great classic sound in context of the track.


And while we're here. I have a 602 20" medium ride for trade/sale in my ads.
 
I don't hate 602s, they're just not what my brain says a cymbal should sound like. To me they sound like they half belong in an Orchestra Pit and half on a practice kit.

edit - I like the drummer though. I just wish he’d get off that dang practice kit.


 
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you have to treat em with kids gloves edge nick can become inward crack ....sooner than say Zildjian b20 alloy

I have 5 (had 9) each with edge nicks that turned to inward crack of course (I bought em that way ) (cheap)
but they were still badaz. 22 ride, 18 Flat, 18" china. Sound edge edge 14 bottom , two 14" tops etc


So I'd just say be more careful than usual ...when handling packing up/ with the edges
other than that knock yourself out : )
 
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I don’t “love” them, but I like them a lot. I’ve had my share (some flats, a 22 BL Paperthin, etc.), which I sold. The only ones I have remaining are a thin 23” pre-serial (very very nice - like a perfectly controllable old A), and a very thin 15” hihat top. These are excellent cymbals, but as I said, I only “like” them and as such they generally don’t find much stand time in a large stable of other cymbals that I do love.

When the Paiste bug hits, it’s almost always Masters, Trads, or DE’s that get the call.
 
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