Best Istanbul Agop 20" Traditional Original Ride Alternatives

Based on 5 reviews

I am an amateur percussionist and purchased this along with the Caz 14” hi-hat and snare to lay down some jazzy-feel rhythm backing for home recording as well as embellishing some conga / latin based rhythms. This cymbal has met all my expectations – it has a really nice hand hammered finish with a lovely range of tones and response across its surface with a shimmering sustain. It is widely responsive to sticks, hot-rods and brushes – my personal favourite with hot-rods with which you can achieve a very wide variety of responses, all of which are nicely consistent which gives you great confidence when playing. The bell is nice and shallow which for me provides the perfect tone alongside the other sounds across the surface. The cymbal responds well when crashed so if you...

Based on 5 reviews

I have tried many cymbals, from the very thin ones to the heavy impossible-to-move ones. I like warm, full sounds with lots of overtones and many ways to play them. The Zultan 20" Aja Ride has some of all qualities, it is not a light ride, it is not a warm ride but for sure it is sturdy and reliable. If you need a clear sound, no particular exotic overtones but something that you need for long time and that can be beaten over and over without even noticing, this is the cymbal for you. I mainly use it for rehearsals and for jamming. It may not be the most refined one but it will last for a very long time and will give you lots of satisfaction.

Based on 5 reviews

I bought this cymbal after very much research and i put all my money on this bet, and I am very very satisfied with my purchase, i wanted to upgrade to bronze since i only had money to buy a brass one, and i went straight to b20. PRO: The sound is very good to my taste, it has a great stick definition and light wash when you ride it. The bell is very sharp and distinctive, it cuts right trough. The crash is very explosive, it has massive volume and brightness although is a medium, dark cymbal. oh. and do you see that price? c'mon.. this is a miracle product. CON: The cymbal is pretty thin, and i do not recommend it for metal and rock, it's more to the jazz-fusion-pop side, in my opinion, alltough i use it for rock and metal too, i personally like thinner rides. The Lathing on this...

Based on 5 reviews

So I own the 14inch HH, the 16' Crash, the 18' crash/ride and this one. This feel the least like 'a low volume cymbal' out of all of those, probably also the loudest. The bell is nice and crisp, sound very much like and actual bell and when riding it you get some nice sound. As these cymbals, like the other ones, are heavily coated you leave dark finger print marks all over them when you touch them (it takes a while for the oils in your fingers to eat into the coating). I don't know if there is a way to prevent this or restore them but I kind of like the look, so I don't bother. Overall very happy with my ride, I use them with an electric kit for practice and this beats any rubber cymbal out there without coming close.

Based on 4 reviews

I bought this approximately 5 months ago. So far it has been very good. My problem with the previous ride was that the sustain was definitely too long, the bell was too aggressive and overall it didn't work too well in a small live performance. This one is just on the sweet spot. Some sustain, but not too much. Bell distinguishes itself withough going "DAAAAAAAAAAANG". Price is survivable. Of course you are not going to find that super special quality you might want to find in a very particular ride from the higher range, but if you want something standard, pleasing and reliable to start from, this is it.

Based on 3 reviews

This is a cymbal ride out of the world in my opinion! Sounds great overall and the bell is just amazing! The sound doesn´t "grow" like other rides can do when you are "crashplaying" them. What about the quality then? Well if you do care about your stuffs you take care of them, basic rule. But the quality of this ride is really good, the handmade stuff does speak for itself. Mabye the ride doesn't really fit your heavy metal music or music like that genre, highly recommended for jazz/funk/pop-rock. The Sand collection overall i do really like!

Based on 3 reviews

Loads of ping, loads of ding, loads of power, just a little bit of wash. Beautifully finished and buffed to a sparkling shine. Similar only to the (now obsolete) Paiste Signature dry heavy ride 20", but with slightly more wash. If you're playing something louder and heavier - Gimme Gimme Gimme That Ding! Having tried this out now, I must add that it needs a heavy stick to really bring out the full tone. I feel that oak is required rather than hickory as well. So far the only stick to achieve this for me is the Pro-Mark PW515W Joey Jordison Shira Kashi Oak.

Based on 2 reviews

I brought this symbol for my son who is an up & coming drummer, my oldest son is a professional drummer & drum teacher, it was on his expert advice that I brought this cymbal. After hearing the A-Custom Ride with his other Zildjian cymbals, I now understand why it was suggested. it sound wonderful & enhances the rest of his other cymbals thus giving him the sound he wants, & giving me the quality of sound needed to record in the studio. A very wise & informed choice. I'm glad I took the advice.

Based on 2 reviews

PST7's seem to be the sweet spot for budget cymbals that would not dissapoint in terms of sound quality. This one I liked right away. Pro's: This heavy ride most definitely won't dissapoint. Finish screams quality, and sound is, well, the way I like it: crisp, pingy (high pitch), not roomy, does not "swoosh" like thin/medium rides often do. Cons: You can't really crash-hit a heavy ride like this, so don't expect it to be crash-able exactly. You surely can hit it like a crash, but you need some serious force to bring it to life. I would go with an 18'' crash with this one for crash/riding. Recommened!

Based on 2 reviews

Wow. I mean... wow! Played this cymbal for the first time at a gig last night and it's fantastic. I needed a cymbal that could work as both crash and ride on smaller set-ups and this just nails it. The brilliant outer edge gives a smart crash (with a hard "a") which explodes into the mix and then gets out of the way. Moving up to the un-lathed area and you are playing a dark ride with nice stick definition and a pleasant wash. Finally reaching the bell and it's a big'un.. perfect for those driving moments, or to end a song on.