Zultan 21" Raw Jazz Ride

I've owned one of these cymbals for a few weeks now. I purchased it after taking a punt on a pair of Dune 15" hihats a few months ago, and being pleasantly surprised at the quality of sound and value for money.

I'm a big Richard Spaven fan and have been trying to augment my fairly middle-of-the-road cymbal collection with some unlathed cymbals to get
some of that dark, dry sound going on.

I've been blown away by the quality and versatility of this cymbal since I bought it. It's exactly what I was looking for at a fraction of the price I'd expect to pay from Sabian, Zildjian or Meinl.

This cymbal has a lovely low pitch and warm sound that blends very well with other instruments when playing acoustic music, with plenty of stick attack and playability at a lower volume. I use the Vic Firth Maple 5A's for lower volume and acoustic music and never feel like the cymbal is washing out, even when giving it one on Blakey-style shuffles!

If you were to try and use it as your main ride on a rock gig I would recommend some gel or tape, as it opens up to a roar very quickly especially with heavier sticks. The bell probably wouldn't cut through in a higher volume scenario as it has a very low profile and is not very resonant. This is a big reason why it's such a great cymbal to play with an upright bassist or acoustic piano. Probably best used as an out-and-out crash on a rock gig.

I would previously have held the opinion that it can be a recipe for disaster to buy cymbals sight-unseen, but at this price point any cymbal in the Zultan range is worth a punt. I've been delighted with both of my Zultan purchases having played the cymbals regularly for a few months now. I'll be adding a crash or two from the RAW range in due course, as they represent a great way to add diversity to your cymbal collection at a lower price point. Hats off to Zultan!

This is a jazz ride first, but I am using it as a huge crash. I play all different styles and the sound sample does it justice in a Jazz context, but playing metal with this thing blew me away. It's so dark, quick to respond and gets out of the way fast. The 21 inch Raw Jazz Ride is loud enough for a dense mix of loud electric guitars and bass guitars. You won't be dissatisfied with this, if you are contemplating on using it like I do, a big full dark crash. The bell on this thing isn't bad, either.