I'm curious if anyone here has any custom made cymbals. There aren't many companies that offer this service though, but the difference that a custom and matched set will make is amazing. Not only that but I know Saluda will put almost any of their finishes offered on any of their cymbals.

I have all Saluda cymbals. Jamie Lambert is one of the easiest guys to deal with. I got my cymbals made for performing live in a funk rock band in mostly non-mic'd (for the drums) settings. My crashes were left quite heavy, so their volume and projection is unreal. They cut through in a live setting very, very well. My ride is also relatively heavy and produces an awesome penetrating tone with little force. I had the bell of the cymbal left smaller for 2 reasons; to allow a larger area for different riding tones and because I use a base model 6'' effects bell which has a perfect ride bell tone to me. I could go on and on with each of my cymbals' characteristics and all, but I won't bore you any further than the next example.

My 12'' Custom Hybrid China. I requested this cymbal for recording only-purposes to use on only one particular song. I needed the cymbal's volume to be significantly lower than what my other cymbals were. I actually needed it to be quieter than my 6'' effects bell. I contacted Jamie and described the tone I was looking for. His reply was "No problem", and he got me the cymbal within a week. It is very light for a China. Very light actually. If you push it too hard the outer lip will flip around backwards; however, it has the EXACT tone that I wanted. Jamie's interpretation of the tone that I wanted was spot on.

Here's a list of what I have when my kit is fully set up. I'll list the cymbals below the picture.



6'' FX chime bell - base model
12'' Hybrid Metal Custom splash - left heavy for added volume
12'' Hybrid Custom China - described above
14'' Mist X Custom hihats - even weighted, bottom rippled edge
16'' Hybrid Metal Customcrash - described above
17'' Voodoo China - base model
18'' Hybrid Metal Customcrash - described above
20'' Hybrid Metal Custom ride - described above
21'' Mist China - medium weight, slow lip roll, mild hammering, very loud

Posted - 12/14/2009 :  06:35:55  

I had no idea you could custom order cymbals and have them made to your exact specs. You said you described the tone to Jamie and he made it for you. Sounds like he is really on the ball. How does the price compare between a custom Saluda and, say, a Zildjian or Paiste of the same size and type? If Jamie sends you a cymbal, and it didn't meet your requirements, would he take it back and make another? Bear with me if I sound ignorant, but this is new ground for me and it has peaked my interest. I am just looking for the starting point for custom cymbals.

Posted - 12/15/2009 :  05:34:04    

First off, let me explain that the product that Saluda makes is nothing short of top quality, "professional grade" stuff. Zildjian, Sabian, Paiste, etc usually have their entry level cymbal lines which are priced low but lack tone and dirability that their, naturally, more expensive lines have. So the price comparison is on an equally worthy cymbal. Saluda currently does not offer a "bottom of the barrel" line of cymbals. They are all top quality.

Generally speaking, Saluda's are going to be cheaper than the other top manufactures in their base line form. Much cheaper actually. We'll compare their 16'' Mist X crash to a 16'' Zildjian A Custom crash, which are on equal playing fields. I've had extensive experience with both of these cymbals. I've done side-by-side comparisons with these two cymbals. They are both very much alike.
16'' Saluda Mist X : $109 @ www.drumgearonline.com
16'' Zildjian A Custom : $209 @ www.musiciansfriend.com

Now when you're having a custom cymbal made by explaining a certain sound to Jamie it may stray above that base line price because more work may be required to get the sound that you're looking for than just pulling a stock cymbal off the shelf and shipping it out. Custom finishes will also increase the cost. However, I can say that it will still likely be cheaper than a stock Zildjian, Sabian, Paiste, etc.

Now, to answer your question of if you get a cymbal that isn't what you had in mind. I've gone through this exact scenario. I ordered a set of hihats to be bright, mild decay, good projection but not too overbearing in a solo setting. Something to cut through the band well but wouldn't become wishy-washy played open. What I got was a GOOD set of hihats, but they were darker in tone than I wanted. Everything else was right (projection, decay, etc etc), but the tone was dark. Jamie had me send them back. He made a new set and used the original set as a basis for comparison so to know that I wanted those same characteristics, just brighter. I got EXACTLY what I wanted in return. Same price.

Another really cool thing about Saluda that I believe sets them apart even more from the other major manufactures is that they will take trade-ins. They'll take pretty all drum equipment in on trade for a cymbal purchase. I've traded in loads of stuff in exchange for cymbals. You just have to take some detailed pictures and be very honest about the condition of the equipment you'd like to trade in before making the deal. I've always found the trade-in program fair. They offer more than a typical music store would.

Posted - 12/15/2009 :  13:19:02  

Interesting. Thanks for the info. I'm gonna check these guys out.