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1960s Zildjian New Beat Top - Thin/Dark Last viewed: 6 hours ago

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I've been looking for a top New Beat cymbal with the following criteria:

1960s

Thin

Dark

Finally found one that didn't break the bank and I thought I'd add it to the collective knowledge.

I've got a set from the mid to late 1970s that's 783g/1249g. This top comes in at 738g (no bottom cymbal as yet). Sure enough, it's really dark sounding and even sounds great as a crash. Ink says on top line - "Top Hi-Hat" and on bottom line - "New Beat".

Sadly, I got tired of waiting for this cymbal and I already sold my dark sounding bottom NB (1120g). Ah well, back to the hunt, which after all, is half the fun.

Time for a bit of research for the stamp but off hand it looks late 60 - it's different from my old bottom which looked more like my early 60s cymbals.

Any thoughts or observations?

(having some issues with photos)

Pete

Posted on 5 years ago
#1
Posted on 5 years ago
#2
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My favorite home made pairing is two 60s trademarked A Zildjian cymbals which are 732g over 1120g. That's at the lighter end of the New Beat range, but I like them. I sold two pairs of heavier ones before I came up with these. Like you I went looking for specific weights.

That trademark looks like the 60s short stamp to me.

[img]http://black.net.nz/avedis/images/15-914-short-60s-rule.jpg[/img]

I don't see it as being the 60s tall stamp unless it is 1.5" tall (versus about 1.25" for the short version).

The ink saying

Top Hi Hat

New Beat

came in at 1970. I had it as 1968 on my site, but it has since been moved to 1970 due to new information. Prior to 1970 Zildjian weren't marketing New Beats as a pair of hats. New Beat was just the heavier bottom you could order, so the ink on the top just said whatever the top designation was. I've got designations of Top Hi-Hat, and THIN although most have lost their ink. The earliest bottoms just said

New Beat

Hi Hat

because it was implicit it was a bottom since that was all that was offered until 1970.

The presence of what we call a 60s stamp on a cymbal which left the factory in 1970 or later isn't shocking. Given the information I've got it is easy to see that what we call the 1960s stamp was still in use in the first few of years of 1970. That's based on looking at the trademarks which are on specific cymbal types which came in at 1970-1972. The distinctive types are Flat Top Cymbals (1970 only) and Pang and Mini Cup Rides (1971). When these are found with 60s stamps that tells us the 60s stamp was still in use in 1970-1972 and we can spot those cymbal types without needing any model ink left in place.

Posted on 5 years ago
#3
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Yep, 1.25 inch stamp. Didn't figure it was that early in the "60s" as the stamp, hammering and it's location (or lack thereof) et al is different than my bottom was.

That plus drummers get all bent out of shape about two HHs being a pair. I don't. Even today, the employees at the music store want to make a sale rather than worry about what two they sell together. A "pair" is a bunch of marketing bull. When I didn't care for the two Paiste Sound Edge I was looking at, magically it became a "top" and "bottom" switchable to meet my discerning tastes (and yep, I bought em!).

The bottom I sold was 1120g or 1125g, can't recall off hand. Very dark. It was 13 15/16 so maybe I'm better off getting another one. I am struggling as to whether I should hang onto the 70s pair though. Every time I play them, I feel like Gloria ***nor is going to walk in the door. I have a friend who's fallen on hard times. They would brighten up his life a bit.

Pete

Posted on 5 years ago
#4
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And here it is, my New Beat bottom cymbal. Sound amazing together. Darkest sounding NBs I've ever laid ears on. 1204 grams. Its supposed to have had "New Beat" ink at one time but it's gone now. However, as the look and hammering are just like my other early NB bottom, I have no reason to doubt it.

Pete

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Posted on 5 years ago
#5
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Patience is rewarded.

The look of the trademark stamp on your new bottom make me think it might be the 1.5" tall version of the 60s stamp. Is it the taller version, or are my eyes deceiving me on that small image?

Posted on 5 years ago
#6
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From zenstat

Patience is rewarded. The look of the trademark stamp on your new bottom make me think it might be the 1.5" tall version of the 60s stamp. Is it the taller version, or are my eyes deceiving me on that small image?

Yep, it is the taller version. And though it's hard to tell from the lighting, it does have a fair amount of HH wear on top of the bell and around the rim.

Pete

Posted on 5 years ago
#7
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