Maxwell's moved their store towards the end of 2017 from the Times Square/Broadway theater district to 30th Street, close to Penn Station. That is about a mile south of where they used to be. I've never been to the new location, but my son Dan was there last week when he saw this cymbal.

He told me the store is long and narrow with a high ceiling. Towards the rear of the store are cymbal trees with new cymbals, some stacks of used cymbals, and cubbies with used and vintage cymbals. Some of the cubbies are apparently marked , i.e A.Zildjian and K. Zildjian, and others are not marked at all. Behind this is the cymbal testing room which has additional used and vintage cymbals in it.

According to Dan, there is apparently also a loft area in this high ceilinged store. Dan spoke to a sales person (the same one who sold him a 1962 Ludwig Super Classic outfit in WMP a few years back) and specifically asked for thinner 22" trans stamps. These were retrieved by the salesperson from the loft. Dan never saw the loft area himself. I'm guessing, among other things, some of the rarer or more expensive gear may be stored up there. I'm not sure if customers can go up there.

All in all it sounded like a bit of jumble, kind of like the stores previous location. I suspect that while you can walk a round and look for yourself, asking the assistance of an employee might be quicker and easier.

We did not see it online. Dan happened to be in NYC that day at a performance at the New Amsterdam Theatre on Broadway representing the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, where he works. After the performance he headed down towards Penn Station to get a train back to his office. Since Maxwell's new location is so close to the station he decided to walk in and look around. He asked the sales person for 22" thin trans stamps and was shown two of them. The salesman said this was the thinnest 22" trans stamp he have ever seen. The rest is history! ;)

The cymbal is beautiful to play. soft and buttery, especially for an A. Not clangy or metallic sounding at all. It is a bit loose sounding and less defined on the flatter side of the cymbal with an underlying wash that can overwhelm a bit, but on the other side with the deeper profile it is far more focused and controlled. The bell is dark and dry and reminiscent of an old K bell to my ears . It is definitely a jazz cymbal. Warm with a nice spread.You can dig in when in the sweet spot. It has a woody stick and the wash is pretty well controlled and does not overwhelm. The cymbal has a wonderful decay when crashed and there is no annoying hum or overhang. We are intending to create a sound file when we have a chance.

As an addendum, I looked at their website afterwards and could not find the other 22" trans that he heard. The cymbal Dan bought was on consignment and not owned by the store. Perhaps the other trans stamp he heard was also on consignment, I'm guessing what's posted online may not be 100% complete or may not include cymbals on consignment..

I never saw it online either. I think with some of the primo cymbals they just wait for someone to walk in and buy. The primo cymbals can just walk out of the shop like this one did, so why waste the time putting on the site. I believe that's their philosophy. And this one was not in the vintage cymbal pile when I found it. Dee gave me the heads up on "this great thin trans" so I searched around and finally found it between the edge of a desk and the wall. You see, the upstairs at Maxwell's is where all the vintage cymbals are, and it's also chained off. One needs to apply to the proper authority to gain admittance. Once you're there you'll find you've entered a place where time seems to stand still. I refer to it as the inner sanctum sanctorum.

He's a jazz player and has a light touch. I doubt that nylon tips are in his future for this cymbal. His experience with nylon tips, and mine from playing Regal Tips more than 50 years ago, is that they are too bright and pingy. He is looking for a warm and woody sound.