Paiste 602's

[tilinmyowngrave]

I've heard great things about the old Formula 602's, but I've never gotten a chance to hear one. Are they really as good as people say? Is there any place online where I can hear sound clips?

[aldrums01]

Hi,
I have some 602 13inch hats that I grabbed a few years back 2nd hand due to the fact that Stewart Copland used them on all the Police albums as well as Jeff Porcaro from Toto (he used 14's I think). They stuck with the 602 hats even when the 2002's came out.
They are great! Good dark rich tone with plenty of cut for rock. I would not use them for jazz, although you'd probably get away with it...

I also have a 20" ride from the pre-blue stamp era. It's a good cymbal, not my favourate, it all depends on what type of music your playing. I tend to fall in and out and back in love with cymbals.
One 602 cymbal I've always wanted for jazz was the 18" flat ride! I'd heard them couple of times and that was a special cymbal! Hard to find though....
all the best, Al.

[sevendollars]

i have 2 602's. a thick 22" ride, that i like,
and i have a 17" thin crash/ride that is one of my favorite cymbals.
so unique. billy higgins on many recordings can be heard playing a 602 flat sizzle that is absolutely beautiful.(not sure the size)
someone please correct me if i'm wrong, but i had heard somewhere that bonham used some 602's as well. (maybe earlier on?)

[ruudvancantona]

Hey, I have a 18" medium flat ride from the 602 series. It's in quite good condition. does anyone know what it could be worth? the serial number is 418517

[sabshga]

Do a search on completed listings on eBay. There are usually a couple up for sale. Completed listings will show you how they ultimately priced and also the ones that did not meet exhorbitant reserve prices. You should also post a picture on this site.

[drumusic]

I have a Formula 602, 18" crash that I love--it has such a beautiful sound. In my collection of cymbals, it is one of my favorite. They are as good as people say!

[the_drum_dad]

I have F602 medium 14" pre-serial hats and they are superb. I have vintage Zils and Sabs and the 602's are by far the nicest sounding hats I have heard. Bonham did play 602's early on as well as the Sound Creations which were thicker. they are both made from B20 bell bronze and apparently, he broke them frequently. The 2002 Sound Formula alloy (B8) was basically made by Paiste to stand up to Bonham's playing and still provide the same Paiste shimmer he wanted. He switched to 2002's exclusively after that.

[bacchus]

I've picked up 4 or 5 old mildly cracked or keyholed pre-logo 602's off ebay for under $75 and they are great sounding. They really run the gamut from light to heavy, but they all have that unique 602 "color" for lack of a better word. On some of them I had to cut little chunks out to stop existing edge cracks. My favorite is a 19" medium thin crash-ride that has a 6" x 3" bite-mark out of it, it makes the cymbal just a little drier sounding. If you want to get into 602's, look for a keyholed or cracked repairable cymbal on ebay for under $100 and check it out. Happy hunting!

[goughy]

I have a set of 15" scollop edge (sound edge) hi hats which were purchased by my dad in 1969. They look mint, and are the loudest hats I've ever heard. And by far the best sounding. I resently picked up an 18" cymbal, I think it's is a ride of some sort, and much newer than my hats.

[the_drum_dad]

I have also recently picked up a 20" pre-serial medium ride, very nice, quite washy yet dark, and a nice defined stick sound. Very crashable also.

And, a 17" medium/thin crash which sounds just amazing.

[sabshga]

I just bought an old 602 20" ride on eBay. Pre-blue label. It is quite nice. I have a set of Zildjians I really like and a set of Istanbul Mehmet that are wonderful. My son plays a Vistalite kit with a set of Paiste's and he had a 24" Giant Beat ride that I didn't love. I replaced it with this 602. It is the only Paiste ride I have liked. I usually find Paistes to be a little sterile sounding. This one is quite warm and complex. I'm a fan.

[bogus]

I found a 20" formula 602 ride in my grandparents attic :)
No serial, think its from the 60s.. It sounds great

[mlvibes]

I bought a 602 Pre-serial 18" Medium Flat Ride mainly because it's what Roy Haynes used. It's a Black Label, right before they started using serial numbers, which I believe places it around 1969. It sounds JUST like Roy's cymbal on Now He Sings, Now He Sobs. It wasn't cheap, but it was worth every penny!
http://www.cymbalholic.com/gallery/data/500/flat2.jpg

[goughy]

What stamp does it have on your 602?

My '69 hi hats and my stambul '65 ride both have no serial but have the Paiste stamp along with the Cresent symbol. I have a later black label 18" ride of some sort which I think does have a serial number and I don't think it has the cresent stamp.

Does anyone else have Paiste cymbals with both the Paiste and Cresent stamps on them?

Is there a way to date 602's based on the serial Number?

[troutstudio]

From the Paiste-only web site:

< With six number serials, the Paiste stance and the first number tells the year. Serials with no lettering above them are from the '70s, i.e. just 2XXXXX would mean 1972. From 1980-1991 or so, the lettering is in capital letters. PAISTE 3XXXXX would mean 1983.

From 1983 onward, they used the stylized lettering, so pAisTe 4XXXXX would be 1994.

In or around 1995, they changed the system to an eight digit number, where the first two numbers tell the year, and the lettering no longer has anything to do with the decade. 96XXXXXX would then mean 1996, 03XXXXX would be
2003 etc.>