I've been thinking of purchasing a 14 inch China cymbal from Dream Cymbals from a local ebay type of site. I don't know anything about Dream cymbals (although I'm sure they are not vintage). Any opinions, guys? The seller want $50.00 C and says the cymbal is mint. Thanks very much.
Brian
I don't know about that size of a China cymbal....never seen/heard one of those. But I have heard some Dream cymbals that sounded great. The "Bliss" line of crashes and rides is really, REALLy nice sounding in my opinion. And they are relatively inexpensive.
I don't know much about this brand of cymbals particularly, but unless its something special, it seems a bit high priced.
Check e bay and you'll see plenty of brand new 14" China cymbals for less money. And when I checked on your particular cymbal, I couldn't find any, so take that for what it's worth. Is it really a China?
I don't know about that size of a China cymbal....never seen/heard one of those. But I have heard some Dream cymbals that sounded great. The "Bliss" line of crashes and rides is really, REALLy nice sounding in my opinion. And they are relatively inexpensive.
The Dream brand is made in China and are designed to emulate more of a Turkish sound rather than a traditional Chinese sound. My son has a 20" and 22" Dream Bliss. And for their relatively low price when new they sound really good and are a very good value. However they are not really in the same league as the top of the line cymbals from other brands that can cost 2 or 3 times as much, and they certainly are nowhere near the sound quality of vintage K's and A's.
A 22" Dream Bliss ride can be had new for around $240, a 20" for around $210. My son and I bought them on a whim when we were at Steve Weiss's warehouse store in Pennsylvania purchasing a set of vibes and orchestral bells. He is intending them for use by students. They are B20 bronze and are much better sounding than sheet B12 ZBTs and other similar budget student oriented cymbals. A pro could certainly gig with them, but they wouldn't be my first choice. Dream makes a few other lines besides the Bliss but I am nor personally familiar with how they sound.
The problem with telling someone who is buying their first set, to buy a used A is that, unless they know what to look for, they will become instantly confused by all the different kinds of A's. I found a set of these Dream Bliss cymbals on sale last Black Friday on Reverb or some place like that...It was a 20" ride, an 18" crash and a pair of 14" hi-hats....I think the set was under $500. My friend got them and says he loves them. (What does HE know?) So, when I go back there in a few months, I will check them out....if he hasn't trashed the set by then.
I just remember that, when I tapped on a few of them in the music store awhile back, I liked them BETTER than any of the other cymbals (including the A's and everything else). They just had a comparable "soft" jazzy sound compared to a lot of the newer cymbals -which all seem very bright and sharp/cutting/clangy sounding nowadays. Also, they didn't have a lot of ink and they looked nice.
The problem with telling someone who is buying their first set, to buy a used A is that, unless they know what to look for, they will become instantly confused by all the different kinds of A's. I found a set of these Dream Bliss cymbals on sale last Black Friday on Reverb or some place like that...It was a 20" ride, an 18" crash and a pair of 14" hi-hats....I think the set was under $500. My friend got them and says he loves them. (What does HE know?) So, when I go back there in a few months, I will check them out....if he hasn't trashed the set by then.I just remember that, when I tapped on a few of them in the music store awhile back, I liked them BETTER than any of the other cymbals (including the A's and everything else). They just had a comparable "soft" jazzy sound compared to a lot of the newer cymbals -which all seem very bright and sharp/cutting/clangy sounding nowadays. Also, they didn't have a lot of ink and they looked nice.
I'm sure your friend is really enjoying them. They are the budget cymbals I recommend when asked. When my son and I play then they sound very nice. It's not until you compare them directly with the good stuff like a vintage old K, and trans stamp, or something new like a Bosporus or Istanbul Mehmet that the Dream's deficits become more obvious. After the good stuff, going back to them is a bit of a let down. However, as I suggested previously, they are very decent cymbals at a bargain price. Your friend picked up a whole set for a bit more than the cost of a single top of the line 20" ride.
I always think of Dream Bliss cymbals as the less expensive alternative to old K's. I was told that jazz drummers like Dream Bliss because they can get the sound they want without having to spend hundreds or thousands on old K's. I just played an 18" Dream China I liked a lot. It was $74.
I always think of Dream Bliss cymbals as the less expensive alternative to old K's. I was told that jazz drummers like Dream Bliss because they can get the sound they want without having to spend hundreds or thousands on old K's. I just played an 18" Dream China I liked a lot. It was $74.
They sound nice and are a good value, but they don't sound anything like Old K's or any of the current batch of Turkish hand hammered cymbals, and are not even close to being in the same league.
Hey, guys!
Thank you very much for your time and expertise. I really appreciate it. Although it appears that these cymbals are not bad at all, I think I'll take Mark's lead and just shop around a bit. Maybe some of the "good stuff" will come my way. I really don't need a China cymbal for what I play but I was quite curious to see what one would sound like. Thanks again ,everyone!
Brian
Hey, guys! Thank you very much for your time and expertise. I really appreciate it. Although it appears that these cymbals are not bad at all, I think I'll take Mark's lead and just shop around a bit. Maybe some of the "good stuff" will come my way. I really don't need a China cymbal for what I play but I was quite curious to see what one would sound like. Thanks again ,everyone! Brian
I'm not quite sure how useful a 14" China would be. Most of the China's I've seen in use are usually between 18 - 22 inches. Although my son has a a 20" China he and I rarely play it, and he never gigs with it. I'm just not a big fan of them.
