Beyond Two-Four

Just saw the police last night outside Sacramento. Stewart Copeland was fantastic–all that could be expected. The band as a whole didn’t appear to psychologically gel, even though they were tight musically. Nevertheless, Stewart played great, his kit sounded amazing. It was true to his sound, yet modern. His snare popped nicely, though lower volume hits didn’t seem to cut through the mix as well. I noticed he was actually playing his blue signature cymbal–it sounded great, especially the bell sound.

I got to see Stewart with Stanley Clark and Animal Logic in ’89. Horrible band, excellent musicians. I was standing about 10 ft. away from the side of the stage in a way-too packed club. My jaw was on the floor while watching, especially when they did a drum and bass solo.

I highly recommend checking out The Police on this tour if you haven’t already. Don’t expect the same edge of their younger years, but you are guaranteed great, updated versions of classic songs with, of course, superb drumming and a couple doses of tasty percussion (the video image of Stewart shot from below and through his gong bass comes to mind).

I receive my Saluda cymbals this week.The set is a complete replacement of all of my current cymbals: three crashes, a ride, two spashes, two sets of hihats and a China. They’re everything I expected. I’ve been a solid A-Zildjian player for 20 years (with the exception of a Paiste ride) and Saludas definitely rank up there with the best.

Don’t get me wrong. Saludas sound particular, and they probably will sound different from what players used to. This goes for all cymbal manufacturers, though, even among cymbal types like A Zildjians versus Zs, etc. What’s cool about Saludas is that they are custom made to the buyer’s specifications. If you want a Saluda to sound like an A Zildjian, Saluda will work with you over the phone, in person or by email to try to achieve a particular sound you are looking for. I’m not sure of the logic of trying to match Saludas to other cymbal brands, because I was hoping for something different and unique. And I got it. 

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