Identify Your Paistes

It is not uncommon for people to come across Paistes that are not completely identifiable. This includes vintage cymbals which the ink stamped logos and labels have been removed or faded. More modern cymbals can be rendered ambiguous if cleaned improperly.

This page includes points used to identify cymbals that do not have proper labeling that has survived.

Please note that for this conversation, the term "embossed" refers to anything pressed into the metal of the cymbal, and the word "stamped" refers to any wording applied in ink. In other arenas these terms may not be used in the same way.

Alloys

There are several alloys used in the production of Paistes. The easiest way to determine the alloy of an unknown cymbal is visually. However, the colour may be difficult to judge in digital photographs. It is recommended that when trying to identify a cymbal that it be done in person. Comparing to a cymbal of a known alloy is helpful if one is not familiar with the hues of the different alloys.

The formulae noted below refers to the amount of tin is mixed in with the main metal ingredient, copper. So, the B8 formula would be 8% tin to 92% copper, for example. The Brass and Nickel-Silver alloys differ slightly from this formula scheme.

B20 Alloy

B20 tends to have a silver or white colour hue. It is more pale than either the B15 and B8 alloys. The copper in the alloy will oxidize when exposed to excessive moisture.

Series that use this alloy: Formula 602, Sound Creation, Twenty, Twenty Custom Collection, and Twenty Masters Collection.

B15 (Signature) Alloy

B15, or Signature alloy, can be identified by lusterous yellow colouration. Like all bronze, a blue/green oxide will be found when exposed to excessive moisture. This cupric oxide is what gives the Statue of Liberty it's characteristic colour.

Series that use this alloy: Signature, Signature Dark Energy, Signature Traditionals, and Visions (certain models).

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  Signature

• Paiste Signature Dark Energy 17 Dark Crash.jpg

  Signature Dark Energy

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  Signature Traditionals

• Paiste Visions 13 Heavy Hi Hat.jpg

  Visions

B8 (2002) Alloy

B8 bronze has a noticable orange hue to it. This is readily seen in clean cymbals, but is also present in cymbals that have developed a patina. One noticeable exception is the RUDE line. RUDEs are B8 cymbals but have a characteristic unlathed appearance. The colour of a RUDE may have a tint (green or brown usually) but the lack of lathing and the raw colour from the annealing process give them away. Moisture will cause B8 to develop a tell tale blue/green oxide.

Series that use this alloy: Alpha, Dimensions, Giant Beat, RUDE, 2002, 3000, 2000, 505, 404, among others.

Brass

Brass cymbals have a colour similar to B15 although lacking the luster. They also feel lighter and warmer due to the density and thermal conductivity of the metal.

Nickel Silver

Cymbals made of nickel silver have a steely silver colour. This colour tends to be more sterile looking then B20 alloy, resembling steel in many cases. Nickel silver is known for not corroding easily and may only have a light surface patina, rendering them more of a grey colour. If exposed to moisture, they will not develop the blue/green oxide indicative of cupric alloys.

Series that use this alloy: Dixie, Ludwig, Stanople, and Super, among others.

Serial Numbers

Please see the special page that examines these in detail - Serial Numbers

Prototypes may or may not adhere to the serial number patterns in all respects.

Series Logos

The other important embossed information is the series stamp. Early Paistes used this method exclusively for identification of the cymbal. The typical embossed logos can be see on the various series pages. In many cases this was later replaced with ink stamped logos.

Embossed logos are usually found at the 12:00 position on the cymbal.