Reviews
"Ride cymbals for rock can be a tough choice. Some are too pingy, others are too washy, and the bells can be a bit spiky.
There's only one ride cymbal in the Paragon series, a portly (more than eight pounds!) 22" whose sonic characteristics fell squarely in the middle. For medium to loud playing, this cymbal possessed just the right amount of ping, overtones, sparkle, and focus, and the bell sounded meaty and blended with the music rather than cutting through like a stiletto. Despite this cymbal's weight, it was very musical and would be equally at home in big band and rock settings. It had minimal crash qualities, but hey, that's just not its gig. This is a dyed-in-the-wool ride cymbal." - J.R. Frondelli
"This is not a dark, dry, jazzy kind of a ride. If you want a ping ride on steriooids, this is the one. Very, very clear ping, no nasty under or overtones, some wash (but not in a classic jazz sense), and not only cuts through, but can carry the song." - D. B. B.
"This ride has been through some brutal playing in the past four years, and you would not believe it as the sound remains superb. The bell sound is cutting, decays quickly, and does not heavily cause the rest of the cymbal to ring. I am always fascinated by the wash - it is distinctly mellow, short-medium to medium sustain, but it can build up if need be." - Ivan Rodriguez
"This is a great multi purpose ride. Don't be fooled into thinking it is just for heavy hitting. While that is true, it is one of the most musical rides I have played. The extra weight makes for great clarity and the ping is just long enough without becoming too much but not so pingy that it doesn't sustain. The Hand Hammered bell is the most impressive. It just sings! And it is sounds like it belongs ..unlike some bells that don't contain any of the tonal qualities of the rest of the ride. It is great for big band, rock and pop, and latin gigs." - Peter Jones
"The bow has the sound everyone likes, a nice dry bow which is loud enough for unmiked situations, while maintaining the same volume and not building up like some rides; the bell is high, and is everything you could want in a bell, plus being hand-hammered; the edge is very nice, it could possibly make a nice crash. It has few overtones which are great, letting the ping be heard before they take over like some rides do, and they sound nice (nothing you would want to try and muffle up). Its a very good all purpose ride." - Bob
"Weighing in at over 8 pounds, the overall sustain of the cymbal is short with a quick decay. The ping is solid, but well defined. While it is not overly bright or dark (it sits right in the middle), it still slices through music with ease. Sticking is very defined, allowing for intricate busy-sticking without too much buildup. The bell is great. Due to its hand hammered surface, it is piercing, loud, cutting, and, like the bow, well defined. The bell is also integrated, allowing you to hit it without getting a full response from the rest of the cymbal. Also, the size of the bell (about 4 inches across) and the fact that it is raised slightly higher than other rides, makes it easy to hit. The ride is more than suitable for rock music, while still maintaining a warm enough tone to be suitable for quieter playing. If you are looking for a ride with very little wash, defined sticking, and a neutral ping, this is a very good choice for you." - Alex May
