On Your Gear!
Too Many Cymbal Choices
With so many cymbal choices out there, it can be completely overwhelming when trying to make a decision. I understand how you feel and just making a choice can be pretty stressful!
Are Saluda cymbals good? Let’s look into that a bit more.
The Right One
Saluda Cymbals are purely handcrafted cymbals constructed of B20 bronze alloy, the same alloy used in most professional cymbals. They are available for a fraction of the cost of most high-end professional cymbals (especially the top cymbal companies).
With all of the cymbal lines they have, it makes it even better to be able to find something that fits your desired sound/style of music.
They allow you to tell them how you’d like your cymbal(s) to sound and for some lines, how you’d like your cymbals to look. Their decades of experience is evident in the rich, musical tones their cymbals produce.
There’s More to Know
We can look more in-depth about what they offer and how it may fit your style. I can assure you, it’ll probably fit your budget too!
Deeper Dive into Saluda
Saluda really does a good job at offering a little bit of everything for all drummer types and music genres. They offer 10 different cymbal lines currently, with several prototype lines in the works.
They are able to achieve this with different hammering, lathing designs/techniques and cymbal finishes.
Their detail goes beyond the scope of just hammering and lathing, but delves into modifying sound grooves, thickness/thinness in crucial locations, bow shapes, and heating techniques.
From structural design to tonal characteristics, they always strive to improve their product as a custom cymbal company should.
It’s easy to be skeptical with anything you’re not familiar with. I just want to give a brief overview of the different lines they have, my own experience, as well as some personal clips of my own Saluda cymbals.
The Different cymbal lines:
Saludas currently advertised cymbal lines are Symbolic, Glory, Decadence, Diamond, Mist X, Earthworks, Nemesis, Ambiance, Tesla, Ninja Stack, and Low Volume.
Symbolic Series:
Full sound control is achieved by the cymbal being hammered from the bell to the edge. Some complex and darker tones are a direct cause of the hand hammering.
This line is extremely versatile and its sound is described as medium to medium dark.
These cymbals are heavily hand hammered to their final shape. Available from thinner to heavy weights, this cymbal line perfectly accompanies styles from jazz to rock.
Glory Series:
The cymbals in this line tend to have a raw-like bell and edges. They also sound big, warm, full, and expressive. From lighter to heavy playing, this line has you covered.
These are great for styles from jazz, blues and country to light rock and metal. These cymbals are very beautiful.
Decadence Series:
The sparkle lathing produced on these cymbals increases the surface area where sound is released. This just means these react faster than the other lines.
The darkened bell is accompanied by a couple of accent stripes. These are semi-toned and smooth with explosiveness.
With medium to medium-bright tones, these are perfect for genres spanning from jazz, blues, fusion, country, light rock, and harder rock.
Diamond Series:
With semi-dark and complex tones, this series has a classic finish with plenty of hand hammering.
These cymbals are generally darker, more responsive and expressive in sound and perfect for a large array of musical genres.
Mist X Series:
These are smooth and very clear-toned cymbals. With a mirror-like polish, a delightful balance of semi-complex tones, clarity and potential power, these have the volume and responsiveness you need.
Thinner models are more mellow, medium models are more versatile with great dynamics, and heavy models are bright with a ton of attack.
Earthworks Series:
This line is all about the beauty in the finish. Smoothness and brightness are increased due to minimal hammering and lathing.
These are offered in almost all sizes, tones, and weights and are geared for those who want a smoother sound with a beautiful earthy look.
Thinner models are warmer, medium models are extremely versatile, and heavier models have increased projection and volume.
Nemesis Series:
These are actually a spin-off of the Earthworks series, but with a completely unique sound. Fullness, liveliness, and shimmer are increased due to deeper lathing.
These offer plenty of highs and lows, all the while being a medium-toned line. They are also versatile for many musical genres.
Ambiance Series:
This line is typically hand hammered top to bottom to characterize its shape and sound. They are overall dark, dry and faster decaying.
As the cymbal weight is increased, it offers more brightness and body. Medium weights are perfect for multiple music genres with increased brighter frequencies.
Tesla Series:
These are perfect accent cymbals, with most selections having tapered edges to create a rich, explosive crash sound. This also helps the cymbal to have a quicker decay.
Thinner models offer more warmth and an increased response, while heavier models offer brighter tones with increased volume.
Ninja Stack Series:
These are fast-cutting effects cymbals! They are crisp and pretty versatile, especially being available in 6 different sizes. These are basically 2 cymbals stacked together with the top one being an 8-pointed ‘ninja’ star.
Low Volume Series:
These seem to be a newer marketed line and are essentially way quieter cymbals. They are perfect for lower-volume gigs or if you’d just like to keep your neighbors from calling the cops on you (lol).
There are several holes in these cymbals to cut away from the full volume.
Other Series and Beyond:
As I had mentioned, they are always coming out with new cymbal lines and at a reasonable price in comparison to other companies. The fact that these can be 100% custom cymbals (if you want) is something that has always stood out to me upon my first visit to their website back in 2008.
My Own Experience:
I’ve been playing Saluda cymbals since 2008 and I’m glad I was able to discover their great cymbals. I believe I had told Jamie (founder/owner at Saluda) that I wanted my first Saluda cymbal to sound like a Sabian AA.
It mixed in so well with my Sabian AA crash that I soon took the plunge and traded in all of my older cymbals for a set of Saluda cymbals. I forgot to mention that they offer a trade-in program, which can tremendously decrease the price you pay.
With that being said, their prices are already extremely low. At the time of this writing, an 18” Sabian AA rock crash cymbal is about $260. You could get the same size and sound from an 18” Saluda Mist X crash for $160, which is a great price! I’d say from first-hand experience that it’s a good alternative at a great value, all while being American hand-made.
I think I paid $80 to $90 bucks back in 2008 for a 15″ Saluda crash and it was a good experience. I can’t say enough of Jamie being a nice guy, but he even did a free hybrid upgrade for me (part lathed/part unlathed), so it gave the cymbal a nice wash. I ended up ordering a 18″ or 19″ crash ride after and that’s when the accumulation began.
The cymbals have always performed well for me both in a practice setting and a performance setting. They also offer a lifetime warranty for cracks up to ½”.
I have personally owned/used the Mist X and Decadence series. I’ve heard the Earthworks series in person from another drummer and those were great sounding cymbals.
Every time I order I tell Jamie what sound/style I’m searching for. My expectations are always blown out of the water and I will continue to support Saluda because of that.
A Test of Time
I know that it can be intimidating trying to find drum gear that fits your budget/style. This has all been my experience with Saluda Cymbals, but I think it’s clear of the value they provide.
Some people may think that the prices don’t match the quality, but I’ve played hundreds of shows over the years using these cymbals and always get compliments on them.
You can save money and still sound professional, so get yourself a new set.
Are These Cymbals for You?
So, are Saluda Cymbals good? I think you can probably make that decision yourself, but they do have a ton of variety, excellent customer service, and an affordable product line-up.
I didn’t really have all the information when I first decided to give them a try. I hope that this has been helpful for you.
Are there cymbals you absolutely love that aren’t mainstream? Leave a comment and let me know what your favorite brand is!
Want FREE drum hacks to help your drum chops foundation and get you on the right track? Get those out here.
Until next time!
– Evan C.