Paiste PST3 20" Ride

I got my first one of these cymbals at the end of 2010. I predominantly play extreme metal (mostly within the post- and doom categories), and occasionally jazz. So in a ride cymbal, I look for a wide variety of sounds, but definition is still important.

The good thing is, this cymbal gave me that. When played with the tip of the stick, a nice pingy sound is heard, especially if using nylon tips. The bell is nice and defined, but not overpowering - especially when compared to other cymbals (Paiste Alpha Rides can have ridiculously loud bells, I prefer the PST3!). Where I found the best sounds of the cymbal though, was in the heavier playing - I usually mount my ride cymbal a bit higher up, so I can use it as a crash and play with the side of the stick a lot. And it really delivers, getting everything from a shimmering light crash that really fills out the sound to a monstrous explosion of a crash.

Unfortunately, it's not all good news. Mine did start to develop some cracks, but considering that it was over two years old and it is a cheap cymbal, that can be expected. I found that it's not too great for jazz either - it's a bit too... Bland? I guess. Certainly when compared with some (admittedly more expensive) Zildjians, it lacks a lot of character and warmth.

But for rock/pop/metal/anything that isn't jazz/soul/r'n'b, this cymbal will do the job if you need a replacement fast, or if you're starting out. Due to being too poor to upgrade, I got another one as soon as my first one cracked. Well worth the money.

I bought this cymbal with the intention of replacing the really awful ride on a cheap kit I'm modding out (you know, the ones that are about as musical as a sheet of tin). I had a lot of experience playing the pst5s and was mostly going in blind here. the only thing I had heard of this cymbal is the little demo on the thomann website (not that that means much seeing as the sound is heavily impacted by the mic, mic placement, room, etc.) very pleasantly surprised by the sound here. I got the matching hats and crash but am only really concerned with the ride, as I have had bad experiences with brass rides in the past, but this is a great overall for pretty much everything (wouldn't recommend if you're looking for a serious jazz ride, but as an all-rounder it does fine in jazz situations). the bell is clear, and the sound has a nice sizzle to it, which I really like. will be using this mostly for rock music in bars and small venues but it will also be used on a few recordings, and for my use case, it's perfect. doesn't crash well, you need a seperate crash.

this cymbal will serve any beginner very well. it is cheap, well made and sounds good for price. I bought this cymbal as my first ride cymbal as a beginner it was my first bought cymbal so I was also temporarily using it as a crash (it didn't sound very good as a crash.) the sound is good and it has a nice ring. it vibrates like nothing I've ever seen before but is very strong so it wont break. The bell is nice, its pingy and is laved to the same depth as the rest of the cymbal it is quite wide but not massive and altogether is a good bell. the rest of the cymbal is indented with very small secular dents (for sound purposes obviously) and are hardly visible from the top. altogether a good ride for a beginner who wants reasonable sound at a low price.