Paiste 18" Rude Basher

This is a wonderfully balanced cymbal.

I bought the Basher primarily for use in very heavy, loud music, and it really shines in that context. Its medium-long sustain and medium brightness & intensity mean that it works well both in single notes and sustained bashing. It produces proper volume with relative ease; even when playing with lighter 5A sticks it's still quite responsive, despite the heavy weight. Heavier 5A's and 5B's bring out its inner beast!

I didn't expect it to have so much distinct character during softer playing as well though. Across all dynamics it produces a wide range of full-bodied sounds.

Compared to the 18" Rude Crash/Ride - which I have also used for several years - I'd say it's definitely more responsive, lively, and versatile. The Crash/Ride does have a nicer, slightly darker tone in my opinion, but that's a small compromise for this cymbal's range.

My broadest description would be that in most aspects, on a scale of "Average medium weight 16-inch crash" to "Heavy 18-inch crash/ride", it's about 80% towards the latter.

Made to be bashed, but not one-dimensional at all. Great cymbal!

Gleich vorweg: Entschuldigung an alle Metalheads, aber dieses Review wird euch nicht viel weiterbringen. :-) Ich hab mir dieses Becken nämlich für einen ganz anderen Zweck bestellt - nämlich als Crashride bzw. Haupt-Ride für mein klein(st)es, leises Besteck (14" Light Hats, 16" Crash). Und Überraschung: Das funktioniert wunderbar! Schöner Ping, warmer Wash, klarerweise super crashbar - ein echter kleiner Allrounder für Drummer mit einem leichten Touch. Überhaupt nicht so aggro, wie der Name und der Mit-Designer nahelegen würden. Aber ich hab schon immer eine Schwäche dafür gehabt, Becken außerhalb ihres angedachten Einsatzbereiches zu verwenden. Und für die Rude-Optik hatte ich sowieso schon immer eine Schwäche. Kurz: Top-Teil!