Meinl is a nearly unheard-of company when compared to others. When you think of cymbals, Sabian and Zildjian pop into your brain. These are also the much more expensive brands. One of the best things about off brands is that you can buy cymbals made of the same components at a lower price. For instance, the Meinl MCS cymbals, the middle quality ones, are made of Sabian B8 bronze alloy but, according to my source at the local music store, have better sound quality due to the way they were made. I got the MCS pack of 14 inch medium hi-hats, 16 inch medium crash, 20 inch medium ride, and a 16 inch China cymbal, all for $215. 215 dollars is actually cheaper than the comparable Sabian set (B8’s, which would be about $270, which was not in stock at Sam Ash, the music store I bought these cymbals from). Also, these Meinl cymbals come standard with a two year warranty.
Meinl
Meinl is a company I never even knew existed until I went to Sam Ash and consulted with a man in the percussion director there. If you don’t want to take the word of a random guy writing an article on the internet (I wouldn’t either), then go to your local music store and ask the opinion there of a nice person. Don’t ask someone that just looks like a salesperson who wants to make money. But back to the cymbals, I absolutely love them. I bought them to replace the original cymbals that came with my drums, which sounded terrible and had begun to warp completely already. The little sound quality that came with those cymbals degraded quickly as their shape did the same. Contrarily, these cymbals are the best things you could buy for the price, especially to replace someone’s first cymbals. If you are building your own custom drum set, which is actually a great idea, I again recommend these cymbals as the perfect budget-fitting quality cymbals. The quality is excellent. I have played on these cymbals for quite a large amount of time and they have kept their shape beautifully. Beautiful: I like using that word to describe my choice in cymbals. I was told I could only use $250 on cymbals, and thankfully, I was able to buy these cymbals and an extra cheap cymbal stand on this budget.
Sound
Basically, when trying to find a word to describe the sound these cymbals make, the word that comes to mind that seems most applicable is bright. These cymbals may be a bit brighter than I would have wanted, but after playing them, I grew to like it very much. The hi-hats seem a bit strange when open; I cannot think of a word to describe it. It is only different. But, I especially love the China cymbal. The brightness makes for a perfect China cymbal. It is most definitely my favorite cymbal, and it is excellent for an experienced drummer who is looking to play more difficult beats with more cymbals and different accents. This was the most fun I had had with drums basically since I learned. This was my first China cymbal and I don’t ever want to not have a Chinese cymbal again.
Ratings and Recommendations
Basically, Meinl did a fantastic job with these cymbals. They are good quality and cheap. They are reliable cymbals that sound excellent. Granted, they are best for slightly newer drummers because they are not top quality, but Meinl does make high quality cymbals for better drummers. So, what do I think of these cymbals? Yes. Do it. I recommend them for everyone. Poor or rich, young or old, jazz players or rock players, everyone could benefit from a pack of Meinl MCS cymbals. My rating? They get a 97 out of 100. I played these cymbals for the first time at Sam Ash on a random set of drums, and I didn’t want to stop playing. So, what did I do? I bought them. Now I can, and do, play them whenever I want.
