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Tosco Rotocasts | |
CymbalCheckArticle from International Musician & Recording World, September 1986 |
Bob Henrit back again with a look at a value-for-money range of Italian cymbals
In my brief and ultimately painful career in drum selling I've sold a great many Tosco cymbals. Invariably they were purchased because their price, rather than their sound, was acceptable and inevitably these transactions took place on a Saturday. In short, Tosco cymbals were favoured by drummers who were either broke or beginners or both. However, after a period of inactivity the company have returned with a bang (or should it be a 'crash'?) They're now making reasonable quality cymbals at a medium price.
Tosco products emanate from Pistoia — the home of the Italian cymbal industry, and the company is part-owned by a guy who has a very high profile in the world's cymbal industry via another, more exalted product. (Wild horses of course wouldn't be able to drag his name from my lips!) Anyhow, in Pistoia they specialise in a manufacturing technique known as rotocasting.
I must admit I've never seen this process but from what I've heard the molten metal is poured into a spinning mould. However, whether it rotates rapidly or not I'm not sure. Once the amalgam has hardened the 'plate' is then pared and planished on a lathe in the time honoured way. A certain amount of hammering is utilised to give the cymbal its shimmering sound. Tosco cymbals are composed of 80% copper and 20% tin with presumably a minute percentage of silver.
There's a pretty good range available of what we could best call the bread and butter sizes and weights: 8", 10", and 12" splashes; 16" and 18" crashes; 18" crash/ride; 18", 20" and 22" medium and heavy ride; 16" 18" and 20" Chinese and 14" hi hats. All are reasonably priced; hi hats for £84, 20" ride for £68, 16" and 18" crash for £50 and £59. The Oriental instruments will set you back £77.50 and a 12" splash costs £28.
So, how do they sound? Well, the 20" ride has been used to great effect in the studio. It seems to possess a very contained, yet rich sound ideal for recording. There's not too much 'gong' to it except at the very edge and this is the only position that any blur could be discerned. It's not particularly loud but very strong. (Obviously my description only goes to prove that it's to your advantage to test several cast cymbals before you make up your mind. Their manufacturing process ensures that no two examples will sound the same.)
The hi hats I tested were also pretty good although not, it must be said, as shimmery as the ride. I suppose you could describe them as medium weight but with a slightly heavier bottom. Their chick sound was pretty strident and not at all bad, while their overall playing sound was acceptably sibilant. They are a little lacking in their middle frequencies but there's plenty of highs to allow them to cut through.
The splash and crash cymbals were also pretty good although here again you'd be advised to test several. Medium priced and cheap punctuation cymbals tend to be reasonably heavy, so have a certain amount of 'gong' to their fundamental sound. By and large this tends to hold true for the Chinese cymbals too. However with these I've heard really cheap examples which sounded really dirty from a distance. This is why I feel it's important to get someone to play cymbals for you as well when you're making a selection.
I must say that I was pleasantly surprised by these Toscos. They do seem to have improved since I last tested them but I can't exactly figure out how, or why. Perhaps they're being more selective at the factory? The cymbals are being brought into the country by a new outfit called Cymbal Sales Ltd. They intend to import a Hand Hammered version too in the future as well as a range of cymbal and stick bags. Watch out for them.
Tosco - RRP: See copy
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