There's nothing to it, really. Some people took a fancy to them and have driven the price up. That's it. The Sound Creation cymbals were a mixed bag of some pretty good and some very esoteric. It's all personal taste. I really didn't care for them much when they were new and available. Still don't like them much now that they are harder to come by and more expensive. meh ... That's just my take. One size does not fit all.

The big deal is that some people really like them, which as RogerSling notes isn't really a big deal. And there are more buyers than sellers so the price stays up.

Only the 22" might count as "grail" (smaller ones don't get much love). The 22" SCDR is the only Paiste cymbal I know of which might beat inflation as an investment. As compared to say, old Ks. So 22" SCDRs are collectable, but if you think the SCDR prices are Crazy then I don't think you will ever buy an old K at $2000-$3000. SCDRs are not in the same price league. Whenever used cymbals fetch more than the closest equivalent model you purchase new, I tend to get a bit interested in what is going on. Although I don't enter into too much discussion about what "closest equivalent model" means. I prefer to collect data.

I also can't agree that "Most Cymbalholics" treat these cymbals like they're the "HOLY GRAIL' of cymbals. Maybe only 25% "like them" and a much smaller number turn that like into a purchase. I respect them (and love Jack DeJohnette who helped develop them with Paiste) but don't need to own one. I have an early 22" SCDR on loan at the moment but I actually prefer my 20" Medium Dark Ride (New Dimensions series) which is a bit lighter (2318g) and can actually wobble a bit. Not something associated with the heavier Dark Rides.

When you get down to specific details about prices the pattern is even more complex.

The prices for 602/transitional dark rides are historically higher than early SCs in the same way that early SCs in general get higher prices than later SCs and those go higher than New Dimensions. Why? Dunno. But the evidence for the pattern is robust.

The evidence is from average prices for 22" Dark Rides since 2006 (up to and including the transitional one which sold on eBay the other day for $661; predicted price from my analysis = $650):

602/transitional $650

SC early label $594 (die stamp and hollow font on model name)

SC late label $506 (ink logo and solid font on model name)

SC New Dims $395 (but only 3 examples -- although the pattern is visible in other SC models)

Yes, I have monitored every 602 and Sound Creation sale on eBay for over 5 years now, and have them in a spreadsheet (available free on request). Over 1850 sales and increasing...but tracking the sales is cheaper than buying them. :D

I found a nos SC 20" Mellow a while back. It's a beautiful sounding cymbal.

It's totally in another family from anything else of mine, but it really is a gem.

That's an interesting comment which is much like what Paiste said the Sound Creations were intended to be: a set of cymbals which aren't so much a close knit family as each one very different from anything else. Finding one NOS is pretty good going. Clapping Happy2

Yes I like those, but I haven't sprung for one yet. I can make do with my pre serial 602 20" flat ride. I'm actually trying (not entirely successfully) to thin the herd a bit. :D

I'll try to post a video/sound sample soon.

I have seen quite a few almost NOS looking 20" Mellows for some reason..........

Last one was around 2-1/2 years ago......

There was a twin with it when I came across them here in NJ. The one really caught my ear, though.

Seen on feeBay or in some shop? I think some may have languished in the back stock of drum shops for a long time.

Here are the feeBay sales I have on record (excuse the crummy formatting and lack of decent field names -- not easy in vBulletin)

SC 20 ride mellow ebay 21-Dec-05 $293.50 17 bids

SC 20 ride mellow 2497g mint ebay 7-Jan-07 $331.50 24

SC 20 ride mellow excellent early ebay 25-Mar-07 $233.50 2 strong logos

SC 20 ride mellow late ebay 4-Apr-07 $192.01 16 faint

SC 20 ride mellow late ebay 30-Apr-07 $287.00 8 strong

SC 20 ride mellow late ebay 23-May-07 $255.00 10 strong

SC 20 ride mellow late ebay 10-Jun-07 $157.50 6 faded

SC 20 ride mellow early ebay 19-Oct-07 $275.00 1 strong

SC 20 ride mellow late ebay 1-Jan-08 $300.00 1

SC 20 ride mellow late ebay 31-Jan-08 $205.50 2

SC 20 ride mellow ebay 9-Mar-08 $128.85 6 gone

SC 20 ride mellow early ebay 14-Apr-08 $212.50 4 gone

SC 20 ride mellow 2475 excellent early ebay 26-Apr-08 $261.00 12 faded

SC 20 ride mellow excellent early ebay 4-May-08 $239.28 1 gone switz>uk

SC 20 ride mellow early ebay 22-Jun-08 $277.71 6 faded uk

SC 20 ride mellow ebay 23-Jun-08 $208.05 3 resonanthead

SC 20 ride mellow excellent early ebay 3-Jul-08 $279.00 -1 strong

SC 20 ride mellow 2400 excellent late ebay 1-Nov-08 $405.01 7 strong

SC 20 ride mellow fair early ebay 9-Nov-08 $265.00 1 faded $A400

SC 20 ride mellow good late ebay 10-Feb-09 $175.00 -1 faded

SC 20 ride mellow 2431 excellent early ebay 18-Mar-09 $232.50 10 faded

SC 20 ride mellow excellent late ebay 24-Apr-09 $266.66 19 strong

SC 20 ride mellow excellent early ebay 16-Oct-09 $255.00 -1 faint

SC 20 ride mellow excellent early ebay 6-Nov-09 $258.00 18 faint

SC 20 ride mellow 2435 excellent early ebay 31-Dec-09 $240.00 -1 faded

SC 20 ride mellow excellent late ebay 19-Feb-10 $226.49 11 faded

SC 20 ride mellow 2578 excellent early ebay 28-Feb-10 $202.50 -1 faint

SC 20 ride mellow 2,400 excellent early ebay 18-Apr-10 $207.57 4 strong uk (mellow missed in text)

SC 20 ride mellow good late ebay 12-May-10 $175.50 9 strong

sc 20 ride mellow mint late ebay 5-Jan-11 $256.00 3 strong claim NOS

a -1 in the bid field means BIN

early=die stamp logo and hollow font for model; late=ink logo and solid font

details on other coding scales available on request

I have a nice selection of cymbals from the Sound Creation line, including the ubiquitous 22" SCDR (with rivets). I use them all for recording or performing, occasionally mixing them in to my set-up when the mood strikes or when it's musically appropriate.

I suspect that the reason the SCDR gets so much "love" as it were, is that I haven't heard another cymbal made by Paiste that sounds like it (or for that matter, anything Zildjian, Sabian or otherwise). There are some models that are closer than others (the 22" Rough Ride, the 22" Dark Energy Mark II Ride) but there are sounds that this cymbal has that the others don't; also, the SCDR shines when played within the context of the song.

Also, the SCDR is supposedly "difficult to play" in that many players cite that it is unforgiving if your technique needs work.

Here is the SCDR in the context of a song. The song was recorded and mixed at my studio; I'm on the drums, my friend Jennifer Johnson is the writer and artist performing.

As for the Mellow Ride, it too is a thing of beauty; highly underrated during its heyday, you'll find a few NOS gems out there. My first Mellow was NOS, purchased on eBay in 2002 for little money. I sold it a few years later for double what I'd paid for it in a private sale. About ten minutes after the cymbal had left my possession, I regretted it. So, I acquired another in a trade and promptly put two rivets in it....its spectacular with rivets.

And Zenstat: for your records, my SC Mellow has both the die stamp and the heavy black silk-screening.