After reading the thread on "when did you buy your first Turkish K", made me think of when buying my first cymbal, although NOT a K.
It was summer 1965, my father had purchased a used WFL set for me. But it had no cymbals, and the soft brass cymbal a friend had given me was looking less like a cymbal and more like a hubcap that had been under heavy traffic on the Long Island Expressway.
No biggie, head over to the local music store in Flushing, Queens and pick up a real cymbal. Told the storekeeper that I was looking for a cymbal. He says "What kind?" I said the only thing I knew, "Zildjian"'
He opens up a catalog and points me to the proper page. Columns of numbers, sizes, heavy, medium, thin, paper thin, crash, splash, swish, ride. My head was spinning, so I just said, "you know like in "Glad All Over....I'm feeling, Boom, boom, pshhhhh, that kind." He says "Oh, a crash cymbal"
I had thought a cymbal is a cymbal is a cymbal. After some more discussion we settled on an 18" medium crash. He explained he didn't have it in stock and would take a couple of days to get. It would cost this much..............
Now I really don't remember what he said the cost would be, because after he said the price, his voice trailed off into the distance and the world shifted into deepening shades of grey..........I had $ 10.00 in my pocket.
How can a simple metal disc cost SO much? I thanked him and studderingly
told him I'd have to come back later.
I spent the next several days reading in the library, (this long pre-dates the internet) and learned about the Zildjians and 1623, and hammering, and secret formulas.
Not long after, I decided that I should perhaps get a ride cymbal first. Got some more cash together (my Mom, Thanks Mom!) Took the subway to Manhattan, went to Manny's and picked up an 18" Zildjian medium ride. My first cymbal. Still have it. Still use it. (Although more for a crash than a ride, since I bought a 22" medium ride several months later. Still use that too!)
