The identification methods for separating out the various new stamps has changed radically. The old method is only about 75% accurate. The newer methods are much more reliable. I'll be sending you some information privately about your trademark and how it fits in to the newest method for dating these new stamps.
Hey Bill,
Just following up on your kind offer to send me some feedback on this old K.
[IMG]http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/8748/bt61bgb2kkgrhgookkyejll.jpg[/IMG]
By mwsilver at 2009-06-08
[IMG]http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/1491/bt61hrgbgkkgrhgookkejll.jpg[/IMG]
By mwsilver at 2009-06-18
[IMG]http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/2016/bt61pbwwkkgrhgookiwejll.jpg[/IMG]
By mwsilver at 2009-06-18
[IMG]http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/4982/bt61c4wkkgrhgookjsejllm.jpg[/IMG]
By mwsilver at 2009-06-18
[IMG]http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/6251/bt61etmkkgrhgookjuejllm.jpg[/IMG]
By mwsilver at 2009-06-18
[IMG]http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/5102/bt61slgwkkgrhgookkejllm.jpg[/IMG]
By mwsilver at 2009-06-18
I got the cymbal yesterday and its a beauty. Sounds exactly like the clip. It looks brand new, like the one you recently sold. I don't just mean it shines like a new cymbal...it does, but there's also not a mark on it. No stick marks, no dents, no chips, no tape marks, no abrasions, no gunk or discoloration of any kind, no key holing. And no patina. The signature under the bell is as crisp and clear as if the cymbal left the factory last week.
Of course I wonder whether the cymbal was cleaned at some point and if so whether the signature was reapplied since the bottom and the inside of the bell shine as much as the top does. But, under a strong magnefying glass I don't see anything that looked odd, at least to me. Even the inside edge of the hole is tarnish free and shines. If someone cleaned this cymbal they went to a lot of trouble.
The stamp is not deeply impressed in some spots but doesn't look worn. I've seen several newer old Ks where the stamp does not appear to be as deeply impressed as Avedis stamps usually are. I believe even the cymbal you just sold had some parts of the stamp that were lightly impressed.
The hole is very small. I have had another old K with the same stamp for several years now and the hole is much larger on that one. It fits easily on an 8mm stand. This new cymbal will only fit on a 6 mm stand and the hole is even smaller than on the Big stamp A I recently purchased from you.
The cymbal weighs 1950.447 grams according to the seller's measurement and so is medium thin, but there is no wobble. My other K doesn't wobble either but its closer to medium heavy in weight. Measuring across the bottom the cymbal is exactly 20" in diameter which surprised me since I thought they are manufactured in mm and the diameter in inches is nominal and usually on the low side.
The sound, at least to my ears, is really fantastic. A warm and somewhat trashy wash, although not as trashy as many old K's, but really nice. Great woody stick definition, and the wash doesn't overwhelm the sticking even when you dig in. The bell has that old K duller clunk to it as opposed to the brighter metallic sound one hears with A's.
In short, this cymbal almost seems too good to be true. Considering the small hole size, and assuming everything is legitimate, I wonder when this cymbal dates from and why it appears to be in such remarkably good shape. I've sent a email to the seller yesterday regarding its history, but I believe he's currently out of town. I have the sellers original sound file (he's playing the cymbal along with his drums) which I'll try to upload later. Can you possibly help me with the time line? Any additional information with regards to the details I've given here would be welcome.
Thanks,