It is a prototype. Even if it is identical to a Giant Beat, it isn't a Giant Beat. Some Paiste prototypes have no "prototype" label, but they just have the Paiste logo.

That's right.....

I had a 602 Splash Proto long ago,and it didn't have Proto on it...........

Ok Thanks... but I don't follow. How did you know it was a prototype and how did you know it was a 602? Remember pounder says "Even if it's identical..."

Anyway… the story I heard was Paiste reintroduced the GB in 2005. They manufactured GB Rides 24", 20", 18" and Multis but decided to go with the "Multi-Functional" a thin weight cymbal. So they shipped whatever they had of the RIDES to some dealers and mass produced the Multis.

Fact, fiction or half-truth I don't know.

The thing is, it's a prototype. If it were a GB it would be labeled that way, but maybe you've been talking with someone on the inside of the company who knows more about it. I think if I understand Blair correctly the proto he had was a 602 type (B20 bronze, same quality as a 602 splash) just like you believe your prototype cymbal is a GB. The only way to verify it was a GB would be to have a same-era GB (I never heard of that, I thought they were reissued several years later) and to compare the 2.

I'm only stating the logo, the Paiste black ink logo as on your cymbal indicates it is a prototype.

And this is about your cymbal only. I don't want to create some type of set of rules regarding Paiste cymbals. There are always going to be exceptions to those types of rules.

For instance, I once bought a 16" Paiste 2002 red label crash from a guy online. He sent it to me, and I looked at it, and played it, it sounded pretty good and looked great. The only problem was it actually measured 15". Kinda weird, right? Here was a (labeled) 16" 2002 crash that was really a 15" crash. And the edge was factory. Stuff happens. These are factories and mistakes get made, but back to your cymbal: If it's a '95 model it is a prototype, even if the "formula" is identical to a GB. There are other B8 cymbals it could be close to as well. I think the prototypes were a chance for Paiste to produce cymbals that either hadn't yet been labeled as a certain line, or one-offs, wherein they were creating a cymbal and it would not necessarily be produced later. That's pretty much the definition of a prototype.

Paiste reintroduced Giant Beat in 2005, not 1995.

Thanks... I corrected my post.

I'm a nut when it comes to old Paiste cymbals and now I'm wondering about the serial number and date of my cymbal. The dealer said it was manufactured in 2005 but it has a 6 digit serial number.

Can you determine the date from a Swiss prototype’s serial number?

What is embossed above the serial number from a 1995 cymbal - PAISTE or the up/down pAisTe?

Did you find out any thing from Paiste? Did you contact them?

I took your idea and contacted Paiste America. Their representative was knowledgeable this is what they said...

"The cymbal is most likely a 2005 Paiste prototype Giant Beat 24" Ride cymbal. (I found an S embossed inside the bell.) The S most likely means that it’s been approved for sale if it ever goes off to retail. Not every prototype has an S. (Concerning the 6 digit serial number.) Not all modern prototype cymbals have an 8 digit serial #. It’s a case by case basis.“