There must be a lot of guys in Italy (like this guy above) who got access to some really nice K's via Spizzichino. I read that he had some of the best of the best K's that he used to model a few of his pwn cymbals after. I wonder what happened to all his inventory after he died....?

He had some by not really that many. There's collectors out there that make what he had look like small time.

Also that 22" wasn't that great. This guys records his cymbal's with over head mikes that make every cymbal sound like the it's the greatest ever heard, with stellar stick definitions. I owned that cymbal. I sold it and got it back 5 times over, making hundreds in profit each time I resold it during the vintage cymbal boom in late 90's. and early 2000's. This was the first cymbal I ever sold on eBay in fact. That was way back in 1998. But this cymbal was just good wasn't that great. The 22" K. NS if have now I like much better. It follows in sound characteristics much the same vein but expresses itself in much better in that way. It's the same era too, and was picked directly from the Istanbul foundry inventory around 1965.

The take away from all this is don't trust this guy's sound files.

I think Franco dal Monego plays great and I love the sound he gets from the cymbals he uses. It's always the combination of player, instrument and recording. So what's not to like about using overhead mics? Isn't the point of recording to get a good sound? I think his videos are a pleasure to listen to because the cymbals actually sound good....drums, too...usually vintage Gretsch bop kits...It's kind of always the way it is, though. I hear one guy play a cymbal and I think...meh... And then another guy plays the same cymbal in a different setting and it suddenly sounds great. For me, this is a great cymbal under this guy's hands. And the way the drums and cymbals are combined instead of just having someone playing the cymbal by itself, is also something that makes me appreciate the videos more than the average cymbal demo videos out there.

Roberto once told me he had an open offer to trade any of his cymbals for ANY old K. When I visited him in the 1990s he only had a few. But he wanted more, because he was really interested in studying the hammer marks, and theorizing the methods that were used in different eras. He believed that over the years they were discovering ways of getting the same results with less hammering.

Well, that makes sense. I'm not really up on all the old K Zildjian stuff, obviously. My memory isn't what it used to be when it comes to who said what about whom in regards to Spizzichino. I just recall that someone told me he was "the" guy when it came to reproducing new cymbals based upon the old K style ...and that his prices were in the stratosphere ...and that everyone wanted them. To this day, I've never even seen one of his cymbals in person.

But getting back to Franco dal Monego and his videos that feature vintage drums and cymbals...I found this one of him playing a Spizzichino cymbal. I'm not as crazy about this one...but on second listen...I think I DO love it! heh heh go figure!

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2K2f0m93eo"]Franco Dal Monego plays Roberto Spizzichino Sizzle Thin Light Jazz Crash Ride Cymbal 22" Dark Patina - YouTube[/ame]

I don't care if he "makes" then sound good. If every cymbal he plays sounds bone dry with stick definition out the wazoo, then it's not "real". As certainly was the case with that 22" K. which was washier than Niagra falls.

He gets a good sound with the equipment he uses. That's what good musicians do.

Let's say you have two drummers and one cymbal and you let each take the cymbal and make a recording with it. One guy gets a great sound and the other guy doesn't. Is the cymbal good or not?

Bring in the cymbal. When I play it I'll in situ then I'll let you know if its good or not.

Seems impractical...For all I know you have suffered hearing loss over the years and you might not be able to hear what I (or others) can hear. I would say that it might make more sense if you make a recording and then I can compare it to Franco's videos and sound.