I've been working on this for the last few years. Both on models and weight class ink. I've got examples from catalogs, flyers, price lists, and hundreds of cymbals with weight class ink still on them, sometimes with model ink. These are in my database of about 3000 A Zildjian cymbals. What follows is an early draft of what I'm working on but I haven't included all the actual images here as there are too many. We should get together.
From the early days at Avedis Zildjian they were producing cymbals in different diameters and weight classes. The weight classes were named
Paper Thin
Thin
Medium Thin
Medium
Medium Heavy
Heavy
and these names were put on the cymbals using ink stamps. The differentiation began with different weight ranges for the castings depending on what diameter and weight class cymbal was to be produced. Orders were taken by weight class, and the ink stamps on the cymbals provided stock keeping and order information. The ink stamps survived when cymbals were shipped to retailers, but seldom survived the following years after the cymbals were in use. However, enough have survived to allow us to reconstruct the specific weight ranges associated with the weight class names.
These names are still in use today although you will find that Paper Thin replaces Ex. Thin in some eras. Also the word Fast appears in ink alongside Paper Thin. In 1958 the range is extended
Ex. Thin (seen in mid 50s)
Paper Thin
Thin
Medium Thin
Medium
Medium Heavy
Heavy
Ex. Heavy
and they give an explicit ordering of Ex. Thin vs Paper Thin. There is also an Ex. Heavy category added at the top of the weight range. There is also the complication of category (band and symphony) vs dance:
Weights of Cymbals: Each category of Avedis Zildjian cymbals is available in the following weights: Extra-thin, paper-thin, thin, medium-thin, medium, medium-heavy, heavy and extra-heavy. Inasmuch as there is a distinct difference in the weights used for dance work compared to those used for band and symphony work, it must be pointed out that all cymbals must be classified according to category before their weight can be classified, (i.e. certain heavy dance cymbals can be equivalent of a medium band or symphony cymbal in actual weight and at the same time completely different in playing characteristics. Medium-heavy for band is entirely different than medium-heavy for dance.)
Although the early days were mostly about weight classes, there were a few specific models. By 1949 there were Flange models (aka Bop Flange) and the Swish. The Swish patent was applied on Feb 7, 1938 and granted as US 2189095 on Feb 6, 1940). There was also a Ping model which was around from the mid 1950s. The 1958 list includes Crash (usually 14-18 and thin, med thin, paper thin), Splash (usually 7-11 and thin)
Weight doesn't capture everything about how a cymbal of a specific diameter will sound. The other factors include
bell shape
bow curvature
edge taper
edge shape (eg flange)
lathing style
The Ping model is an example of an early model where weight wasn't seen as the only distinguishing feature. The Ping was described retrospectively in 2016 as
In the 1950’s, the Ping Ride was the first heavier-weight Ride cymbal designed with a higher bow for increased stick articulation with little to no wash. Now one of our most popular cymbals, the Ping Ride was developed from the demand of drummers who needed a cymbal that had a distinct “Ping” sound and could cut through the Big Bands of the day.
Although the Ping tended to be heavier than a Medium, they weren't specifically all Medium Heavy weight class in the 1950s. The difference was the higher bow. The descriptions actually changed over the years with the Ping moving up a class.
from 1958
Ping Cymbals: Usually eighteen through twenty-four inches in diameter and medium to medium-heavy in thickness. A Ping cymbal is designed to control the cymbal over-tones so that they do not overpower the stick sound.
from 1969
Ping Cymbals: Usually eighteen to twenty-four inches in diameter and medium-heavy to heavy in weight. Ping cymbals are specially designed to control cymbal over-tones so that they do not over-power the stick sound. They produce the graduated range of pingy cymbal sounds associated with modern drumming.
This raises an interesting question which we will return to: how did the weight categories change over the decades?
By circa 1970 there are models like the Mini Cup and Pang which are available in more than one weight class as in this table which also shows the named of models starting to appear. Note that Ping is in two weight classes. So is Mini Cup Ride, and I've documented two different weight classes in the actual cymbals from the 70s and 80s.
[img]http://www.vintagedrumforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=129815&d=1581484017[/img]
In the 1960s the crash cymbal started to be differentiated as a separate model. Up until that time drummers used an Ex. Thin or a Thin if they wanted a cymbal which opened up more as a crash. Drummers used a Medium Thin if they wanted a Crash Ride balance between riding and crashing in a single cymbal. A variety of models appeared starting in the 1970s. Some of these had different shapes so they are recognizable whether the ink on them has survived or not.
What weights are associated with the Weight Categories?
There is a commonly used set of weight ranges for 22" cymbals credited to LuvMyLeedy of Cymbalholic. The names have changed a little, but for discussion of Avedis Zildjian cymbals I prefer to stick to the Zildjian names which match the ink from the 1930s to the 1970s.
Ex. Thin (Extra Light) 1900 - 2100
Thin (Light) 2100 - 2300
Medium Thin (Medium Light) 2300 - 2500
Medium 2500 - 2800
Medium Heavy 2800 - 3100
Heavy 3100 - 3500
(Very Heavy) 3500+
Do these weight categories match the weights of cymbals with ink still on? From what production eras?
*working on that now*
What about weight categories for other diameters?
*working on that now*
The ratio of areas vs other scaling methods explored here:
https://www.drumforum.org/threads/zildjian-avedis-special-recording-hi-hats-12.169540/
https://www.drumforum.org/threads/tom-and-jerry-splash-cymbal-tone.169249/
and the bad news is we have a lot more work to do to get a quality theory of weight and diameter.
How do the weight categories change over the decades? (beyond "they got heavier")?
I propose to make comparisons within a weight class like 18" and 20" Medium (what have I got the most of?)
Do the LuvMyLeedy weight categories work for other brands? Thinking Paiste, American Ks, Old Ks, Sabian, modern Turkish cymbals. I've got thousands of cymbals from other manufacturers in my other databases but I won't be looking at those until we get a handle on the analysis of just the A Zildjian cymbals.
