From what I've heard other than Zildjian back in the day UFiP were top notch; I'd really like to get one but they're expensive as hell!

I really wanna get an old Pasha that was made by them.

Aaron,

When I bought a MIJ kit a couple of months ago, there was a 22" UFIP ride included. The drums and everything else is long gone but I kept the cymbal.

I find it similar sounding to the 1960's Avedis Zildjians.

A beautiful and great sounding cymbal.

Be my guest next summer !

I know that at the last NAMM show, there was a killer pair of hi-hat cymbals in their booth. Unfortunately, I forgot which model, but I'm going to pay attention at the next NAMM show coming up.;)

Thanks for the replies, Fellas. I came across some vintage UFIP hats and was just wondering about them. Like I said, I hear they are pretty good but have never played them. If they're comparable to Zildjian A's, then I may take a closer look and maybe even pick them up.

I like them. I've got 3 20" rides and a pair of 14" hats.

It would be good if you could pin down the era they are from. In the 1950s and 1960s (possibly later) all UFiP cymbals (like all Zildjians) were top quality. The idea of "budget" and "student" lines came much later. So UFiP were producing top quality cymbals from top quality B20. And, like Zildjian, they weren't differentiated by cymbal line either (eg K Custom vs A Custom vs A).

Later on cymbal companies introduced the idea of different lines in their top quality cymbals (I don't really know when without going and looking things up) as well as price points.

There are lots of videos on YouTube placed their by shops which sell UFiP, UFiP demoing their lines and describing their unique rotocasting process, and fans of UFiP who post their own recordings. The different series of UFiP vary greatly and (like Zildjian) target different musical genres. If the hats you have found date to this era then you need to be more specific in your identification.

I see a few people on a few forums asking about UFiP asking if UFiP "are as good as Zildjian" when I Google around. It often seems to me that behind this the real question seems to be "I've found a cheap UFiP, will I like it as much as a Zildjian while saving a bit of cash because Zildjians are expensive?"

The short answer is: only your ears can decide. But that means getting to play them before buying, and in this time of the internet that isn't how things are done. However, in terms of external factors (outside your ears)

material: B20

casting method: true cast (UFiP) vs rolled from an ingot (Zildjian)

production methods: more hand work (UFiP) vs more mechanized (Zildjian)

sound: Very nice but not identical. UFiPs have their own vibe.

I took a chance and liked the result which is how I ended up with 3 x rides. I'm glad I did. They aren't quite like my A Zildjians (but I have a 1950s set which may not be close to your own reference point when you talk about Zildjians). They aren't like quite like my preserial 602 set, or my Bosphorus set, etc., but they certainly hold their own in that sort of company.

** edit ** just remembered I do have a pair of Armand hats as well, so I'm not 6 decades out of date in all my Zildjians. If I had to play only the UFiP hats or only the Armand hats I could be happy either way...different but both will deliver the goods.

Hope this helps

I bought a Ufip 16"crash to replace a 16"A Zildjian I broke while on the road-nice cymbal.It broke 2 months later-DAMN IT!I agree it was tonally similar to the A's of the time(80's).

The very first "real" drumset I bought came with a full array of cymbals...mostly 60's-70's Zildjians...but the hats were a 15" set of UFIP's...I think from the 70's. I've sold/traded every cymbal from that set over the years....the only only ones I kept were the UFIP's....I love them - still have them & I don't think I'll ever get rid of them....

I love 'em. They've manufactured cymbaIs since the 1840's which have been used by international symphony orchestras as well as played and praised by world class popular and jazz drum set artists. I constantly search for the old ones manufactured prior to the mid-1970's which I find every now and then - sometimes in a stack of old cymbals in some dirty out of the way pawn shop, or set up on old kits for sale in someone's garage. Over many years they were sold under several brand names and distributed by numerous music supply houses as well as drum manufacturing companies. I once bought an entire Ludwig black vistalite 5pce. with all original stands, cases, and cymbals, just to get the 22" Pasha medium ride cymbal which came with it, then drove home and sold all but that one cymbal. Usually I have to "hand pick" through several old line UFIPs to find one or two which are superior to the others and equal in sound and response to older Zildjians (both A & K), but I enjoy 'the hunt' as much or more than actually owning and playing them. No two are identical. And because each cymbal is uniquely made by hand they can add a great deal of 'tone color' to my 'sonic arsenal' of pings, crashes, sizzles and zings. I once had a pair of 14" Zanchi medium hats that were arguably the best hi-hat cymbals I've ever played. I still kick myself every time I think about the time I let a friend buy them from me. UFIP were the first to produce the "Ice Bell", and their "Ictus" line of gongs and effects is extraordinary. Do be aware, however, that the older European cymbals were made by hand with smaller holes in their bells. I enjoy finding creative ways to mount them on hi-hat clutches and cymbal stands without having to alter their original structures. As for the new UFIP cymbals, they are quite high end and specialized in terms of their manufacturing and design, and marketed to compete with their many other contemporary competitors. They are also quite pricey. Those I've played were superb, but because I like my cymbals well aged I'll have to wait a while in hopes of one day finding some used ones. One thing I've learned about instruments over the years is that it doesn't matter what brand name or country of origin is associated with them - only how they perform and sound is what counts!

i like them as well. ive got a 13 ufip paired up with an avedis trans stamp for a nice sounding set of hats.

mike