SCOJO /// SCOTT A. JOHNSON

This cymbal records beautifully in that along its 22 inch profile there are an array of pitches paired with varied degrees of resonance/decay. The bell is very responsive, warm and cuts thru the mix be it a jazz combo or a thrashing rock band. Some cymbal bells feel hard and their action is off putting yet with the constantinople, there is a softness that you can really get a feel for making it a trustworthy go-to in any desired musical situation. The crash is dark yet is made musically complex, and beautiful as it has brilliant harmonic overtones that decay as slow as a riveted ride — making for a sweet blending effect on quieter, ballad type songs. Doing cymbal rolls sound incredibly symphonic when using a timpani mallet as the volume rolls coming out of the quietness and up and into the crescendo really makes use of the whole cymbal. Auxiliary type techniques sound excellent too like stick scrapes, hand mutes, wire brushes and side edge stikes. When paired, layered with another cymbal in a two handed crash you’ll find the constantinople’s rich harmonics will play nicely with your other cymbals — my personal favorite is using the constantinople along with a very thin and bright 16 inch riveted crash as you get a full body punch with a playful explosion that can make a turn around to the 1 hit real hard and funky. The stick action on the constantinople is sweet once you get it’s sway and weight down making it a real pleasure to play in that the strike to cymbal response movement will engage any player, I would imagine — instead of a heavy and static ride you gotta beat the hell out of to get some swing and sway! Sounds like: K Custom Ride — However, the K is heavier with a different composition resulting in its iconic darkened dryness with a simpler sounding harmonic decay. The constantinople being slightly thinner weight, hand-hammered in addition to its unique composition, produce a brighter, harmonically rich and expansive resonant decay. The classic K sound is iconic and the dry and dark tonality is somewhat similar to the constantinople— but the key thing about the constantinople is it’s ability to produce BOTH a darkened dry cymbal strike AND produce a resonant decay with a harmonically rich profile. The tonal range is a bit broader on the constantinople and the various spots on the cymbal surface are more intricately varied while the K’s character is consistent and larger areas on the cymbals surface will generate approximately the same tone.

This pedal on its own with the “right out of the box” selection of patches and tones doesn’t do it for me — but the reason we like these little toys is that when it is ran through several effects pedals, this little thing can be transformed into an instrument that has the dynamic range to produce beautiful musicality that by virtue of the knob bending, can take on highly performance driven material. It’s weakness being a lo-fi toy keyboard is also its definitive strength when pedals and knob twiddling take it to a musical, experimental place. Favorite pedals run it thru: Ring Modulator, Analog Delay, Looper, Reverb, Fuzz, Leslie Cabinet Simulator

This is a versatile stick made from Sugar Maple which makes it significantly lighter than a standard hickory stick — making it quick on the wrists and the recoils. Ideal for moderate to lower playing volumes and stick striking (sugar maple is a softer wood than the standard stick so they will chip away faster than hickory). But, at a very affordable price point, replacing these doesn’t come at too high of a cost. They are worth having in every player’s stick bag when at the studio because of the unique tones they will bring out on your cymbals and heads — in the studio these differences in tone can add an extra touch of musicality, warmth and color.

I’ve got this as a secondary ride to my larger, darker and versatile constantinople. I threw a couple brass rivets in the A and they really play greatly with it as the high end wash and percolating rushes in a cymbal strike’s decay blend really well with this A’s brightness. The rivets balance this A out wonderfully because the fast brightness of the cymbal paired with the lengthened resonance from the brass rivets make it an ideal and inspiring secondary ride/crash, for me.