The Paiste Cymbal Company was
founded today in 1906 in Zürich, Switzerland.
The first Paiste cymbals were produced in 1906 by Estonian musician, Toomas Paiste, in his instrument repair shop in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Toomas had served in the Czarist Guard, and retired in 1901 to open a music publishing business and music shop. The cymbal making aspect of the business expanded over time, despite the disruption of several moves necessitated by war, first to Tallinn in Estonia in 1917, where Toomas’ son Mihkel Paiste decided to concentrate on cymbal production and export. In 1940 the family and the cymbal making operation moved to Poland, where they continued under extremely difficult conditions, and in 1945 to Germany. In 1957, a new headquarters and production facility was established in Switzerland. The business was continued by Mihkel’s sons Robert and Toomas, with both the Swiss and German operations as the main manufacturing centers.
Over the years, Paiste has made several innovations to cymbal design and manufacturing. Among these are:
The Flat Ride -
A ride cymbal without a cup or bell. Originally designated as Space Sound in the Formula 602 line. Designed with Joe Morello and introduced in the 1960s.
The Sound Edge Hi-Hat -
To prevent airlock the bottom cymbal of the hi-hat pair has ripples along the edge. Introduced in 1967, the concept was also applied to hand cymbal sets.
The use of B8 bronze as a cymbal alloy -
Referred to by Paiste as “CuSn8″ alloy or “2002 bronze” and first introduced with the Stambul 65 series in 1965, they gained general acceptance with the Giant Beat and the 2002 series. Paiste was for a time the only major cymbal company to use the B8 alloy for its high end lines.
‘Flat’ Bells -
With the introduction of the Sound Creation Short Crash in 1975, Paiste was the first to make use of a flattened bell design. Used with the “Crystal” cymbals of the Signature series.
Unlathed Cymbals -
Introduced in 1980 as the RUDE series and made from the B8 alloy, these unlathed cymbals were marketed towards louder music styles such as punk and heavy metal.
Inverted Bell On A China Cymbal -
Introduced in 1983 as the 2002 Novo China Type, its design makes it easier to play ride and crash patterns on it than a conventional China cymbal.
Colored Cymbals -
Introduced in 1983 in several colors, the paint served not only to enhance the look of the cymbal but eliminate some of the overtones.
Proprietary Signature Bronze -
A patented cymbal alloy introduced in 1989 with the Signature line. According to the patent, this alloy consists of phosphor bronze with a 14.7% to 15.1% tin content by weight. It has been claimed by Paiste to be the first bronze alloy specifically developed for cymbals.
Sonic Texture Formula -
Introduced in 2001 with the Innovations series. A patented lathing technique to get a more complex sounding cymbal.
Many of these innovations were used by other manufacturers when the applicable patents expired. For example, almost all of the larger modern cymbal companies offer a flat ride cymbal and an alternative to the Sound Edge Hi-Hat.