House of Drumming.com

Hey all,

I got to hit a lot of cymbals last weekend and got a feel for at least 10 of the 12 Supernatural lines. Supernatural is a California-based cymbal company that produces hand-crafted Turkish cymbals. I investigated into whether or not they're another Masterworks vendor. The short answer yes and no, but much more no than yes. They basically hired two of the top cymbalsmiths from Masterworks and built their own foundry in Istanbul, created their own B20 alloy mix, and started cranking out a bunch of different cymbals.

I really liked the Universal line -- they seemed the most modern, and in fact I bought a 20" ride and 14" hats there on the spot. But virtually every cymbal I hit had its own character, very much like you would expect from cymbals that aren't machine manufactured.

Most of their lines seem to fill a gap between better known cymbals. It's very hard to say X line of Supernatural is comparable to Y line of Zildjian or Sabian. Maybe they're sort of close in some cases, but I wouldn't say you could substitute one for the other. For example, the Heritage line appears to be a deliberate attempt to go after the old K sound, but to my ears they're even a bit darker. All of the cymbals, even the brighter, wetter ones they're pitching to the gospel chops guys, have some dark wash in them. Whether you think that's cool or not is going to vary. I think if you're a Paiste or UFIP fan, you'll hate them. But if you like Bos, Zildjian Ks, or Sabian HHXs, you're probably going to find a cymbal or two that appeals to you. They have FX cymbals for most lines, and I think that's where they excel. I absolutely loved almost every china-type I hit. Their splashes have a unique, full sound to them, too.

If you can, I definitely suggest stopping and striking a few of these. They stand out as unique to me among all American cymbal manufacturers.

How's their pricing? You should throw a little video of cymbals. Even if it's just an iphone clip or something.

Robert Schwieger wrote:How's their pricing? You should throw a little video of cymbals. Even if it's just an iphone clip or something.

Pricing is going to vary on the line, but they're definitely trying to make themselves a more affordable line. They're really pushing the Prodigy Pros, which I think behind the scenes they've pitched as an affordable alternative to the AAXs. Personally I think they're closer to As, but they are affordable and a decent cymbal line (in spite of the line name, which I think makes it sound like a B8 cymbal).

Not So Modern Drummer did a video review of the Impact and Prodigy Pro lines. Video below:





Bill Ray is a San Diego drummer, endorser, and webmaster for the company (my initial connection to them). Here's a clip of him using a variety, mostly the Omega and Diamond lines I think).

Well they look and sound cool. But where can one purchase the cymbals? Looked around on their website and google, couldn't find much more then a handful of shops spread across the US.

PS - The last video has some truly painful to watch ride technique going on...

YamahaPlayer wrote:Well they look and sound cool. But where can one purchase the cymbals? Looked around on their website and google, couldn't find much more then a handful of shops spread across the US.

PS - The last video has some truly painful to watch ride technique going on...

Finding them is going to be the trick right now, as they're just now getting distribution off the ground. I know George Lawrence is going to carry a full load. But the primary reason I went to their HQ in Temecula was because I couldn't find any other place that carried them. I know they're at all the big conventions and drum shows -- NAMM, Chicago, etc. -- so that might be the thing for some of you until they grow their dealers.

You can purchase the cymbals online, but I don't buy cymbals I can't hit and hear for myself. I don't suspect a working pro such as yourself would, either.

As for the technique, you can take that up with Billy Ray who I know just registered and I'm waiting on him to weigh in here, too.

It is kind of an odd ride technique. But he plays pretty well. In other words, I would trade.

MRhet wrote:It is kind of an odd ride technique. But he plays pretty well. In other words, I would trade.

Yeah, Bill can play some stuff and he's also a super guy as well. I tried to get him to come to the hang but he had a gig. Everyone give him a big HOD welcome when he shows up.

Heya all

I'd be glad to answer any questions about the cymbals and painful ride techniques.

billraydrums wrote:Heya all

I'd be glad to answer any questions about the cymbals and painful ride techniques.

Any news on the distribution front? Where can folks go to try these things in person?

Gaddabout wrote:

billraydrums wrote:Heya all

I'd be glad to answer any questions about the cymbals and painful ride techniques.

Any news on the distribution front? Where can folks go to try these things in person?

Hey Matt! Hey House of Drumming!

With drumshops becoming fewer and farther between in lieu of the big box stores, smaller companies have to "try harder" or "try smarter". Right now at SNC we're working on a few things that will get us some visibility and get the product out to those interested parties.

It's a very difficult landscape these days for any gear company who is trying to "break out"; as with the music business proper, 'teh intertubes' have "slipped 'business as usual' a mickey" and one has to get creative to get the product out there and in the line of sight of those who seek it.

Heh, time for a flashback: Around the year 2000 I bought a 5x13 Dunnett Stainless drum to augment my 6.5x13 Ti Alloy snare; someone was interested in trying out Ronn's drums So I sent it out to that person, and then we ended up sending it all over the country to different players. The drum got to stay in a player's possession for 48 hrs then they would be responsible for shipping it down the line to the next person.

It was out for like 9 weeks and quite a few folks got to try it out; this was back in the RMMP days (remember that newsgroup?) and perhaps something like that could occur again on a small circuit such as this forum. I'll get back to you guys on that.

Supernatural Cymbals- We Smell Different.