Thread: What are your favorite Saroyan finger cymbals?

I LOVE Saroyan zills. They are my absolute favorite! I think I own half of what he sells, but am looking for another set.

Which ones are your favorite and why?

I love my brass Grecians! They have a beautiful, mellow, bell-like tone and the weight is just right--not too heavy, not too light. If only I were a good enough zillist to do them justice!

My favorite is the Arabesque II by far. I like the weight and and size of the cymbal and the sound as well. I own several styles also but this my favorite one of all. The Nefertiti's were my first set from them and like those a lot too.

Love my Nefertitis. They don't blast away any of the customers when you get close to them and their sound carries far enough away in a small setting.

I have the brass Grecians and those are my favorite right now. I have the Arabesque's but not the II's.

That's what I like about the Nefertiti's too.

Mahira, do you have any of the mini zills? I have a set of those and I love them, I actually bought them for my daughter when she was little but I love to play them too. They have a pretty sound, and they are tiny so people don't notice that you are wearing them and then when you start to play them it's always a surprise!

I got a pair of those for my daughter too but I actually don't like them. They're too high pitched for my ear and too light weight.

I have a pair of brass Arabesques for class, and I like them because they sound the same on both hands I alternate hands when I play (RLR LRL). However, one night I forgot my cymbals and borrowed a classmate’s silver Arabesques! They sounded so nice! I almost bought a pair for myself, but I got silver Grecians instead, and they are my favorite zills in the whole world. They are huge, they are loud, and they have a mellow tone. I really like the low tone. The silver zills sound better in videos of our performances and rehearsals too.

I have two sets of Saroyans -- the bronze Ghawazees, and the Afghanis in silver. I love the tone of the Afghanis and I use them when playing cymbals as part of my drum class's performance pieces. However, they are pretty hefty, to the point of being kind of intimidating to dance with, so I usually use the Ghawazees for dancing. I have to admit that I bought them because I loved the bronzey color, but I also like them a lot --they are more substantial in size and feel and richer in tone than some of the smaller ones, but still not so heavy that they are difficult to play.

Funny, I have the silver Arabesques too, I got them mainly to match some of my costumes and I was so used to the brass ones that I used all of the time that I didn't use them much, they felt and sounded different.

Lots of people are saying such great things about the Grecians, I might have to get a pair and try them!

I got a set of the Grecians, and they drive me crazy - they just don't weigh enough and I feel like they clank more than ring... So I guess it varies person to person.

On the other hand, I looooove my Turkish Delight Pros. They just feel good on my hands; I think it's the higher-profile bell shape. :)

Moorish in the heavy gauge and Contemporary in regular.

I like the medium size because my hands are not huge. The larger sizes are somewhat awkward for me.

The heavy weight Moorish have a wonderful, mellow tone that really carries far. I use them for outdoors or loud music situations. I use the regular weight Contemporary zills for most indoor situations (unless the music is really loud) or drum circles where I want to just blend in.

I love Saroyan cymbals and have an embarrassing number of styles in my studio. My go-to ones are the Turkish Delights, which got me through 10 years of supplementing percussion at our local RenFest. I also love the Pros. But you know the song "Love The One You're With?" That's me and finger cymbals...

So glad I have recovered from my cymbal phobia. For many years, I couldn't stand to play them, couldn't stand to be in a workshop where students were playing them. I still cringe and squirm when cymbals are played badly, but my phobia seems to have subsided.

I love my Afghanis!

Originally Posted by yameyameyame

I love my Afghanis!

Me too!!! Mine are brass, but I'd like to get the silver ones someday. I just love the sound.

Love the Saroyan Pros! They sound like beautiful bells and are very comfortable for me. Arabesque IIs are also a favorite. Tuts are nice but can feel like a bit much for my small hands and overworked wrists. I have the lower-pitched Contemporaries for quieter situations or practice. Mini-Zills for fun. :)

Not quite used to them yet, but I love my new brass Afghanis XD

My hands are tiny so they're a bit heavy but man I just love the look and sound of them!

My goal is to one day own them all.

I've been tempted by the Tuts for a while. They seem to be the about the same diameter and weight as my most used Saroyans (Saroyan Pros, Afghani 2 and Turkish Delight Pros).

I absolutely adored the silver Afghanis I had though they were so loud that they played over everyone else's zills in class and group performance. They were also too much zill for most of the venues I perform in so they got sold. As small as my hands are (6 inches, wrist to middle finger) they are comfortable and of good balance and weight that makes really fast rolls and alternating effortless.

My current go to zills are Tutankhamuns and Turkish Delights. Tuts sound nice and mellow, going well with earthy music while the Delights go with just about everthing. The latter is less 'cloppy', the rings true and clear; their clicks are more audible than other zills' are.

I didn't think I'd like the lighter zills since I'd been so attached to my Afghanis but have become accustomed to them.

Originally Posted by doozer

i absolutely adored the silver afghanis i had though they were so loud that they played over everyone else's zills in class and group performance. They were also too much zill for most of the venues i perform in so they got sold. As small as my hands are (6 inches, wrist to middle finger) they are comfortable and of good balance and weight that makes really fast rolls and alternating effortless.

My current go to zills are tutankhamuns and turkish delights. Tuts sound nice and mellow, going well with earthy music while the delights go with just about everthing. The latter is less 'cloppy', the rings true and clear; their clicks are more audible than other zills' are.

I didn't think i'd like the lighter zills since i'd been so attached to my afghanis but have become accustomed to them.

you tempt me!

Grecians. I love the sound they make (and my dog too. poor thing wails when I play the Nefertitis, but she's fine with the Grecians)

concert masters!

Originally Posted by Doozer

I absolutely adored the silver Afghanis I had though they were so loud that they played over everyone else's zills in class and group performance. They were also too much zill for most of the venues I perform in so they got sold. As small as my hands are (6 inches, wrist to middle finger) they are comfortable and of good balance and weight that makes really fast rolls and alternating effortless.

My current go to zills are Tutankhamuns and Turkish Delights. Tuts sound nice and mellow, going well with earthy music while the Delights go with just about everthing. The latter is less 'cloppy', the rings true and clear; their clicks are more audible than other zills' are.

I didn't think I'd like the lighter zills since I'd been so attached to my Afghanis but have become accustomed to them.

are you referring to the Turkish Delights Pro's? or the smaller ones under the students zills on the site?

After reading this thread I bought a new set of zills.

You are temptresses!

Originally Posted by ozma

After reading this thread I bought a new set of zills.

You are temptresses!

LOL what did you get?

Originally Posted by MahiraRaqs

LOL what did you get?

Tuts!

ok..i read ALL of the posts...my students ask about these zills. i wanted to know how all felt.
i must admit i am a bit blown away. i have NEVER heard of buying a trumpet to match a suit...it is a musical instrument..or for the engravings....this has been very eye opening. ah, who can see anything if you are playing them?
thanks for this thread! we will continue on our own path, but now i have more to say when it comes up.

Originally Posted by ozma

Tuts!

Congrats! I have the Tut's in the silver and the brass. I love them both. They each have very different sounds to them, but I feel the weight is pretty close to the same. I tend to reach for my Tut's alot. I bet you'll love them.

As far as Saroyans go, I do like the brass Grecians, especially for classes as they're easier on my ears.

I also have/had a set of (brass) tuts that have seemingly disappeared, I can't find them anywhere. I just purchased a set of Fahtiem's Zills (Large, brass, made by Saroyan) to keep in our second home.

However, increasingly my go-to Zills are my Zildjians.