Thread: Decent, but very inexpensive zills (in bulk)

I am looking to buy about 2 dozen zills to have on-hand for students to borrow during class.

I use Saroyan, of course, but they are a bit too rich for my blood to use as practice zills for my students in the quantity I require.

I want the 2 slot kind. They don't have to be the best, but I don't want them to be complete pieces of junk either.

Any ideas where I can get decent zills in bulk? and fast.....

Sorayan has some inexpensive ones too- $14 range & they do offer a small teacher discount (about enough to cover shipping where I live!)
Turquoise International also has some good quality lightweight zills.

Personally, there is such a big difference between the so-called beginner zills and the heavier weight ones, I require my students to just make that investment in the saroyan pro zills- it's only $40 and will last a lifetime- I also think it is easier to learn how to get a nice clear ring when they are heavy enough to bounce easily. I have about 5 pairs I keep on hand to borrow during class, but I have never yet had a student decline to purchase a pair. Think of it like buying tap shoes (or worse yet, ballroom) in other disciplines.

While I normally would agree with you, the purpose of these zills, don't warrant the best or the expense.

I'm using these for my fitness classes, where on occasion, for fun, I would include these in class.

My "regular" beginner classes are required to purchase real zills and YES, they are saroyan.

I'd check with Turquoise first. Then, Mid-East Manufacturing, maybe? I don't know what discounts they offer. I have two of their sets, they are lower-end and don't carry as much as quality zills, but they are not too crappy.

I would never encourage my students to buy less than good quality zills, but I like to provide practice props for the beginners, and I can't afford to buy dozens of Saroyans or Turquoise, either.

I use these for my classes:
[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Student-Belly-Dance-Zills-Set/dp/B002MV2MII/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&s=musical-instruments&qid=1254588305&sr=8-15]Amazon.com: Student Belly Dance Zills - 2", Set of 4: Musical Instruments[/ame]

The weight, size and stability are good for students, the sound quality isn't great but they're not annoyingly clacky or pitchy like many of hte cheapos. They seem perfectly adequate for learning, and in some ways using them for beginners is actually an advantage.

My Saroyan Arabesques can be heard loud and clear over the cacophony of student sound.

I demo the difference in sound quality so they won't feel bad that their playing doesn't sound like mine -- but the added advantage is that they realize BEFORE they invest in their first pair why it's important to buy quality.

Originally Posted by steffib

I'd check with Turquoise first. Then, Mid-East Manufacturing, maybe? I don't know what discounts they offer. I have two of their sets, they are lower-end and don't carry as much as quality zills, but they are not too crappy.

The ones I linked to are Mid-East. I'm sure if you approached them directly you could get a nice discount. I probably did, but don't remember any more how much I paid.

Check with Lucy, too. Right now the site only lists a couple pairs in stock, but I would email or call her in case she recently received a new shipment. Scheherezade Imports - Musical Instruments

Mid-East offers wholesale prices to teachers. I buy 10 sets about 3x a year, so it's not like you have to buy a ton - just send them an email at info@mid-east.com and they'll set you up with a login so you see wholesale prices when you browse the online catalog.

The student model that Lauren linked to is currently $5.95 a set if you order wholesale directly from Mid-East. And you can get a further 25% discount if you order 6 dozen or more sets.

They ship lightning fast, have great customer service, and take Paypal. I highly recommend them as a source for inexpensive zills.

Thank y'all! :-)

I third Mid-Eastern Manufacturing.

I just ordered some zill's from Mid-Eastern Manufacturing. They were quick to answer my e-mail and were very nice over the phone : ) Good customer service.