Zildjian DCP 10th Anniversary "Trilogy of Sounds" | The Professor, The Player, The King!

The legendary Zildjian Sounds Re-Imagined!

At the start of 2019, I had an idea about the 10th Anniversary of Drum Center of Portsmouth, and I decided that we needed several special instruments to commemerate this special landmark. One of the first ideas was to have Zildjian attempt to recapture some of the iconic sounds it had created in years past. The names came first - they just came out of the blue; The Professor, The Player, and The King.

Long live the king!

Working in a drum store, you just can't not be inspired by Buddy Rich. I mean, the guy is the KING. There is no doubt that he deserves and owns that title!

Buddy had a great sound, no matter what he played, and he used the standard A Zildjian cymbals of the day. So this isn't a "signature" model, per ce; it's a re-creation of the types of rides he used over the years. We opted for a medium weight, classic A Zildjian crash-ride, and it sounds gorgeous!

The Player made his Zildjians Sing, Sing, Sing!

Gene Krupa had a magical touch and a magical sound. While he didn't quite have the tenacious chops of BR (who else did?), he sure could swing! And he was a hit with the ladies, too ... a true player! This cymbal is a 20" Classic A, with a medium-light weight. The sound is crisp but airy, and the crash sound is gorgeous!

The Professor leads the pack for the next generation!

Neil Peart was a Zildjian artist for nearly 30 years. What is most remarkable is that he used the same ride cymbal the whole time! Can YOU say that about your setup? If there is ever a sound that is deeply embedded in the culture of rock drumming, it's the sound of Neil's ride cymbal. While Zildjian currently offers many great sounding, rock-inspired rides, I really wanted that sound I hear on so many classic Rush songs.

Easier said than done...

Of all the projects we've been involved with, this one was probably the most laborious for Zildjian - particularly for Paul Francis, Zildjian's Head of Research & Development. Paul later admitted to me that he knew exactly what I was getting at when I said "Professor, Player, King", and he spent MONTHS on this project.

This is an incredibly special project to us. Each model is limited to 10 pieces only! Please celebrate our 10th anniversary and sound great while doing so!