Meinl Mb20 22" Heavy Bell Ride

Group: Rides
Type: Heavy Bell Ride
Size: 22 Inch
Series: Mb20
Weight: 4176g, 4193g, 4222g
Years of production: 2005 - ?
Sound file: Mb20 22" Heavy Bell Ride
Mb20 22" Heavy Bell Ride
Mb20 22" Heavy Bell Ride
Mb20 22" Heavy Bell Ride
Meinl's Description: <<< - >>>
Review: "The 22" heavy bell ride was shimmering and loud when played on the bell or the larger surface area. Even when played with mallets, brushes, or rods, this cymbal's sonic performance was outstanding. Meinl explains that during the cymbal-making process the bell's hardness is increased by it being dipped into a cool-water bath. This process not only helps to strengthen the cymbal but also to increase the ferocity of its attack. The proof was in the puddin'. I could "ching-ching-a-ching" along without a lot of excess nasty build-up. This ride's cut-through power was the best that the Mb20 series has to offer."

Review written by Will Romano ("Product Close-Up - Meinl Mb20 Cymbals - Loud, Nasty, And Aggressive!", Modern Drummer, December 2005, p. 31)

Review: "Meinl, whose home base is in Germany, produces some excellent cymbals. Most of them are forged in Germany, but some, such as the MB20, are forged in Turkey and then finished in Germany. This MB20 Heavy Bell Ride cymbal produces some mean pings that will be heard above all the amp stacks and the crowd noise. It has a gorgeous sound, and beautiful appearance, that will make a drummer’s smile as bright as the cymbal itself.

The hammering is done by hand, judging from its irregular placement and depth, as is the lathing, again judging from its irregularity. The bell is large, but not as large as some other heavy ride cymbals. The bell makes a huge difference in the sound, and this large bell gives the cymbal a very neutral, wonderful, tonality. It would be suited for any style of rock, but the ping vs. the wash (I would call it a “roar”, see below for explanation) would be a bit out of place with classic jazz, unless you ride it very gently with a 7A wooden tip stick because you just have to have one of these cymbals. Since Meinl calls it a “Heavy Bell Ride”, I will obtain the standard 22″ MB20 “Heavy Ride” for comparison at a later date. The bell of the Heavy Bell Ride is lathed but not hammered.

I rode this cymbal hard, and the ping was never drowned by what would be called a “roar” rather than a “wash”. The roar type of sound is common with heavy cymbals. It is more like a hum, whereas with the wash of thinner cymbals, the sound is more like a shoosh (like white noise with some peaks)."

Review written by John E. Johnson, Jr. ("Meinl 22″ MB20 Heavy Bell Ride Cymbal", hometheaterhifi.com, November 12, 2010)

Review: "The bigger ride offers more in the way of a death metal-friendly ‘ping´ (a somewhat fallacious description where the Heavy bell ride is concerned, but you know what we mean), and the fiercely penetrating bell is rather more forward sounding than in the case of the 20".

It´s not as versatile as its smaller brother, but its specific talents are likely to find real favour with its target market."

Review written by Music Radar Team ("Meinl Mb20 Series cymbals review - If you can afford them, Meinl's Mb20s let metal drummers go 'all the way up to 11'", musicradar.com, February 15, 2008)

Artist/song where it can be heard: unknown