Meinl Cymbals Introduces the Byzance 21” Mike Johnston Signature Transition Ride

New in Meinl’s Byzance Extra Dry Series is the 21” Transition Ride, Mike Johnston’s signature cymbal. Both Mike’s and Meinl’s goal was to create a cymbal that can effortlessly transition from articulate sticking to a wide open and tonally fuller crash-ride function (and back) while never losing the stick definition. The result is a multi-purpose ride cymbal with a versatile sound.

„We have been working on the sound for Mike’s ride now for almost one and a half years,“ explains Meinl‘s international artist relations manager Norbert Saemann. „Mike has let his online community be part of the development and the feedback we got from them was very encouraging. We‘re glad and honoured to present the Transition Ride and hope that it will find many fans around the world.“

The Transition ride has an unlathed and slightly polished top for clear sticking and a present but not overpowering bell. The bottom is lathed and polished to a brilliant finish which allows the ride to move through various dynamic levels with control over the degree of clarity and level of wash.

„I‘ve always wanted a ride that would have amazing tone and stick definition when played on top and would also swell into a beautiful crash as I began to open up and bash,“ says Mike Johnston about his signature Meinl cymbal. „The transition Ride does exactly that. One of my favourite things about playing it is how quick the decay is when your done bashing and ready to play something that requires intense clarity. Being able to seamlessly transition between riding and crashing makes this a massively versatile cymbal. The bell on The Transition ride is also very special. It was designed to sound like a belled version of the actual ride. When playing the bell, the rest of the cymbal is activated and a smooth shimmer start to support your sound.“

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