Meinl STB815H Hand Cowbell

somehow I feel meinl have missed the point with the cowbell sound. Perhaps I shouldn't compare it against my LP ES4 salsa bell (which sounds short and dry) but the Meinl rings like a church bell with sustaining overtone and doesn't seem to fit in well. I've abraded it all over and I'm probably going to let it go rusty - to see if it helps. I don't like the side welds - the beads sit on top of the surface. I'm sure they are well penetrated, but looks like the weld process could be improved