MusicPlayerNetwork.com Forums Drums and Percussion Hit It! Cymbals!

I'm a bass player, but I play drums, too... and, I like cymbals. Not the typical "crash on every other beat" kinda thing, but accents and flavors that add to things in good ways.

Lately, my favorites are a 10" Zildjian A splash, and, oddly, a Meinl HCS 12" China with 3 moongels on it.

Any other odd flavor suggestions?

Sizzle and pang can be fun....

dB

Stacks! Cymbal stacking is a great way to experiment with different sounds. There are lots of stack sets available or you can make your own.

Get a few different types of 10" or 12" cymbals - crash, splash, mini china - and try them in different combinations. Two splashes in a hi-hat configuration for a high-pitched chick sound great for fast beats. Turn one over to stack them for a fast trash sound. Stack a splash with a mini-china for an even more trashy, cutting sound. Works best to mount them on a fixed hi-hat boom arm. Tighten them up for quick accents or loosen them up for some cut.

Lot's of possibilities and tons of fun.

The clapstack from Istanbul Agop is becoming a favorite. I also LOVE the Crash of Doom from Zildjian. It is my desert island cymbal.

Recently settled on 4 cymbals that I'm using for everything, partly from economics and partly from the desire to learn everything I can about the cymbals I have. There's a lot of sounds in a decent cymbal, and I'm, enjoying the process of finding.

fwiw- the cymbals are 14" Zildjian Quick Beats high hats, Zildjian A Custom 17" Rock Crash, A Custom 8" splash, and a 60's Zildjian 22" ride.

Lots of ways to make them sing.

I don't remember exactly what they are called, but the biggest change for me was discovering those little extender cymbal mounts that let you mount a small cymbal a few inches above a crash or ride. I leave my main ride clean so I can easily access the bell, but every other cymbal in my set now has a second cymbal above it. They range from small splash to medium china cymbals.

I just added a late 50s Zildjian 20" ride cymbal... This cymbal is making me very happy.

It's a perfect complement to my other cymbals, almost like it was meant to be a set. It has a great darkness to the sound, and a complex crash with lots of color. In fact, I like it a bit more as a crash than as a ride, it's a bit like the Crash of Doom.

I like it very much.

I found that Sweetwater Gearfest was a great place to buy cymbals. Different manufacturers usually had sets for sell in their booths for a really good price. I bought a Zildjian set one year. A Meini set the next. My favorite purchase came from my last visit. I went to every cymbal booth and tried every cymbal looking for a specific ride. I wanted high but not too bright, with a balance bell so I could move from the main ride area to the bell and keep a balanced sound without altering my stroke. I finally found my perfect cymbal in the Sabian booth manned by a trio from the Canadian factory. They were not salesmen, they made the cymbals. I could not identify the cymbal because it did not have anything but the generic Sabian logo. One of the men noticed my interest and came over to talk to me.

"This is exactly the cymbal I am looking for. I like the sound of the ride, and the transition to the bell is in perfect balance. I'm trying to find an identifier so I can look the price up on the Sweetwater site but I'm having no luck."
"You really want this one?" the man said with a grin.
"If I can afford it but I cannot find it listed."
"Oh, it is not listed. This is a prototype. One of a kind. There is not another one like it." My heart sank as I saw big dollar signs ahead.
"How much?" I finally asked.
"Let's say $120," he replied with a smile. I grabbed it and think he just wanted someone who really liked it to own it. It is my favorite cymbal.

Nice story, and it sounds like it could be a special cymbal. Good price, too.

I'm finding as I explore the world of cymbals the possibilities are almost endless, and discovering one you really enjoy and bond with can make the difference between feeling like you're playing an instrument, or just banging on metal.
I feel very lucky to have the cymbals I have, and to have gotten good deals along the way. There are many flavors out there, and some prices can seem a little extreme.
But, when you find one that sings to you..

Enjoy.