cymbal buying tips please

[jonothon77]

i've been a drummer for 40 years and i've always sucked at picking out good cymbals. I haven't bought any new ones in years, the ones i have at least work. but just about every time in my life that i bought a cymbal, the first time I hit it on a gig, I knew I didn't like it. and back in the day they mostly didn't let you return them. i guess they do now.

 

but how about some buying tips, how can you tell in the store?

[coyote]

Wow. There are so many types of cymbals, and so many different ears to hear them, that it would be impossible to give generic tips on purchasing. A set of cymbals that works for a piano jazz quartet would probably be almost totally inappropriate for a Motley Crue cover band....

 

You just have to know the sound you're looking for I guess. Dunno what else to say.

[freelance]

I agree with coyote - you need to know what you want and trust your ears.

 

However, if you do have some cymbals you do like and do plan to keep as part of your gigging set up - bring those to the store and test other cymbals against them.

 

I find more often than not, if you find cymbals that sound "compatible" with the cymbals you already like and use - they normally translate well to the gig.

 

You are correct that most stores will let you return cymbals, in a reasonable time (if they don't have a bunch of stick marks, etc. etc) possibly subject to a restocking fee.

[Trojian]

Yeagh you just gotta try out different stuff i suppose. Im terribly pedantic about buying cymbals: the problem is there are so many types for different things & stores generally dont have a good selection. Obviously (if we are talking outside the budget cymbal range) you can order stuff but what you really need is to try and compare different ones. I suppose the first thing to do is to find a drum superstore and try out as many as you can find what you want, then maybe order them from somewhere cheaper: + have a good chat with the staff, seek their opinions, some stores will also order stuff in on a no-sale return policy.

 

Descriptions on websites can initially be useful (i.e. sabian & zildjian have good biogs of their cymbals, but if dynamics are an issue then even these sites can be misleading. I seen cymbals described as suited to mellow jazz etc, but when trying them out they were certainly not suitable for low volume acoustic stuff.

To answer the question, there are no strong 'tips' when buying any drum stuff really its just about what you are comfortable with although it is TOTALLY IMPOSSIBLE to judge much about anything outside your normal playing/gigging surroudings - drum equipments are all relative to each other.

 

I suppose the best advice would be to shop around, try as much stuff as you can and find a drum shop where:

i)the staff seem to be very knowledgable (many stores are quite obviously run by cowboys!)

ii)they have good policies regarding the returning/trying out of their gear

and iii) preferably have good prices!!!

[joeq]

a strong second for the idea of bringing a current fave cymbal with you to the store.

 

a smaller local music store that gives lessons as well as sells stuff might have practice rooms with a drum set that you could use to check out the cymbal in context

[Jazzman]

Hi Jonothon77,

 

Some questions are: What type of music do you play? Do you generally play at small clubs, or large affairs with wide open spaces. Is the drum set miked?

 

I would go with the following:

 

First you can't go wrong in buying name brand types that have been around for a long time.

 

Second, brighter cymbals may be better for being on the same level as the rest of the players. If you are elevated on a higher stage, then the cymbals will be more prominent within the set.

 

Third, based on the type of music you are playing, how hard you play should give you a better clue for how heavy of a cymbal you would need. Cymbal sounds tend to disappear in a crowd of people. A lot of cloth, low celings, playing in the back of the band hinder the cymbal sound.

 

Playing the cymbals under miked conditions can also influence your decision on what types of cymbals to use. In this case the mike/amp will provide the power to be heard, playing soft or hard.

 

There are natural tones that each cymbal has that set it aside from the others. This is the tone that you need to duplicate at the gig. This is what has attracted you to this cymbal in the first place, and not the price. Picking out a cymbal is hard. I picked out a cymbal once that I thought was different than my other ones only to find out it almost matched the same frequency as other one. So I picked out the same one twice because I liked the tone. DANG!!

 

One thing you could do is buy a couple of newer ones that you feel are really different and are appealing to you. Buy them at the same store at the same time. Take them home and try them out on the set with the other ones. Select the ones that don't like and sell them. I know.... that is easy for me to say, but if this is your instrument that you love to play, then the decission should be simple.

 

I can imagine how you feel playing on a set that you feel doesn't cut the mustard in the field.

 

Also, look at the cymbals that other artists use at gigs that matches the same type of music that you like and get the low-down on that set if you can. Alot of artists share their setups with the public.

 

OH well..just a few ideas and comments for you to ponder over.

 

Oh I almost forgot. I generally listen to the bell of the cymbal for the ring I like to hear first. The higher the bell usually has a better tone all around in my opinion. What do you folks think about that statement?

 

Peace..........and treat yourself to a cool cymbal.

 

Jazzman

[coyote]

I guess my response is: Whatever works for you.

Originally posted by Jazzman:

Oh I almost forgot. I generally listen to the bell of the cymbal for the ring I like to hear first. The higher the bell usually has a better tone all around in my opinion. What do you folks think about that statement?

Jazzman

I'm not one to spend a great deal of time on the bell of a cymbal when playing, so it's a secondary consideration for me when purchasing one. All I know is this - if a cymbal sounds right to me in the store, it tends to sound good when playing. The drummer in my current band digs many of my cymbals, and has offered me good $$$ for a couple of 'em (I refused to sell of course).