Love Zildjan A Customs But.......

[Scotty C]

I have been playing Zildjan A Customs for years...I play heavy rock and have loved the sound of these cymbals. I play 18 inch crash's. The problem is they always seem to crack within 8-12 months of heavy play....THIS SUCKS!!! My A Custom hats tend to last usually about 2yrs...My question is, are there any cymbals that are comparable in sound, but a bit more durable?? Any help would be appreciated!! Thanks!

[fusssion]

I have been playing Zildjan A Customs for years...I play heavy rock and have loved the sound of these cymbals. I play 18 inch crash's. The problem is they always seem to crack within 8-12 months of heavy play....THIS SUCKS!!! My A Custom hats tend to last usually about 2yrs...My question is, are there any cymbals that are comparable in sound, but a bit more durable?? Any help would be appreciated!! Thanks!

Saluda Mist-X Rock or Power crashes !! Say no more! :)

www.saludacymbals.com

Email or call Jamie with your delimna, and he'll hook you up. Try one, you'll be pleasantly surprised!

I traded all of my Zildjians in for Saluda's and could NOT be any happier!

[Deathmetalconga]

I love A Customs and that is all I have on my set at http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18719.

I like them for their refined sound, but it comes at the expense of durability. I am not a hard hitter so cymbals last forever with me, but if you hit hard I can see A Customs breaking before long.

www.terrasonus.com

[TitanSound]

Why is it that when someone mentions "hard hitter" it means that its normal for cymbals to break??

If you have proper technique and don't have the cymbals clamped down to tightly I see no reason why a cymbal should break other than a defect in the cymbal its self. Maybe evaluate how you play the cymbal. In my 15 years of playing I have never broken a cymbal (I have some A Customs) except for when I had a splash on a crappy stand and it keyholed! And I don't hit them light most of the time ;)

[Jookbox]

never really knew a customs were fragile. i own 16, 17, 18 and 19 crashes. the 16 and 18 i bought the first year they came out in the early 90s. they're perfectly fine. the 19 i got recently and it cracked after a year. which is weird because my technique is MUCH better than back then.

[Scotty C]

Yeah dude....18's crack on a regular basis for me...I use all DW hardware and the cymbals always breath, never clamped down..I do play rather hard in the style of a Korn, Pantera etc....I guess for the money, I would just expect them to withstand a little more..I've been told try these new Sabian's??

[driver]

When I got 18 crash it was alredy well used and a few years old. Even in my hard rock band its holding up amazingly. I cant see it breaking in the future (even tho I need an excuse for a 2002 crash or 3 haha)

[mofle]

I play 18 inch crash's. The problem is they always seem to crack within 8-12 months of heavy play....!


Doesn't all zildjian cymbals come with a one year guarantee? Mine did. Though I haven't seen my cracked splash since I sent it back...

[radiofriendlyunitshifter]

instead of buying new cymbals which will crack just as quickly, try investing some time into your technique.

it's not the cymbals, it's YOU.

[pdp 9091]

instead of buying new cymbals which will crack just as quickly, try investing some time into your technique.

it's not the cymbals, it's YOU.

Ya dont be just slamming on them with all your strenght. And watch the way you strike the cymbal. Cymbals shouldnt only have a 1 year life span. Ive had my 18 2002 thin crash for a while now. No problems.

[Scotty C]

Alright...So ummmm whats the proper way to play loud agressive metal with custom A's and DW stands....technique wise?...remember Mesa's and Les Paul's are crankin in the back.

[TitanSound]

Well the most important thing is to play across the cymbal rather than lay into it. Dont hit it on the edges, strike it with a glancing blow....kind of a sweeping motion. Remember....no matter how hard you hit a cymbal it has a maximum volume that will never, ever be surpassed.

Maybe you dont have bad technique and your cymbals are at a bad angle? I always have my cymbals at around eye level with a slight tilt so they are not flat and they can be played across the surface of the cymbal.

[Jay.B.]

My technique on the cymbals has changed over time, although there are times when you just have to thrash the living daylights out of them, just because :-)

but if you do feel the need to change, try the sabian AAX stage crashes, I had a couple of A customs before these, didn't break them though, just fancied a change and these hit the spot.

[jonescrusher]

Alright...So ummmm whats the proper way to play loud agressive metal with custom A's and DW stands....technique wise?...remember Mesa's and Les Paul's are crankin in the back.


But who ever told you that A Customs were the right cymbals for heavy rock? They're blatantly not. Titansound's right though, if you have proper cymbal technique you should very rarely damage a cymbal, no matter how thin.

[moe.ron]

i'm pretty sure zildjian has a demonstration on their website under cymbal care. maybe that will help

[TitanSound]

You are right....

http://www.zildjian.com/EN-US/support/productcare.ad2

[toolskid]

I have been playing Zildjan A Customs for years...I play heavy rock and have loved the sound of these cymbals. I play 18 inch crash's. The problem is they always seem to crack within 8-12 months of heavy play....THIS SUCKS!!! My A Custom hats tend to last usually about 2yrs...My question is, are there any cymbals that are comparable in sound, but a bit more durable?? Any help would be appreciated!! Thanks!

Johan Custom Cymbals will KILL the A's and are super durable

check his site:

www.johancymbals.fr.nf/

[cantstandyourfunk]

"instead of buying new cymbals which will crack just as quickly, try investing some time into your technique.

it's not the cymbals, it's YOU."

I agree. I've never broken any cymbal, apart from damaging an upturned small splash (6") which was clamped too tight. And I hit pretty, PRETTY hard.

[evans_69]

you may be telling the man he has bad technique, maybe he has? but from what i was told from my local drumshop the A customs are the most returned cymbals followed by the Z customs, so obviously they are a little prone to cracking.... i would suggest trying some Sabian AAX'S or 2002'S...... ( I AM NOT BIAS I DO OWN A 20" A custom crash). I am a paiste man through and through but i would say that Sabian are the most durable..

[Osh]

This thread has scared me a bit.... i play quite lightly really, but I just bought a 15" A custom, which is pretty thin. Problem is, I have a friend who doesn't have a very good kit or cymbals, and likes to play on mine, and he hits extremely hard - and I mean extremely hard. I cringe everytime he hits my A custom. It was second hand when I bought it, so it's bound to crack if he keeps hitting like he does.

He'll be offended if I don't let him use it though :(. I'll have to though... i love it too much. I can't stand it when he hits it.

[Cymbalrider]

Personally, I've never seen a cymbal crack except when stepped on and dropped repeatedly over a period of a few years. The problem is that people play through the cymbal. This isn't necessary and only causes stress and damage to the cymbal. Remember a cymbal makes its sound by vibrating. But metal can only vibrate and bend so much. There are times when you get into the music and you want to play harder but you need to ask yourself, is it really necessary? I can tell you that moderate playing can be heard over a football stadium filled with people and a loud marching band with thin or heavy cymbals alike. I don't know what type of music would be louder or need harder playing than a full band. And this is playing about mezzo forte to forte in dynamics with yarn mallets. In playing with a big band, I've noticed only K Custom Dark crashes not being loud enough but my Avedis Zildjian 16 MT crash and 14 Fast crash work just fine. A Custom crashes are typically softer sounding (the lathing does it and the brilliant finish helps) look into regular Zildjian crashes or Sabian AAX.

[Mapex589]

This thread has scared me a bit.... i play quite lightly really, but I just bought a 15" A custom, which is pretty thin. Problem is, I have a friend who doesn't have a very good kit or cymbals, and likes to play on mine, and he hits extremely hard - and I mean extremely hard. I cringe everytime he hits my A custom. It was second hand when I bought it, so it's bound to crack if he keeps hitting like he does.

He'll be offended if I don't let him use it though :(. I'll have to though... i love it too much. I can't stand it when he hits it.

Hey it is your money and your kit, you should feel free to tell anyone how you like your gear treated. I have a friend who can play a little bit and he slams the bass drum and since i have a $40 EMAD on my bass drum I will tell him to play the bass drum correctly or dont play it. We spend a lot of dough on our gear so don't be afraid to tell your friend to take it easy on your cymbals. Or take it off the kit if you know he is coming over.

As far as the A Customs I have 17" & 18" medium crashes and a 20" Ping Ride on my kit and have had them for 2 years now and they have never cracked. I am really happy with the A Customs. Although I have never broken a cymbal in my 27 years playing.

[joey]

i dont own any a customs myself but i have played them at a gig n they sounded nice not my taste tho tbh.


but not nagging or anythin but when i was playing them they seemed that they were durable cymnbals soo in my opinion it could be your technique


n im a heavy/hard hitter and iv always used thin crashes n never broke a single one i still have my first thin cymbal i bought over five years ago

[evans_69]

dont get too worried about the a customs ... like i said i own one and use it as my crash ride so it gets a lot of stick and i am a heavy hitter.. the cymbal is just as good now as when i bought it.. i am just telling you that my drum store recieves more a customs than any cymbal back ..maybe because they are so popular or abused.. but that is the fact..its the same as we get Paiste a few lighter models come back with dents..i.e 2002 ... choose your cymbals that are suited for the music you play..and you will have no problems.

[masonni]

I hate when people say things like "oh it's your techniqe" and "your playing wrong".
And I know a lot of the time that is the truth, but has anyone seen this guy play? Maybe his techniqe is really good....?

Example, I have what most people would call "good techniqe" but at the same time I am a REALLY heavy hitter...
I used to play with 19" A. Zildjian Med. Crashes. And they lasted me years and years of abuse. Then I changed over to Alchemy 19" Med. Crashes.... I broke 5 in one year.

Maybe it's not the techniqe and it's just not the right cymbals for your musical situation.
Try some regular Avedis Zildjians and see how they hold up.
I would stay away from Z Customs, they have amazing volume for heavy rock, but because they are thicker they are more brittle and crack faster. When I used them they only lasted about a year or two.

[d.c.drummer]

Seems to me like you really can bash. You might wanna consider the heavier cymbals in the a custom range. And a shameful secret. I am a sworn Ziljian user but i have Sabian Vault crashed. They are so smooth and clean. I love em.

[d.c.drummer]

This thread has scared me a bit.... i play quite lightly really, but I just bought a 15" A custom, which is pretty thin. Problem is, I have a friend who doesn't have a very good kit or cymbals, and likes to play on mine, and he hits extremely hard - and I mean extremely hard. I cringe everytime he hits my A custom. It was second hand when I bought it, so it's bound to crack if he keeps hitting like he does.

He'll be offended if I don't let him use it though :(. I'll have to though... i love it too much. I can't stand it when he hits it.

beat him off with a stick to protect that cymbal. when it breaks [I][U]you'll[U][I] be offended in additiion to 125 dollars in the hole.

[Skitch]

This thread has scared me a bit.... i play quite lightly really, but I just bought a 15" A custom, which is pretty thin. Problem is, I have a friend who doesn't have a very good kit or cymbals, and likes to play on mine, and he hits extremely hard - and I mean extremely hard. I cringe everytime he hits my A custom. It was second hand when I bought it, so it's bound to crack if he keeps hitting like he does.

He'll be offended if I don't let him use it though :(. I'll have to though... i love it too much. I can't stand it when he hits it.

Who paid for this cymbal?

As far as the cymbal hitting technique, I had to think in terms of an arc or circular motion. Avoid hitting straight into the cymbal.


Mike

http://www.mikemccraw.com
http://www.dominoretroplate.com


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