Zildjian K Hi Hat other brand equivalents?

[Andrew_H]

I was wondering what hi hats put out by other brands, especially Sabian, produce a similar sound to the Zildjian K hi hats, not the master sound or custom ones or anything like that, the plain Zildjian K hi hats. Im looking for new hi hats and through internet sound samples I am really liking this pair. I cant make it to the music store and I need to know what pairs to order first before I can hear them in person so any advice would really help. Im looking for something with a solid chick, not too thin but definitely not too heavy... something very versatile as it would be used for many styles including rock, jazz, and latin, and a bit more on the warm and dark side would be great. Probably a 14" set as well. I was thinking the HHX Legacy hats may be similar, or something by Istanbul.
Thanks!

[wloeb]

How about Zildjian K's?

[Steamer]

Lots of Istanbul Agop hats fit into the mix. Green label Agop Sigs and the Mel Lewis and SE hats all come to mind and the Sultans too.

Check out the sound files here to see if any of the pairs are close to what you have in mind:

http://www.cymbalsonly.com/cymbals/agop/agop.htm

[Ainulindale]

the 14" HHX Groove hats and the 14" HHX jazz hats are both similar, but maybe not as warm as the K's... the K hats are really, really great hats, you don't just want to get them?...

[Andrew_H]

Yeah Im thinking of getting them, just wondering what experience or opinions other people had since I havent really gotten the chance to play many different brands.

[Steamer]

Yeah Im thinking of getting them, just wondering what experience or opinions other people had since I havent really gotten the chance to play many different brands.

Take your time. The Istanbul Agop hats I mentioned will all be warmer, darker and more complex in general tonal character which only comes with truly handmade cymbals IMO over any modern K hat i've owned or heard. Modern K's are nice hats don't get me wrong but the Turkish handmade hats just up the anti a notch in the warmth, darkness, complexity and individual character department to my ear.

Nice crisp Agop hats are the 14" med. weight Agop green label Sigs, heavier 14" Empire hats and the 14" and 15" Sultan hats based on what I own and have sampled in person. The Mels and the SE's are a bit more washy and splashier in a good way and are very rich in tonal character. Depends what your after.

Good luck!

[TenPastTen]

I second Steamer's notion to take your time. The Hi Hat is the most personal and signature sound for a drummer. It seems you are setting up to hear many kinds, so that's good. I was in a similar situation about this time last year and played several hats in the Sabian line and a couple Meinls. I went in wanting to like the 14 Legacy but found their sound to be less versatile than I was looking for. They seemed exclusively a jazz hat to me. I ended up with 14 HHX stages which I prefered even over the 14 Grooves. The Stages have a medium top, but it does not play heavy at all. They have a dark, mellow tone which I love.

You may also consider the Paiste Twenty series. I have the 13 reg hats and they are incredible as well. Paiste has really done well with this series. They have somewhat bright sound when open, but have a dark sound when played closed. They are really versatile cymbals. The Twenty is also available in light models which may suit your jazz needs even better.

[Trip McNealy]

It's really hard to pinpoint an exact match between brands because of the way cymbals are made - profile, weight, and hammering to name a few.

I'd venture to guess though, a Sabian equivalent to K hats would be HH Medium Hats.

[Billy Brown]

I'm now a fan of Saluda: http://www.saludacymbals.com/

Tell him what you want, and he'll make a cymbal with that sound. Probably cheaper than the Ks, too.