Jazz ride?

HenrikJ

Junior Member
Hi! I'm planning on buying a jazz ride. I'm thinking of a 22 inch big one and I have some ideas on brand/model.
I play most genres but mostly jazz, big band jazz and some funk. So I was thinking maybe some ride from Zildjian's constantinople series. I'm thinking of the medium thin low- and thins or maybe the medium? Maybe K or K custom?
I also think a little of the Bosphorus master vintage series.

My left side ride is a Bosphorus master series 20" and my hihats are Zildjian k series 14"

What do you guys think?
Thanks!

/Henrik
 
I have a 24" K Light Ride and I love it. Very dark and smoky, and an explosive crash when I need it (it's a great link between my smaller thin crashes and that 38" gong I don't have yet).

I have friends with 22" Constantinoples but I couldn't understand what the big deal was. My Light Ride isn't lacking in anything I want and for the price the Constantinople doesn't give me more of what I need. But they're great if you really like that sound.
 
How about the K Dark Medium Ride or A Medium Ride? I think a big band ride cymbal needs to have a little more ping and a little less complexity than a cymbal intended for "just" small group jazz and I think both of those options are middle of the road enough to suit a lot of different situations. Personally I think the K Dark Medium is one of the best sounding cymbals Zildjian is making right now.
 
AFAIK Buddy Rich used an 20" A Medium ride for ever, and you can't get any more "big band" than that. I use a 22 A Medium. I used it for everything, from my college big band, to rock, to recordings, and it worked out just fine.
 
My 22" Constantinople is my favorite for small combo jazz. I wouldn't use it with a big band or in any higher-volume situation, though.

It articulates nicely, has a beautiful, controlled wash and a nice trace of trashiness. I love the way it opens up when you lean into it with the shoulder of the stick on the bow, to bring the dynamics up a bit. And it crashes great. It's the wide palette of sounds you can get across that whole spectrum from ping to wash that I love about it.

Not to say it can't do other things, but I think to really appreciate it, you have to be playing the right kind of music.
 
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