SticksEasy
Senior Member
Mel Taylor was the drummer who pushed me over the edge to really go with one or two cymbals.
I saw Mel on a clip and he rocked the kit so much, and just that one cymbal. That was the point when I said it doesn't matter how much stuff I use.
Cindy Blackman with Lenny Kravitz only used 2 cymbals, and I really dug that set up a lot.
I finally got brave enough to actually do it!
Patrick Keeler runs only 2 cymbals with his Greenhornes band a lot too.
Cool pic of Nick Knox.
I'm a huge fan of few cymbals myself. Jean-Paul Gaster of Clutch just uses a 20" or a 21" crash, a 22" ride, and a crash ride. But with so few cymbals, his sound is SO big.
I use an 18" China (live main crash) a 20" ride, and an 18" crash.
When I'm in studio I ditch the China, and the 18" crash becomes my main crash, and I put an 18" crash / ride to my right side.
I used to think more cymbals, more sound. But in the last couple of years I've tried to experiment more in bringing out the different sounds of each cymbal.