Best Cheap Hi Hats?

H

humble drum

Junior Member
I am a very experienced musician, but not a drummer. I was given a vintage (30's) Slingerland set (still with the old skin heads & old hardware) and I want to get some hi hat cymbals to match that old sound as best I can. The trick is, I can't afford anything fancy. I need cheap ones... around $100-200. I don't know whether to look at 13" or 14" or whatever else. Like I said, even tho I don't know much about drums, I know how to play music. I'm basically a one-man-band who loves to write and record music. The sound I'm going for (old jazz, country, jug band, blues) just doesn't work with the electronic drums I've been using. I want to use my set now.

So, keep in mind that I probably won't ever be playing drums on stage, so durability is not much of a concern. If there is nothing new worth buying in my price range whatsoever, then I can try my luck on eBay and such. So, any advice will be appreciated. Thanks.
 
humble drum said:
I am a very experienced musician, but not a drummer. I was given a vintage (30's) Slingerland set (still with the old skin heads & old hardware) and I want to get some hi hat cymbals to match that old sound as best I can. The trick is, I can't afford anything fancy. I need cheap ones... around $100-200. I don't know whether to look at 13" or 14" or whatever else. Like I said, even tho I don't know much about drums, I know how to play music. I'm basically a one-man-band who loves to write and record music. The sound I'm going for (old jazz, country, jug band, blues) just doesn't work with the electronic drums I've been using. I want to use my set now.

So, keep in mind that I probably won't ever be playing drums on stage, so durability is not much of a concern. If there is nothing new worth buying in my price range whatsoever, then I can try my luck on eBay and such. So, any advice will be appreciated. Thanks.
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Look at the sabian x20 series nice cymbals for the price.

Bonzolead
 
You'd be looking at smaller sizes 12" - 13" and thinner cymbals.

Sounds like an amazing kit, got any pic?!
 
I'm slowly replacing my Sabian Xs20 set.......BUT, I really like the HH's so they'll stay with me for awhile until my ear changes....?

The Xs20 line is lower end and I'd bet you could probably find some used Xs20 14" HH's on ebay, or maybe here on this site in the Classified section possibly?

Not a bad sounding HH at all for what you'll probably pay used.....?????
 
Big Foot said:
You'd be looking at smaller sizes 12" - 13" and thinner cymbals.

Sounds like an amazing kit, got any pic?!
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It is a great set. I'm not worthy to have it, I know. It even has a built-in light on the bass drum. My best friend is a rock drummer who loved me enough and didn't appreciate these old drums enough to keep them, so he just gave them to me. He inherited them from an old in-law who was a jazz drummer in the thirties. I don't have any pics of it, but I might go home and take some just for y'all to enjoy.

Thanks for the advice everybody. I may check out the 13" Sabian Xs20's. I couldn't find any 12". I didn't see any Dreams either. Any other opinions on those or others will be appreciated.
 
$100-200 is plenty of play money on ebay for vintage/older hats. Older A Zildjians often go in the 100 dollar range. They may not be exactly "period correct", but nice. Remember not everything that is OLD is Vintage...

Some of the 12" stuff can be even more reasonable
 
Just buy used off Ebay or Craigslist.
You can get a great set of high end hats for $150 to $200 in great condition.
Dont buy cheapos, you'll regret it. The good ones are soooo much better.
There are tons of A Zildjian New Beats, Zildjian A Custom Hats, Mastersounds, Sabian AA,AAX,HHX, Paiste...etc, to choose from.
 
Homeularis said:
Just buy used off Ebay or Craigslist.
You can get a great set of high end hats for $150 to $200 in great condition.
Dont buy cheapos, you'll regret it. The good ones are soooo much better.
There are tons of A Zildjian New Beats, Zildjian A Custom Hats, Mastersounds, Sabian AA,AAX,HHX, Paiste...etc, to choose from.
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This one.

Why buy the best cheap hats, when you can buy the "best" hats cheaply?
 
I have found interstate music to have some of the best prices for Dream cymbals...great for jazz, they are pretty dark a little trashy. If you want something brighter I would pick the Paiste Alpha's over the x20's hands down...There are a handful of pro's using alpha's out there.
 
I would go for used hi hats. I got a pair of zildjian k/z hats for $150 and they retail for 360 USD.

If you really want some new hats i would look at dream cymbals. their amazing for the price.
 
Dream cymbals are great in my opinion the best bang for the buck. I've switched my entire cymbal setup to Dream Bliss. Just loving the sound.
 
I have a set of 14" Sabian B8 hi-hats. They can be picked up cheap and I have no problems with them. Durable, good build quality as always with Sabian. They have quite a crisp and clear sound aswell which I think helps for beginners.

Joe
 
I see alot of people into the Dream hi hats.To add on to that suggestion...Wuhan,since made at the same facility,has started to adopt Dreams techniques.

Some say(in no expert)that theyre all the same at that factory with different names stamped on them to send to different distributors.I dont know about that,but could be that theyre all made from the same materials..and the people working on the Dreams are more "skilled"?

Anyway,I flew off target there.Wuhans traditional series came out and wasnt taken to seriously,then they got serious,went to the Dream people,and learned how to make them better...much better.All B20 bronze as well.

I always thought of Wuhan as Chinas,and thats it.So when I heard a new set of the traditionals,I thought someone stamped Wuhan on a much much higher end cymbal...offered them 75 bucks,and got a brand new b20 14" set of hats....75 bucks new....yea you can spend another 50 on e-bay and get new beats,and theyre gonna sound better...but not as much as youd think.
Anyway,you were asking about cheap hats...thats the best hat "new" for under 200 bucks...and you have enough left over to grab a couple of the spashes and a china to boot.:) I dont know,maybe I just got my hands on a very nice set.I hear its hit and miss with that factory.No cymbal sounds alike...anyway,just throwing them into the mix.
 
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