Help with finding a Zildjian China sound similar to...

mabhz

Senior Member
Hi all....

Basically, all my cymbal setup is Zildjian, and I like to keep it that way, though I cant remember exactly why....

Anyway, I am very fond of the sound of chinas, and I found out that I absolutely ADORE a china cymbal that PAISTE manufactures, that is the Paiste Signature Thin 16" China.

I love Chad Wackerman, I have got basically everything he put out to this day on video and audio, and he uses this one quite a lot.

The main thing about this specific China is that is sounds much more like a CRASH, its very bright and stacatto, short sounding, but a lot less trashy than a regular china.


Not sure if you folks get what I mean, but in my own vision, chinas usually sound very dirty, trashy, spread, quite oposite a crash that may sound very bright, cristal, etc, etc.

So.... I was expecting someone here to please help me find the most identical match to this china on the Zildjian line.

My main problem is that I live in a city and country where you dont have easy access to drum parts and cymbals, so I have to import everything. Basically, I need to buy cymbals WITHOUT listening to them first, only judging my decision on YouTube videos.

I have already bought a few Zildjians, like 12 and 16 oriental chinas, but they are VERY trashy, and nothing like a "dirty crash".

Any suggestions??

THanks in advance!!
 
First off, if you adore the sound Chad's Paiste makes, buy that exact cymbal. You will still be allowed to play drums. You can rub off the logo so nobody knows you bought a Paiste.

If you wouldn't consider that, try a 16" or 18" EFX cymbal. It will have a more "dirty crash" sound. Sabian makes the O-Zone crashes, and I prefer their hole pattern, but the EFXs don't sound bad.

Alternatively, you could buy a Zildjian crash used and O-Zone it yourself, if you have any mechanical aptitude. A friend did mine and I love it.
 

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Thanks for the reply, buddy!

Hahahah! Im not a "purist", even thought i´d preffer to stick with just one brand, im actually willing to purchase that Paiste china.

Problem is, all the YouTube videos of that specific model I checked have a very different sound than Chad´s... Its expected, due to the nature of sound processing on videos, DVDs, studios, etc, but his "china" is pretty consistent on ALL videos I have... and the Paiste 16 thin china you get on youtube videos are also very consistent, but different from his...

Thats why I asked for a similar Zildjian cymbal, because I dont wanna risk ordering it from a foreign store, paying high dollars to import it and get a totally different sound....

By the EFX cymbal you mean those Zildjian crashes with holes??

THanks for the reply, buddy...
 
Chinas tend to vary more than other types of cymbals: some are sweet, some are harsh, big ones can sound high, small ones can sound low... each one is different. You'd have to search and audition several, and you will eventually stumble upon the desired Zildjian.

But I'd have to agree that if you really dig a particular Paiste, go get the sound you love.

Bermuda
 
Thanks for the reply, buddy!
By the EFX cymbal you mean those Zildjian crashes with holes??

Yep. That's what I mean!

zildjian-efx-cymbals-460-80.jpg
 
Don't be afraid of checking out the ZHT EFX, I like it better than the A Custom, personally.
 
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