As a new drummer and advice from this forum, I am going to first concentrate on buying good cymbals. As far as buying used say from craigslist etc, is there anything i need to watch out for? Especially if i cant see them or use them before buying? Or any questions I should ask the owner to make sure they are good to go?
Buying used cymbals
- Thread starter Mike7300
- Start date
Liebe zeit
Silver Member
I was once advised, "Never buy a cymbal unless you love the way it sounds." It's great advice.
But I've never done it. It's hard to hear a range of cymbals locally, so I ended up finding (by playing friends' kits) a cymbal brand and range I liked (A Zildjs) and have built up my first pro level set from them using ebay.
It's not the perfect way to 'audition' and buy cymbals, and I've got a couple of duff ones that I'll sell on at some point. But it works.
But I've never done it. It's hard to hear a range of cymbals locally, so I ended up finding (by playing friends' kits) a cymbal brand and range I liked (A Zildjs) and have built up my first pro level set from them using ebay.
It's not the perfect way to 'audition' and buy cymbals, and I've got a couple of duff ones that I'll sell on at some point. But it works.
caddywumpus
Archnemesis of Larryace
The nice thing about craigslist, pawn shops, garage sales, etc., is that you actually GET to inspect the cymbals in person, play them, get a feel for them, compare them to any cymbals you bring along, etc. etc. etc...
Just look out for cracks, keyholing, spider webs, flea bites, dents, warps...you know, the "usual" things to look out for when buying cymbals.
Just look out for cracks, keyholing, spider webs, flea bites, dents, warps...you know, the "usual" things to look out for when buying cymbals.
D
dmacc_2
Guest
You may never know the history of the cymbal..
That being said, be sure to run your hand along the entire edge of the cymbal to feel for any nicks, dings and what may be the beginnings of hairline cracks.
As mentioned also check out for keyhole as well.
That being said, be sure to run your hand along the entire edge of the cymbal to feel for any nicks, dings and what may be the beginnings of hairline cracks.
As mentioned also check out for keyhole as well.
D
dmacc_2
Guest
For sure the best bang for the buck is used. Craigslist is loaded with cymbals for sure. Also, check the Classifieds here on DrummerWorld. People sell stuff all the time.
Another option - though not sure what your finances are and if or how many cymbals you currently own but I also hear those Packages are a nice deal if you can swing them.
Buying good cymbals is a very, very wise move.
paistemage
Senior Member
That being said, be sure to run your hand along the entire edge of the cymbal to feel for any nicks, dings and what may be the beginnings of hairline cracks.
As mentioned also check out for keyhole as well.[/QUOTE]
Keyhole is , what I believe arounded area BESIDES the hole in the center. Almost like a small moon next to a planet.
Small cracks are a warning sign. Don't buy anything with cracks.
A customs or "A's" are great cymbals but a little more pricey. Depending on what you want to spend they are great.
Personally I feel even if you get ok cymbals and then upgrade one by one over time,t hat is fine.
Hit the bell with the tapered edge of the stick, the bead of the stick, if a crash hit edge with shoulder of stick. Try doing a single stroke roll on every cymbal to see if you like the "roll" sound of it.
Hit multiple together at he same time. Open hi hats with ride, or both crashes together. Soniclly this will happen a lot.
If it sounds good, and in good condition, go for it.
Cymbals can get expensive. Don't spend 400 dollars on ONE crash cymbal UNTIL you KNOW what you want.
Rock/metal you will want thicker cymbals for volume and durability. They will be higher pitched. They will decay fast, and will weight more.
Jazz or lower volume music, like blues you want thinner cymbals. Lower tonality, longer decay in the sound.
These aren't definate just kind of the basics.
I play metal and have a "jazz" ride cymbal.
Just know how to set them up accordingly. Don't overtighten them on stand. Have an angle to them and glancing blows. Cracking can happen, and worse yet muscle/nerve damage from improper set up....
That may be more than you asked for.
As mentioned also check out for keyhole as well.[/QUOTE]
Keyhole is , what I believe arounded area BESIDES the hole in the center. Almost like a small moon next to a planet.
Small cracks are a warning sign. Don't buy anything with cracks.
A customs or "A's" are great cymbals but a little more pricey. Depending on what you want to spend they are great.
Personally I feel even if you get ok cymbals and then upgrade one by one over time,t hat is fine.
Hit the bell with the tapered edge of the stick, the bead of the stick, if a crash hit edge with shoulder of stick. Try doing a single stroke roll on every cymbal to see if you like the "roll" sound of it.
Hit multiple together at he same time. Open hi hats with ride, or both crashes together. Soniclly this will happen a lot.
If it sounds good, and in good condition, go for it.
Cymbals can get expensive. Don't spend 400 dollars on ONE crash cymbal UNTIL you KNOW what you want.
Rock/metal you will want thicker cymbals for volume and durability. They will be higher pitched. They will decay fast, and will weight more.
Jazz or lower volume music, like blues you want thinner cymbals. Lower tonality, longer decay in the sound.
These aren't definate just kind of the basics.
I play metal and have a "jazz" ride cymbal.
Just know how to set them up accordingly. Don't overtighten them on stand. Have an angle to them and glancing blows. Cracking can happen, and worse yet muscle/nerve damage from improper set up....
That may be more than you asked for.
caddywumpus
Archnemesis of Larryace
Just look at the cymbal, especially around the edges and the bell hole. If you see ANY cracking, pass. Keyholing (the bell hole not being totally round--looks like a key hole) is only suspect if it's extreme or has cracking around it. Hit the cymbal a few times. If it sounds dead or has any "sizzle" sound to it, you know there's something wrong with it. Also, running your fingers around the edge of the cymbal, feeling for any bumps/nicks/etc is a good way to judge how well a cymbal has been taken care of--if it's totally smooth, that's a good sign. Also, lightly bend the cymbal a few times to check for lathe cracks--they will be immediately apparent.
9 times out of 10, cymbals you look at on craigslist will be in fine shape, and of that 1 out of 10 times it's not, 9 out of the 10 times that info will be disclosed up front. It's those 1 out of every 100 that you have to watch out for...those people usually have multiple cymbal ads on craigslist, have shifty eyes, and will say things like, "I never noticed THAT before..." Walk away at that point...
9 times out of 10, cymbals you look at on craigslist will be in fine shape, and of that 1 out of 10 times it's not, 9 out of the 10 times that info will be disclosed up front. It's those 1 out of every 100 that you have to watch out for...those people usually have multiple cymbal ads on craigslist, have shifty eyes, and will say things like, "I never noticed THAT before..." Walk away at that point...
opentune
Platinum Member
Nope, not at all. Watch for keyhole, cracks, bends google images to see what these defects look like.
Lastly, hit it and ask yourself if you like the sound. Is that 'the sound' you hear in your head or envision for your playing?
If you see an ad for a cymbal you think you might wanna try, go to mycymbal.com u-tubes and check out a sound sample. They have loads of files. decide then if its worth following up.
I've bought/re-sold over 30 cymbals to get to the ones I'm using now. I would rather buy a great pro level cymbal with a slight keyhole problem,or is stained, than a new beginner or intermediate level cymbal that I will eventually sell for a better sounding one
Pocket-full-of-gold
Platinum Member
lol!! Oh how I loathe those shifty eyed cymbal merchants.
OP, as everyone suggests, look for obvious flaws. If none are apparent and nothing has been mentioned by the seller, you're "usually" good to go. I've bought a lot of used gear over the years, none more so than cymbals, have yet to encounter a problem.......or run into a shifty eyed seller.
baz
Silver Member
...Going for good cymbals off the top is a very good idea.
Problem is, as a new drummer, you might find that you like everything you hear, or that you hear nothing that you like. As an old guy who started drumming later in life, I was one of the former. I never heard a cymbal that I did not like. Sadly though, as my playing began to improve, and I started tilting towards what passes as my "style", my tastes changed. Also, the more I played with others, or had others play my kit, I started to hear my cymbals in a different way. Ones that I loved from the back of the kit did not sound as good, or "right" as I thought they should when heard from out front.
My advice would be to focus on the meat and potato cymbals first, hats, crash, and ride. Go to as many stores as you can, and hit every cymbal that you can. That will give you an idea of the sounds that appeal to you. That can be a start for your used search. It also might give you an idea of what to expect to pay for used, as used prices usually range between 50 to 75% of what they would go for new. The biggest mistake that I made was buying the cool cymbals before the work horses. I had a big loud obnoxious china before I had a decent ride, and I was sick of that beast, before I bought a decent ride. I went through a lot of the oddball effects cymbals that sounded really cool in small doses, but never did fit in a regular rotation.
As of now, I have what I consider to be "my" cymbals. These are the ones that I would run in to my burning basement to save. They include a Sabian HH 20" Manhattan ride, 14" HH dark hats, 16"hh thin crash, and a 17" hhxtreme crash. I have been playing this set up for roughly 13 years now. I have rotated many others with these four, but I have a difficult time playing anything else. These are now ingrained so deep in the Ringo part of my brainstem that nothing else sounds as right.
Good luck with your search, and welcome to the world of boom, bang, and crash.
Keep us posted as to your progress.
Barry
Problem is, as a new drummer, you might find that you like everything you hear, or that you hear nothing that you like. As an old guy who started drumming later in life, I was one of the former. I never heard a cymbal that I did not like. Sadly though, as my playing began to improve, and I started tilting towards what passes as my "style", my tastes changed. Also, the more I played with others, or had others play my kit, I started to hear my cymbals in a different way. Ones that I loved from the back of the kit did not sound as good, or "right" as I thought they should when heard from out front.
My advice would be to focus on the meat and potato cymbals first, hats, crash, and ride. Go to as many stores as you can, and hit every cymbal that you can. That will give you an idea of the sounds that appeal to you. That can be a start for your used search. It also might give you an idea of what to expect to pay for used, as used prices usually range between 50 to 75% of what they would go for new. The biggest mistake that I made was buying the cool cymbals before the work horses. I had a big loud obnoxious china before I had a decent ride, and I was sick of that beast, before I bought a decent ride. I went through a lot of the oddball effects cymbals that sounded really cool in small doses, but never did fit in a regular rotation.
As of now, I have what I consider to be "my" cymbals. These are the ones that I would run in to my burning basement to save. They include a Sabian HH 20" Manhattan ride, 14" HH dark hats, 16"hh thin crash, and a 17" hhxtreme crash. I have been playing this set up for roughly 13 years now. I have rotated many others with these four, but I have a difficult time playing anything else. These are now ingrained so deep in the Ringo part of my brainstem that nothing else sounds as right.
Good luck with your search, and welcome to the world of boom, bang, and crash.
Keep us posted as to your progress.
Barry
dtrushr30dw
Senior Member
Its all about what sounds good to buy.
Avoid stuff like:
Sabian B8 or B8 Pro
Zildjian ZBT, ZXT
any of the "cheap cymbals" made from anything like a B8 alloy, you want a B20 alloy. This is at least what I've read. Just keep an eye out for what sounds good. Go to guitar center and play the cymbals there and see what you like. A rule of thumb is the more you spend, the better the cymbal is your buying.
Avoid stuff like:
Sabian B8 or B8 Pro
Zildjian ZBT, ZXT
any of the "cheap cymbals" made from anything like a B8 alloy, you want a B20 alloy. This is at least what I've read. Just keep an eye out for what sounds good. Go to guitar center and play the cymbals there and see what you like. A rule of thumb is the more you spend, the better the cymbal is your buying.
Pocket-full-of-gold
Platinum Member
"Cheap cymbals" made from B8 is the key here. B8 bronze, in its own right is not the problem. A cheap manufacturing process is.
There's some fantastic B8 cymbal lines out there that are absolutely "pro level" cymbals. Whilst it's true that Zildjian and Sabian tend to use B8 alloy in their entry level lines. Paiste have made a career out of using B8 in high end applications. The 2002 and Giant Beat lines are a couple of quality examples of just how effective this alloy can be when manufactured properly. Meinl also have a B8 line I believe, as do Sabian (APX isn't considered entry level). I'm guessing there's probably a few boutique makers that do too.
Just thought it worth clarifying. The "avoid anything B8" comes up often. It's a common misunderstanding......but it's only true in part.
dtrushr30dw
Senior Member
I see what you mean about there are some good ones but for Zildjian and sabian which are the companies I was talking about, just avoid the b8 except for the APX as you said, but I don't think those sound particularly great. That's just an opinion.
VladTheLad
Member
I agree with avoiding the Z#T Ranges, but I reckon the B8's are pretty good for its price.. Well, I got HH-Ride-Thin Crash for £80 which is Very cheap, but I don't really like the Thin Crash very much... The HH & Ride sound fine on my part though.
I guess it's not everyone's 'Cup of Tea', but as someone who greatly lacks money constantly - I think it was a good buy!
I was over the moon when I saved up for my AAX O-Zone though, that's the greatest cymbal I've ever set my sticks upon haha, and I've played on K/A/Z's before, I just don't like Zildjians very much and I have no idea why :/
I might branch out into buying some Paiste cymbals, or something other, but I'm really not sure which as I can't play/try-out anything where I live... My first Cymbal I bought was a brand new Paiste 101 Crash/Ride for £35, and I remember that as being my favourite Crash I've ever owned... I wish I never sold it now haha.
It might be because I haven't played 'That' range of cymbals yet (y'know, the one that's perfect for me), but I guess I just have an ear for the cheap shit haha