I'm thinking about switching hi-hats..Help needed.

Hey guys, so I am looking at getting a new set of hats and I need some help. I have a pair of paiste signature medium hats which are 14inches. For some reason they just don't fit my ear, despite being very nice cymbals. I kind of want to switch to using two crashes for hats. I just love the sound of them.

So I have 2 question.. First is how much do you think my paistes are worth either for trade in or if I was to sell them on eBay or somewhere. The reason I ask is because the cash is tight and I really don't want to shell out any extra money. My second question is what crashes should I look at? I have heard that you usually should use a thinner crash on the top. But what specific cymbals should I check out?

Thanks again!

Fish
 
where i live your hats are worth $200 - 260 used.
some people use a medium thin crash under a thin crash, as hats. lots of trial and error i think.
you might want to try 15 inch hats, there are some nice 15 inch Bliss hats for the same value as your used Paistes, and they have as nice a slosh as 2 crashes.
 
where i live your hats are worth $200 - 260 used.
some people use a medium thin crash under a thin crash, as hats. lots of trial and error i think.
you might want to try 15 inch hats, there are some nice 15 inch Bliss hats for the same value as your used Paistes, and they have as nice a slosh as 2 crashes.

Its funny that you say that because there is a store near me that sells bliss cymbals and I had thought about trying them
 
I would reccomend a rock crash and a medium crash paired up for hats. I find that medium thin crashes are still too thin for hi hat tops. I know one good combo would be a Paragon crash over a APX rock crash.
 
I would reccomend a rock crash and a medium crash paired up for hats. I find that medium thin crashes are still too thin for hi hat tops. I know one good combo would be a Paragon crash over a APX rock crash.

hmmm interesting. Most guys that I have seen doing this have been using a thin on top. Ill have to try both
 
A Zildjian A 16" medium or medium-thin paired with a thin sounds really good. They're pretty much just super sloshy new beats.

Dream Bliss and Contact hi hats sound really nice as well. Contact hi hats seem a bit more versatile though IMO.
What type of music do you play?
 
A Zildjian A 16" medium or medium-thin paired with a thin sounds really good. They're pretty much just super sloshy new beats.

Dream Bliss and Contact hi hats sound really nice as well. Contact hi hats seem a bit more versatile though IMO.
What type of music do you play?
Mostly blues, rock, and occasionally some funk/hip hop.
 
hmmm interesting. Most guys that I have seen doing this have been using a thin on top. Ill have to try both

People seem to be confused on the weights. Typically, it's best to use a THINNER top over a heavier bottom, which doesn't mean that the top hat is thin ( in most cases). For example: Sabian AAX stage hats are very popular as they sound great. They consist of a Medium top and a heavy bottom. I've played around with the whole crashes as hats thing. Every thin crash I put on top sounded really "tinny" and had terrible overtones. Medium or heavy seems to give the best results IMO. I'm sure others have used thin crashes for tops and we're satisfied. But it typically won't give u a good hat sound IMO. Please keep in mind that this is my own experience. Other drummers experiences may differ.
 
Cost wise you can't beat dream cymbals. I have a set of 12" bliss and 13" contact. Both are excellent for jazz, blues, and lighter applications. If you want to rock go with Dream Energy 15" hats. Also good for rock, 14" Zildjian Quick Beats. Find them on ebay pretty cheap. I'm thinking of posting mine so I can grab some Energies.
 

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Cost wise you can't beat dream cymbals. I have a set of 12" bliss and 13" contact. Both are excellent for jazz, blues, and lighter applications. If you want to rock go with Dream Energy 15" hats. Also good for rock, 14" Zildjian Quick Beats. Find them on ebay pretty cheap. I'm thinking of posting mine so I can grab some Energies.

Talk about dedication!
 
I've played around with crashes as hats, but ultimately settled on Zildjian K 15" Lights. They're full, medium dark in tone, and can get nice and washy when opened. You sacrifice attack on closed clicks, but they are otherwise gorgeous and versatile cymbals. They feel buttery soft when you lay into em, and also sound lovely when rolled with felt mallets.

Highly recommended for folks who need something different from the typical 14" New Beat-style sound.

I would use them from jazz to rock. Metal would not work unless you were in a studio situation where the hats could be miced. They're not particularly loud.
 
Well guys I went shopping today and I came home with a pair of 17in crashes... lol lm digging the sound, I have a dream bliss on top and a dream contact on the bottom. I love the sound!
 
Well guys I went shopping today and I came home with a pair of 17in crashes... lol lm digging the sound, I have a dream bliss on top and a dream contact on the bottom. I love the sound!

Wow! Those are some big hi hats. Glad you like the sound though.

Are you and Bo related? ;)
 
Wow! Those are some big hi hats. Glad you like the sound though.

Are you and Bo related? ;)
I saw that bo was rocking some large hats, I also have been using a Ludwig quest love kit in my house.. I saw Bo had a stint with that kit as well. As for the hats, I saw Steve Jordan play and I fell in love with the sound of the hats so I had to try them. I walked in expecting to buy some 16in hats but the 17s were too nice!
 
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