Drum or Cymbal?

Nitemare

Nitemare

Senior Member
Big question, I'd like everyone's opinion:
Would you rather buy crap cymbals and an awesome kit, or awesome cymbals and a crap kit?
 
Nitemare said:
Big question, I'd like everyone's opinion:
Would you rather buy crap cymbals and an awesome kit, or awesome cymbals and a crap kit?
Click to expand...

Awesome cymbals and a not so awesome kit.

The reason is that you can make just about any set of drums sound decent with new heads and proper tuning, but there's nothing you can do to make bad cymbals sound good.

Dennis
 
I dont want "crap" anything, but I think I know what your asking.

I'd rather have a low end kit and high end cymbals if I had to choose.

Cymbals cannot be improved. They are what they are pretty much forever.

Drums can be improved by using the right heads, moongel, re cutting the bearing edges, etc.
 
audiotech said:
Awesome cymbals and a not so awesome kit.

The reason is that you can make just about any set of drums sound decent with new heads and proper tuning, but there's nothing you can do to make bad cymbals sound good.

Dennis
Click to expand...

+1 (actually, make that +2)

Anyways, give me quality cymbals and quality snares and I'm good to go. The kit can always be tweaked....the cymbals are there for all to hear.
 
Don't buy "crap" anything .... get a good snare/kick/hi-hat/ride ... and learn to play ... and build up from there.
 
Another +1 for cymbals.

When you play gigs usually you take your cymbals and snare (over here at least), and as the others have said you can make a crappy kit sound not bad if you try, which is fine for practise and your average gig.

Don't forgot you can buy used too...
 
harryconway said:
Don't buy "crap" anything .... get a good snare/kick/hi-hat/ride ... and learn to play ... and build up from there.
Click to expand...

I agree here more. I've done more gigs with just a bass drum, snare, hi-hat and ride that can I can crash on than anything else. If you can really play, and especially know what your function in the band is, sometimes having tom toms seems superfluous.
 
I agree with Mark S. Where I'm from, most clubs and gigs will provide a kit. Many are old, some are beat up, but they are/were at least decent intermediate kits. Most of the professionals I know will just bring a 1) snare, 2) bd pedal, and 3) cymbals, because these are the most personal and important parts of a kit. So these three parts are usually either awesome and/or bullet-proof reliable.

One of my friends who has been in VERY popular bands since the 90's still has his modest late 90's Yamaha Stage Custom, which we once recorded with when it was new, but which now never leaves his home. It is his collection of pedals, cymbals, and snares which is more than modest. Another pro friend has a large collection of snares and cymbals, but keeps an old, aging 70's Vistalite set at home, which doesn't leave his house either.

if you are on a budget, and don't plan on bringing your kit to gigs or recording, a nice "intermediate" kit with good quality heads will do. But given the quality of intermediate kits nowadays, many of them can be used for recording if they are properly set up and maintained. On the other hand, Snares, cymbal, and pedals are played so often that their shortcomings are easily noticed. Get the best you can afford, and avoid crap for these three things.
 
Nitemare said:
Big question, I'd like everyone's opinion:
Would you rather buy crap cymbals and an awesome kit, or awesome cymbals and a crap kit?
Click to expand...


I would say go with the "crap kit". There are ways to make drums sound better, but you cannot do this with cymbals.
 
I've done it for years. Cheapish kits with either A. Zildjians (the first 15 years) or Sabian AA/HH/Paragon/RADIA (since 1999). Good hardware and pedals are also within easier reach than a top of the line drumset.

Look at it this way. It's been 26 years and I'm just now getting around to a pro-level kit. Everything else was in place.
 
I'll pile on and say good cymbals FTW! Like about everyone else has pointed out, there's nothing you can do about a nasty cymbal, but drums can be tweaked A LOT.
 
That's a very easy question and should have only one answer, the one Audiotech gave.

You can make cheap drums sound "decent", but you can't do anything for bad cymbals.

Cheers.
 
Alot of the intermediate kits are very fine, but alot of them sound like eachother, and some of them sound a little better. go for the best sounding kit for the price you are willing to buy, and get some fine cymbals.

remember, there's extremely expensive cymbals, and drums, try to find a midway. Don't get all too "crappy" with the drums.. tho. - it can get really bad. - so can cymbals.

Some cymbals (which are cheap) - like the meinl HCS can sound okay... you can listen to the ride, you can live with the hats, but you hate the crash. - that is just about some of the cheapest ones... - + (the ones i started with... haven't even changed the crash yet, as im fairly poor...

I got the yamaha stage custom. Also try to buy USED.... probably the most said word in here, but it really makes a difference. You can get pro kits, for intermediate prices.
- Buying drums is circus...
 
awesome cymbals and a crap kit.

Even questionable drum kits with proper drum heads and proper tuning can sound good enough for most situations.
 
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