best cymbals for the money?

what are the best cymbals for the money?

Sabian,Paiste,Zidjian,wuhan?
and what kind? AAX? A custom?

I play rock music and would like to find some of the common cymbals.
China, Splash, Ride, Crash and that sort.

Any suggestions will be helpful and appreciated
 
What ones have you tried and liked and why?
What is your cymbal budget?
 
you realize that's kind of like asking: "whats the best car for the money?"

in which case I would say: "A used one" if you catch my drift.

"for the money" look into ebay for deals on used cymbals. Youtube has many videos out there by mycymbal.com that can give you a general idea of the sound. Listen to the soundclips on each of the cymbal makers web sites.

My suggestion is to start with what Hihat sound you like best for you style and go from there. From my experiance you can't go wrong with a pair of Sabian AA hats, Zildian New beats or Paiste 2002's for rock. Meinl is another quality brand that I have come to like very much.

Meinl MB10 15" soundwave hats is what I currently have and they are killer!

Some models that you can't go wrong with:

Zildjian A Custom, Zildjian Armand - they sound great! I love 'em! and you can find great deals on ebay - they're pretty common on the bay....

Sabian AA, AAX,- I don't have these but in some of my recording drum software these are used and sound killer! Addictive drums uses these cymbals for their samples.

Paiste 2002's - Ever heard of Bonham? nuff said.
Meinl Byzance - pricey even on ebay but exquisit sound!!!
Meinl MB10 - relatively new but awesome sound! pricey.... even on ebay.

Good luck and have fun....but watch out you may become addicted....
I am and I can't seem to cure this obsession with cymbals....
 
my budjet is non existant at the moment.

this is all being contributed to memory to know the best brands and versions. i have a zildjian custom crash i love but i can't use it because it is cracked =(

i am likely to get myself some zildjian a customs but ill check into paiste also.
 
The Zild A's are tried and true for Rock. I have owned numerous A's in the past.
The K's and K Custom's are also great.
I fell in love with the K Custom Hybrid 11 inch splash. 17 and 19 crashes myself.
I also play the Hybrid hats.
The New beats are great and I have also owned them in the past.

I also play and love Paiste 2oo2 rides in 20 and 22 inch.
I have owned the 2oo2 Sound Edge hats and I miss them.
 
i have zildjian A custom hi hat but it kinda sounds bad lol.

The first thing you need to do is find hi hats you like then a ride that goes with it. then start looking at crashes and other cymbals. Money shouldn't be a concern when you are finding cymbals you like. It can be like a goal to shoot for. If you focus to much on the money you might buy something you dont like and then that is truly a waste of money.
 
I've been extremely happy with the Sabian HHX Evolution hats and crashes (to include the 18" Ozone). The ride is okay, but I prefer a heavier, pingier ride.

My K Custom ride is certainly worth every penny, as is my LP Rancan china (they don't make em like that anymore, but there are some nice ones out there if you can find them...)
 
Best value is Sabian AA in my opinion. They are reasonably priced on eBay, generally most splashes and chinas run between $30 and $70, their crashes are almost always under $90, and rides are $80-$110.

They sound good and will last for years to come. Sabian AA is my vote :)
 
i have quite a few cymbals but most of them are cracked. ill list them off here.

Zildjian A custom 14 inch hihat

sabian AA 16 inch medium crash (small chip out of it)
sabian B8 pro 16 inch medium crash
Zildjian A custom 15 inch crash (an inch and a half long crack coming in from the edge)

Sabian AA 12 inch splash (1 inch crack coming in from the side)
Sabian 10 inch splash (very old and has no label on it)

Sabian AA 20 inch rock ride (some damage around the hole that goes on the stand)
Sabian B8 20 inch ride

I am currently using the A custom hi hats, Sabian aa crash and sabian B8 ride.

does anyone know how to fix cracks?
 
does anyone know how to fix cracks?

I dont know of a way to "fix" them but i can tell you that if you drill a hole at the end of the crack (the part thats further into your cymbal) it will help it from cracking any further.
 
i have quite a few cymbals but most of them are cracked. ill list them off here.

Zildjian A custom 14 inch hihat

sabian AA 16 inch medium crash (small chip out of it)
sabian B8 pro 16 inch medium crash
Zildjian A custom 15 inch crash (an inch and a half long crack coming in from the edge)

Sabian AA 12 inch splash (1 inch crack coming in from the side)
Sabian 10 inch splash (very old and has no label on it)

Sabian AA 20 inch rock ride (some damage around the hole that goes on the stand)
Sabian B8 20 inch ride

I am currently using the A custom hi hats, Sabian aa crash and sabian B8 ride.

does anyone know how to fix cracks?

Wow either ur stick is really sharp or ur an extremely hard hitter.
 
i have never damaged a cymbal.
never chipped, cracked, or dropped a cymbal.

we got this kit secondhand and it came with quite a bit of damaged cymbals but even like that it was a good price
 
After second hand cymbals, I think Stagg are the best value for money. Cheap as chips and, if you're patient enough to sift through their trash can lids, you can find some pretty decent cymbals amongst them. The quality varies a fair bit from cymbal to cymbal.

If you expect to be poor for a number of years then the above isn't a bad way to go so you at least have something. If, in a year or two, you expect to have a budget then you might be better off buying higher end cymbals like Sabians so you don't have to spend more on upgrading.

If you break cymbals a lot, then go cheap.
 
i can't say i've never bought cymbals online, i can say that usually i get better cymbals in person - because i can match them better to what i have. like guitars and bass i prefer to hear them/play them in person before buying. ya think all Sabian AA Medium Thin Crash's sound the same? not by a long shot!

that said - i've never failed to RESALE anything i got on ebay that didn't fit my sound.
 
Used but not abused cymbals. You save tons of money in the long run.
 
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