EarthRocker
Senior Member
I notice a lot of reviews on Youtube of so called "beginner" or "budget" cymbals. And every time I watch the videos, I hear cymbals in the set and think "That sounds fine. I wouldn't mind using it." and then I scroll down, and I see hundreds of comments "Those sound like trash - save your money and buy _____ or ______ cymbals." And in all honesty, I find all that extremely frustrating.
I think there are multiple standards for cymbal quality, and I think way too many drummers associate low prices with bad sound via placebo effect. I'll use the Jojo Mayer Fierce ride by Sabian. A $500 ride cymbal - and it sounds like it's cracked. Or the Zildjian A Breakbeat rides, that sounds like someone went overboard with duct tape. And yet people pay that kind of cash for it, and have the nerve to say "Oh, that cheap ZBT ride sounds awful."
I have a 20" Sabian B8 ride. I do ride on it, but for the most part, its my main crash. I've played live with it, and I've done some studio sessions. I've never been told it sounded bad, and I've never been asked to change it out with another cymbal. In fact, I've been complimented on how well my cymbals sound on a live mix.
Zildjian have revamped their ZBT line, and I gotta' say, the new ZBTs sound great compared to the old ones. But I still see the same Youtube banter. And it's always the same replies "Buy some Zildjian Ks" or "Pick up a set of Paiste Alphas".
It just seems to me like experienced drummers who focus on PLAYING cymbals, rather than just bashing them, would appreciate the value of a good pie. If you don't like the way a cymbal sounds, why can't you just say "Too washy, too harsh." That's how we are when we're dealing with more expensive cymbals. But if its a B8, a ZBT, or some people even trash the ZHTs "Those cheap cymbals suck." or "Those are good for a beginner, but if you want to gig, you need to upgrade."
I think there are multiple standards for cymbal quality, and I think way too many drummers associate low prices with bad sound via placebo effect. I'll use the Jojo Mayer Fierce ride by Sabian. A $500 ride cymbal - and it sounds like it's cracked. Or the Zildjian A Breakbeat rides, that sounds like someone went overboard with duct tape. And yet people pay that kind of cash for it, and have the nerve to say "Oh, that cheap ZBT ride sounds awful."
I have a 20" Sabian B8 ride. I do ride on it, but for the most part, its my main crash. I've played live with it, and I've done some studio sessions. I've never been told it sounded bad, and I've never been asked to change it out with another cymbal. In fact, I've been complimented on how well my cymbals sound on a live mix.
Zildjian have revamped their ZBT line, and I gotta' say, the new ZBTs sound great compared to the old ones. But I still see the same Youtube banter. And it's always the same replies "Buy some Zildjian Ks" or "Pick up a set of Paiste Alphas".
It just seems to me like experienced drummers who focus on PLAYING cymbals, rather than just bashing them, would appreciate the value of a good pie. If you don't like the way a cymbal sounds, why can't you just say "Too washy, too harsh." That's how we are when we're dealing with more expensive cymbals. But if its a B8, a ZBT, or some people even trash the ZHTs "Those cheap cymbals suck." or "Those are good for a beginner, but if you want to gig, you need to upgrade."