Getting new cymbal? What to get..

[fishstix94]

So I have been doing some studio work for a buddies new album and I told him I would do it for free because I knew he was right on cash. Well after we finished a couple songs the other day he gave me a gift card to musicians friend that he had as a thank you.. So I'm excited I'm gonna pick up a new cymbal. But I'm not sure what I want to add.. Either a crash or a ride. I have a few cymbals on my radar and I was wondering if you guys had any suggestions. My current setup is a 18in Sabian freq crash, 20in Paiste prototype ride, and 14in hhx groove hats. I mostly play light rock, blues, and pop.

I've considered a 24in light ride and a 20in crash of doom. They seem to be fairly popular and I'm into bigger cymbals. The light ride seems to be pretty crashable which would be cool. If I buy that I'll probably sell the Paiste and maybe add something else. So anyways do you guys have any suggestions/opinions on new cymbals or the ones I mentioned.

-Fish

 

[Red Menace]

Well if it were me, I would keep an eye on the used cymbal selection within a 100-150 mile radius on their website and pounce on whichever beauty caught my eye. I recently scored a 16" Stage Crash to complete my big hi hat set and a 21" Groove Ride.

With the Groove ride, I came to the store and asked to see it before they had even put it out on the floor. The trick is to keep an eye on their website every few days for new finds. If you see something you really want you can even have it shipped to your local store for a little extra.

 

[Nictarine]

I'd personally get rid of the Paiste Prototype and get a 21" Sabian Bash Ride, 21" or 23" Zildjian Sweet Ride if you want a bigger crashable ride cymbal, Sabian also makes a 24" Bash Ride but I think the 21" would fit better with your 18" Freq Crash.

 

[FritzDrummer]

I would consider another crash or ride. Maybe a dark crash? A Zildjian K Dark possibly? When I do studio work I always take in some AAXs some A customs and my Ks so I have a little bit of everything. I like having a variety to chose from.

 

[fishstix94]

Well if it were me, I would keep an eye on the used cymbal selection within a 100-150 mile radius on their website and pounce on whichever beauty caught my eye. I recently scored a 16" Stage Crash to complete my big hi hat set and a 21" Groove Ride.

With the Groove ride, I came to the store and asked to see it before they had even put it out on the floor. The trick is to keep an eye on their website every few days for new finds. If you see something you really want you can even have it shipped to your local store for a little extra.

The groove ride is an interesting idea.. Might have to check that out..

 

[fishstix94]

I'd personally get rid of the Paiste Prototype and get a 21" Sabian Bash Ride, 21" or 23" Zildjian Sweet Ride if you want a bigger crashable ride cymbal, Sabian also makes a 24" Bash Ride but I think the 21" would fit better with your 18" Freq Crash.

I can't seem to get a feel for the bash ride.. I feel like it doesn't have enough versatility to just ride on.. I feel like it's more of a crash for harder music.

 

[fishstix94]

What type of music do you normally play? You have a light ride and a crash of doom. Without hearing them they seam to be opposites. Maybe a heavier ride to go with the heavy crash.

I don't own either of those cymbals, they are just cymbals I was considering.. I wouldn't mind finding a complementary crash to my freq, which I love

 

[fishstix94]

I would consider another crash or ride. Maybe a dark crash? A Zildjian K Dark possibly? When I do studio work I always take in some AAXs some A customs and my Ks so I have a little bit of everything. I like having a variety to chose from.

I like that idea.. Currently I'm only using the 1 crash 1 ride and a set of hats setup.. I either want to get a cymbal that compliments my freq, or add a ride that is versatile but that I can still crash on a little bit.. I like the sound of the ks and I've grown fond of a few meinl cymbals that I've heard the Orlando drummer play..

 

[VitalTransformation]

This coming from a purely personal perspective, but I thoroughly dislike playing 20" rides. Even if they might sound great, the way they wobble and tilt under the lightest touch just feels loose and unsatisfying to me. I'd get a bigger ride...

I got a 22" K Dark Medium ride earlier this year and the range of voices it can produce is amazing! I've also played around with the classic Giant Beat 24", and while the sonics are more one-dimensional compared to the Zildjian, the playability and basic tone is great. Would love to record with one!

 

[fishstix94]

This coming from a purely personal perspective, but I thoroughly dislike playing 20" rides. Even if they might sound great, the way they wobble and tilt under the lightest touch just feels loose and unsatisfying to me. I'd get a bigger ride...

I got a 22" K Dark Medium ride earlier this year and the range of voices it can produce is amazing! I've also played around with the classic Giant Beat 24", and while the sonics are more one-dimensional compared to the Zildjian, the playability and basic tone is great. Would love to record with one!

Hmm point taken I have noticed that with my ride.. I love the sound but I hear you

 

[Ghostnote]

Get a 24" Ride if you're into big pies. Once you go big you'll never go back.

 

[The SunDog]

Get a 24" Ride if you're into big pies. Once you go big you'll never go back.

Yeah, 19" or 20" thin hammered crash. Big!

 

[sage32]

Questlove uses a 2 cymbal setup of the 20" Crash of Doom paired with a 24" K Light Ride. They pair quite nicely together to create a BIG dark, trashy sound. I'm thinking if your crash was a 20" then a 24" could pair quite nicely, but perhaps it's a little too big to pair with an 18" if you're only using 2 cymbals. Therefore, I suggest you go with something like a 21" HHX Groove ride. It's a super versatile cymbal that can crash but isn't as super washy as your typical light ride (like a legacy or manhattan for example). It will sonically match your hats and is close enough in size to complement your 18" as a secondary crash.

Not only is the 18" Freq crash quite small compared to something like a 24" light ride, it's also a bright cymbal. A 24" K light ride will sound like a gong compared to it. The 21" groove ride is brighter without being too bright and still having that lush, dark hhx richness.

Check out this comparison video. I think all 3 cymbals would work for you (22" HHX Omni, 21" HHX Groove, 22" HHX Legacy Heavy).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dHKxXjTCF0

 

[Drumolator]

I can't seem to get a feel for the bash ride.. I feel like it doesn't have enough versatility to just ride on.. I feel like it's more of a crash for harder music.

I play one at church. It is a great modern ride. I very rarely crash it, but I do bash on the edge sometimes, like I did this morning. Peace and goodwill.

 

[bermuda]

I think a smart approach is to choose crashes very carefully and spend the money needed to get the musical sounds that you like. But on rides, and hats in particular, you can explore the budget lines and get some great sounds at a savings. After all, a ride basically goes 'ping' (which budget rides do very nicely) and hats are mostly played closed, so their individual sound isn't too critical (compared to a crash for example.)

With all cymbal selection, you really have to hear them in person to know how they sound. Don't simply order online unless you're willing to take a chance. The fact that you're asking means you care about the sound, so buy accordingly.

Bermuda

 

[Midnite Zephyr]

I think a smart approach is to choose crashes very carefully and spend the money needed to get the musical sounds that you like. But on rides, and hats in particular, you can explore the budget lines and get some great sounds at a savings. After all, a ride basically goes 'ping' (which budget rides do very nicely) and hats are mostly played closed, so their individual sound isn't too critical (compared to a crash for example.)

With all cymbal selection, you really have to hear them in person to know how they sound. Don't simply order online unless you're willing to take a chance. The fact that you're asking means you care about the sound, so buy accordingly.

Bermuda

That's some of the best advice I've heard here, and what keeps me from forking out $400+ for that 22" Mel Lewis ride that I so desire.

 

[kevinmac]

I doubt a two inches has any indication on tilt or wobble! The type of mount would have more effect on that. Makes no sense. Keep in mind the larger the cymbal the louder they are.
Try some of the Paiste Signature rides, and the 602 Essentials. Try a medium and medium heavy. Thus giving the ride qualities and crash qualities.

 

[Altar]

I would respectfully disagree with Bermuda, if you're doing any serious studio work - live, it's easy to get away with cheap cymbals, but if you're recording for someone in the studio you need to make sure that all your sounds are quality. That doesn't have to mean expensive - the acrolite is a studio classic, and for a metal job, a low-mid range ping ride may be just the ticket, but get into more dynamic styles and you'll need very musical cymbals. I'd echo the big cymbal sentiments - I've only recently purchased a 24" ride of my own(dream bliss mini bell) but the sound is absolutely beautiful, very dynamic. Past that, large crashes tend to sit more comfortably in most mixes. I doubt if I'll ever use a crash under 17" in the studio.

If you're shopping musician's friend, I'd say meinl is generally the way I would go for studio work. They blend well, very complex and responsive... Fairly consistent as well so not as much of a risk as buying, say, an Agop ride or similar online. Top end zildjian and sabian will also work wonderfully and also very consistent but tend to run a little bit more costwise. If you sell the paiste, I'd recommend Dream or Istanbul as well as the three I already mentioned, but buy in person and used wherever possible. The best cymbals are unique by nature, it's always a bit of a risk buying online - best to avoid it where possible but every once in a while you can get away with it. I've had lots of good and definitely some not so good online cymbal purchases, lol.

Best of luck!

 

[R2112]

Bermuda as always gave some great advice. I echo what he and other have said. Try to listen to as many as you can and choose the one that speaks to you and has "that sound" you want. Even if you're unsure of the sound you're looking for, when you hear it you'll know. For me, when I wanted a new ride, I listened and played so many. The one that spoke to me was the Joey Waronker by Istanbul. It has such a beautiful tone and it's amazing both live and in the studio. If I only looked at the specs of it I would have never listened to it due to it's size. It's a 24". I never thought I'd ever play a ride that big. I told myself to disregard the specs as much as I could and just pick the cymbal that my ears loved. I'm glad I did. However, being that it was an Istanbul I did have to consider some specs. The gram weight make a big difference in the sound. So I chose the weight that had "that sound" to me. I hope you find the cymbal that makes you smile every time you play it.

 

[fishstix94]

So I've taken your guys advice, and I ended up selling the gift card on ebay to get cash to buy used or at a different store. I'm really looking for a crash now, or a ride that I'll use as a crash.. I haven't found the right one yet though.. I really still like the crash of doom but I can't seem to pull the trigger.. I'm also liking the zildjian k 20" crash/ride, along with the Zildjian 20" Dark thin crash.. The dark thin would probably be my pick but it is fairly pricey so I've been hesitant. But those 3 cymbals have similar sounds although the crash ride seems to be slightly brighter.. Any other cymbals of this mold that you would suggest??