"Jazz" crash cymbals

end Goat

Active Member
Wondering if anyone has experience or insight into "crash" cymbals in manufacturers "jazz" lines. I have noticed crash cymbals, usually 16" or 18" diameter, in the Agop SE Jazz and Mehmet MC Jazz lines, for example.

How ride-able might these be, say, in an acoustic piano duo? Are they quite similar to the 20" ride versions, simply proportionally smaller/thinner?

I'm new at this, I should mention, and don't live anywhere close to a place to audition these cymbals. I have a 19" Masterwork flat ride, a 24" Mehmet MC Jazz ride, and a 16" Sabian B8 pro crash which is too bright for my taste, but which might be a fun to construct a giant hi hat with a 16" crash, but I would be interested in a low-medium volume rideable 16" if I went that way.

Thanks!
 
yea. the old K 18" (I own 4) all and most any of them suit the ride crash dual duty. 19" Bosphorus all the topper end series (ant, MV, Turk etc) also in the 1600g range (I have two)
old Ks are 1450-1520g perfect with some heav lighter

I shot scored
inked "Paper Thin Crash" 1610g 19".
Nope. it's (gem of a Ride : )

also own a Bos Antique 19" 1633g inked "Thin Ride"
Boom it's Ride semi-crash +/-
Lovely LSR

I can't Use crash specific honest crash cymbals
So I been seeking LSR for decades and find -found em

old K New Stamp 18" 1477g
old K Intermediate 18" 1516g
old K Type IVa 18" 1521g
old K New Stamp 18" 1468g

one Avedis 18" I have must include early A&Cie 70s 18" 1445g
that's everything worth high mentioning I keep in the LSR category

So watch your diameters and weights and should be Ok,
But those are what I've had massive luck with)
 
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Interesting! My 24" MC Jazz really pleases me in larger spaces, but I've been wanting the 20" version, but the 16" and 18" (crash labeled) versions are obviously even more affordable and might pair nicely with my 19" flat, with or without the big 24".

I've spent some time checking out videos of the Masterwork Natural series which seem to have "paper-thin", "medium-thin", "extra-thin", "thin, "medium", and "heavy" in both crash and ride. The paper-thin crash being a good left side ride, in your experience, is encouraging.

It stands to reason that a darker (unlathed/partially or coursely lathed) crash might work fine as a ride, mostly just wondering what others have found.

I'm aware of the convention that, in jazz drumming, all cymbals "should" be dual purpose. Personally I don't feel terribly bound to tradition, but the economy and utility of such an idea resonates with me.
 
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Basically all Cymbal & Gong crashes ride really well.

Here are a bunch of 17s-- after about 4:10 is my own cymbal (on the far right), that's pretty thin and rides great:


I haven't played a lot of other companies' crashes lately-- I did play an Agop not long ago that was kind of useless for riding-- it would build up really fast. Generally crash cymbals have an architecture conducive to that, that makes them not great for riding-- that's how I usually distinguish a crash from a ride, or crash-ride-- you tap it with a ride touch, and it opens up and swamps the stick sound.
 
"should" be dual purpose
= lean more Ride; = err on the Side of a Ride.

Crash is more of a "Stroke' from the hand 'a way of playing/a way of executing an accent.
A motion.

If you can get away with "that" with the smaller diameter than a 20 cymbal
then you're "in".

I wouldn't say it's "dual purpose", as that confuses many ; as if it's "50/50" that's No.
I'd say it "leans" more toward *the ride side. even "75/25" or "80/20"
(* kudos to the Lou Reed song

in fact "80/20" would be a good cymbal Series name (for such cymbals : )
good one Joe thank you)
 
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Use that Todd. the "80/20" series. for cymbal's that applies to.
80% good great Ride 20% acceptable pleasing shank (or otherwise Crash accent motion.
80/20s
 
(or the alloy...
The alloy came way before him)
 
I recently took a Bosphorus 15" paper thin to rehearsal and found it inspiring

I often run with a splash for Latin and some swing stuff (ala Krupa) and enjoy it but found the crash did something my splash or left ride couldn't

Tradition is good, crashes are even better
 
I think of this video or any later TW straight ahead, full throttle dynamics here and using crashes as crash cymbals, using anything as a crash really. Beautiful.


 
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