Looking for the perfect ride

drummin'

Junior Member
Hi,
I am looking for my perfect ride. Most of the ones I have heard are either too low pitched or have too much wash or both.

The closest one I have heard is on the "My Cymbal.com" website. If you were to click on the introduction video and listen background music the ride you hear is the sound I am looking for.

I have a 22" Zildjian K brilliant finish, made in 1995 that weights 3240 grams that is better that most of the others I have heard but still not quite perfect.

I am open to any make, model, size or weight.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
 
This is an issue that only you can decide. You will get about 90 suggestions for ride cymbals. You still have to go hear them yourself. The online sound files are helpful to narrowing the kind of sound you are looking for. I like the Sabian 21 inch Raw Bell Dry Ride. You may not. Only your own ears can guide you.
 
Good morning:
I too own a 21 inch Sabian AAX Raw bell dry ride and it is "near perfect". However it is by no means the ride to do it all.....close but would never produce a dark, smokey earthy tone the was a K, HH or Istanbul etc would. You may want to check out dual lathed\surfaced rides such as Sabian omni or dual cymbals as well. Good luck in your search!!!
 
21 in Sabian hand hammered raw bell dry ride
 
Ahhhh....this search is fun, can take many years, and many attempts. At the end you may find you came upon your perfect ride, but a year later another entered your life. It also depends on what music you generally play.
Some of my faves (right now) are Zildjian K, Zildjian K Light Dry, Paiste Giant Beat, Sabian HH.
 
I'm looking for the perfect crash/ride myself and I've narrowed it down to 3 cymbals...

1. Zildjian K Custom 21" Crash/Ride

2. TRX LTD 18" Crash/Ride

3. Sabian AA 21" Bash Ride

But I sure would like to try them in person before making a final decision.
 
I own the Sabian 21" HH raw bell dry ride and it is awesome to say the least. Not a crash ride by any means (that's what I like) and very little wash. Very clear and articulate sound. But definitely check out others.

Steve
 
I'm really digging my new Z3 rock ride. Lots of ping. Very bright. Super cutting bell. Very loud.
 
The perfect ride for what?

What is perfect for a piano trio and what is perfect for a heavy metal band are two different things.

But like Larry said, only you can decided.

I have two rides. One is perfect for certain kinds of music, but not others. In such case, I find the 2nd ride is perfect for other kinds of music, but not the kind of music where the 1st one sounds better.

Context is key.
 
Hi,
I am looking for my perfect ride. Most of the ones I have heard are either too low pitched or have too much wash or both.

The closest one I have heard is on the "My Cymbal.com" website. If you were to click on the introduction video and listen background music the ride you hear is the sound I am looking for.

I have a 22" Zildjian K brilliant finish, made in 1995 that weights 3240 grams that is better that most of the others I have heard but still not quite perfect.

I am open to any make, model, size or weight.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Welcome to the club.

The search is never ending.Several different rides is us usually the answer.

Steve B
 
Welcome to the club.

The search is never ending.Several different rides is us usually the answer.

Steve B

Yup.

I have 4 different rides--3 that I use primarily on jazz gigs--and I've gone through about 4 or 5 different "perfect rides".

Just go out and play as many different rides as you can. You will eventually find one...or twelve...that you like.
 
I have three. 22" 2002 Heavy ride, 22" K heavy ride and a 21" HHX groove ride which I use above one of the other rides to crash on. Sometimes one ride is not enough imo. :)
 
I would focus on the ride you already have, and try to figure out what qualities make it "not quite perfect" and go from there.

Is it too heavy, or not heavy enough? There is enough weight difference from K to K that you may want the exact same model, just one that is a little heavier or lighter than the one you have. If you don't want dark or too washy, then I'd suggest an A or A Custom over a K of any type. K's are designed to be dark and washy for the most part.

Your stick also makes a big difference. If you want a brighter ride sound try a nylon tip stick.

The room you evaluate the cymbal in also plays a big part in the sound. Often that little bit of dark wash helps fill out its sound when you take it out of the drum room and play it with a band.

If you want to stick with Zildjian the A Custom Rezo Ride has the same qualities as the often mentioned Sabian Raw Bell Dry but it is a little lighter and I think a little more balanced sounding. However, I've owned both the HH and AA version of the RBDR and I think they're pretty nice, they just weren't "perfect" for me.

I wish there was a little more information in the original post, because we're all kinda guessing here. Like all of the others have already said "perfect" is in the ear of the beholder, but knowing at least a little more might help us give a more focused reply.
 
As others have said - the K Heavy Ride is pretty much the end-all be-all ride cymbal.
 
Looking for the perfect ride? Aren't we all.

If it exists it would most likely be called the "Custom Mystical Unicorn Genie Ride"

I enjoy having a bunch of different rides and applying them to what music I'm playing.

Right now I have five.

All Zildjians

20" A Ping Ride
21" A Sweet Ride
22 A Medium Ride
22 K Custom High Definition Ride
24 K Light Ride

They all sound really different.

Try a Sabian 22" Omni or a Sabian Duo. You might like their versatility.
 
As others have said - the K Heavy Ride is pretty much the end-all be-all ride cymbal.



Having recently acquired one (the 22" version), I'd say it depends on the sound you're after. I'm loving this ride, but I'm not in the pop/funk/disco/jazz business...

If 'versatility' is what you're looking for, perhaps a lighter/brighter ride cymbal serves you better.
 
This is an issue that only you can decide. You will get about 90 suggestions for ride cymbals. You still have to go hear them yourself. The online sound files are helpful to narrowing the kind of sound you are looking for. I like the Sabian 21 inch Raw Bell Dry Ride. You may not. Only your own ears can guide you.

This. Kenneth hits the mark again!

My personal "grail" ride is my 24" K Light Ride. I love the variety of sounds I can get from it, AND it does those sounds just right, to my ears anyways. But, that doesn't mean it's a catch-all ride cymbal. While I CAN get a ping ride sound from hitting it in a certain spot, for rock gigs I prefer to use a 20" HHX Stage Ride, for the more controlled, defined (yet complex) ping. While I CAN get a washy/trashy crash/ride sound from it, I prefer to not beat the snot out of it, so I'll use a 20" K Crash/Ride or a 19" Medium Thin Dark Crash, or even a super-thin 22" 60s A I just picked up.

The perfect ride is NOT out there. Even if there was, it wouldn't be everyone's perfect ride. You'll just have to collect several rides like everyone else. :)
 
Hi,
I am looking for my perfect ride.

I am open to any make, model, size or weight.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks


You'll never find it.

Tastes change, your hearing changes, so be prepared for your ride to change. Find one you like now, then eventually you'll hear one you like better.

No ride is perfect, you just end up with really good ones.
 
yup, only you can decide what your own favorite ride is. And the sound changes from room to room, just to make it more difficult to choose.

My current one is a Sabian HH Raw Bell Dry Ride, and I love it. I used to have the AA version, and it cut through nicer for live playing. Not as sweet sounding, but you could hear it better through vocals and guitars.
 
Have you found the holy cymbal yet? It's a long way...
 
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