playing with cheap cymbals as a stylistic choice

Yoshinya said:
He does totally rip and manages to actually sound pretty great given how his Iron Cobra double pedal probably cost more than the rest of his kit. Still not sure how that setup is comfortable for him, or anyone, to play though!

I’ve got to listen to more Don Caballero. Good stuff.
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They are considered pioneers of the modern Indy math rock scene. Granted, one could argue it's an evolution of fusion stuff like Mahavishnu Orchestra but that's a topic for a different thread. Don Caballero were really cool. If you dig that stuff you also should check out the bands Battles and Hella.
 
Cheap cymbals can indeed produce an ideal sound for many situations. It helps to not listen specifically to the cymbals, as odd as that might sound. I mean forget the cymbal sound in and of itself and just hear them in the whole context. Cheap cymbals to me tend to sound less lush, and have a unique percussive characteristic.

Chase Westmoreland several years ago playing a mix of cheap and high end:

 
Watch rdavidr's videos. He makes all kinds of things work as cymbals. He's been known to cut cheap cymbals up, and uses others to make trash stacks.

Personally speaking, I have tried using inexpensive cymbals, but they always sound lousy.
 
Play whatever you want. That's the ultimate answer, whatever inspires you and makes you smile.
I'm not a fan of cheap cymbals - as in cymbals with a low RRP new.
By far the best cheap cymbals are older pro quality cymbals like the 1960''s, 70's and 80's Zildjians. There are many, many musical gems amongst them, and second had Zildjians are super cheap to buy.
Jack De Johnette's signature Sabian cymbals are often described as trash can lids, but he certainly made them sound fabulous.
 
Chris Whitten said:
Play whatever you want. That's the ultimate answer, whatever inspires you and makes you smile.
I'm not a fan of cheap cymbals - as in cymbals with a low RRP new.
By far the best cheap cymbals are older pro quality cymbals like the 1960''s, 70's and 80's Zildjians. There are many, many musical gems amongst them, and second had Zildjians are super cheap to buy.
Jack De Johnette's signature Sabian cymbals are often described as trash can lids, but he certainly made them sound fabulous.
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jeez i wish second hand zildjians were super cheap to buy in MY neck of the woods ie ireland. i try to buy second hand as much as possible here but most people really gouge and if its a pro level cymbal then they especially gouge. im guessing in the US its very different. theres someone selling planet Z hi hat and ride local to me and he wants 100 euro for both. i mean come on.
 
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Fluffster said:
ive found this interesting as an idea for some time and wondered what you folks think of it, if you can recommend some other drummers to listen to. there must be maybe a few really world class drummers who sometimes play with crappy sounding cymbals or even modified household item instruments because thats the sound they were going for. i did discover through youtube a really good drummer from new zealand called Simon Hinton who seems to more less fit that description, and he sounds fantastic. ive always admired the if it makes a noise ill hit it no matter what attitude. more of a punk attitude i guess.

edit: i thought id ask this as i was playing today and realised an undeniable fact. i actually really like the sound of the stock cymbals that came with this cheap kit. theyre so stock that they dont even have a top or bottom. theyre just two thin sheets of brass with a tiny bit of lathing.
the crash that came with it is just terrible though apart from playing the bell as a ride its just about tolerable
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Those would be the cymbals you use as stackers .
I feel is a waste so use expensive good cymbals for a stack specially when some people do more than two cymbals which is unnecessary because it doesn't really change the sound that much. I saw a drummer he uses all kinds of things to hit and make noise and whatever that is his thing, but one, you would need to have a microphone if you were using any of that live, and two he had so many odd things his drums looked like they were being used as tables in a crappy garage sale. Not for me, too alternative I guess. that's why they invented electronic pads, any of those sounds can be programmed in a couple of pads and you get to keep your acoustic intact and uncluttered, basically unlimited possibilities.
 
Fluffster said:
i can totally understand that and the first thing i did when i got my kit was upgrade cymbals and heads. but i do suspect that especially playing live nobody would even notice the difference between zildjian zbt and A customs. its too lost in the mix of the music and the open space. and even the 0.01% of the audience who even did notice wouldnt care. and similarly nobody would notice stock heads or branded heads. pearl roadshow or pearl masters.
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People wouldn't know if you have cheap or expensive but they would notice sound quality improvement. We used to go to this club where this band played every weekend. At first it was to listen to the band, then it became our hangout (all the college girls liked going there) so we got to listen to that band multiple times, we all noticed when they added a new set of PA speakers or the drummer got new cymbals because the sound immediately felt different.
I still use them as the benchmark on how a band should sound in a small to mid size venue.
Funny part they were mostly a cover band with few original songs. that was 25 years ago.. they are still together playing gigs!
 
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The Zildjian S series is about as cheap as I'd go. The crashes and hats sound great. Rides are a bit clangy but you can grab used As, AAs, 2002s etc fairly reasonably.

Wuhan China's are amazing. I need to use my 24" more often
 
bud7h4 said:
Yeah this right here. Cheap can work well, but I don't want to hear clang and gong. Ever.

Generally, if you go with cheap, make them thin.
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Second that-- most normal cheap cymbals now are just heavy and metallic-- unaesthetically awful.

I've played old Ludwig/Paiste things that were OK as a cheap sound, and some real dog food grade student cymbals-- basically colored sheet metal that get beaten out of shape really quick. Also some cheap Turkish-style Chinese cymbals-- Agazarian and Groove Percussion(?).
 
there's cheap but there's also primitive like old K Cons from the 30s or old Ragtime brass from the 20s
they can add a very ancient bizarrely modern effect

jan19 002.JPGjan19 007.JPG

1920s Brass primitive ; flat profile ; big cup; very scary sound 😁

jan19 002.JPG

on the left..

jan19 007.JPG


war time
WWI artillery
like throwing a mustard gas canister into "All The Things You Are"
 
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mikyok said:
Wuhan China's are amazing. I need to use my 24" more often
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The one time when the word Underrated actually applies. People dismiss those because they are cheap. I tried two $500 Chinas, one from Paiste and one form Zildjian, they sounded ok... then I tried the $29 Wuhan (at the time in 2002)...Man the volume and sound difference were impressive!.
Compared to the Wuhan, both Paiste and Ziljian Chinas sounded very dull. The price was right so I bought it. I still have that cymbal.
 
doggyd69b said:
The one time when the word Underrated actually applies. People dismiss those because they are cheap. I tried two $500 Chinas, one from Paiste and one form Zildjian, they sounded ok... then I tried the $29 Wuhan (at the time in 2002)...Man the volume and sound difference were impressive!.
Compared to the Wuhan, both Paiste and Ziljian Chinas sounded very dull. The price was right so I bought it. I still have that cymbal.
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Got mine from Amsterdam. We'd just done Anne Frank house and I needed cheering up and stumbled across a music shop with a great drum section and they had lots of big 70s Wuhan Lion Chinas. The same ones Neil Peart used and pretty sure Phil Collins used too.

They had to widen to hole to fit a modern stand and I play it like a swish. It's big, dark and dirty
 
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