Want to add another crash

Local Oaf

Active Member
Y’all,

I’m thinking about adding another crash to my kit to give another option that will fit in with my existing cymbal mix, but also be different enough that it won’t be redundant. I’m open to ideas you may have. I intend to watch at lots of demo videos and (when restrictions are lifted) play a hell of a lot of cymbals, so you can trust that I will do my due diligence. I just want some outside starting points for my search. You guys were super helpful in my search for my new hi-hats.

Here’s my current cymbal setup:
- Hi-hats: Zildjian 14.25” K Custom Hybrid
- Ride: Sabian 20” AAX Stage Ride
- Crash 1: Sabian 18” AAX Freq Crash
- Crash 2: Paiste 14” Signature Fast Crash

Overall, my cymbals are reasonably bright, and I like that, but I’m not married to brightness. If you have any suggestions that are dark but reasonably close to my current sound palette, I’m open to those options as well. Or even just double down on brightness. What cymbals have served you well? What about them was good?

So go ahead, spend my money.
 
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What size and what role do you want this new cymbal to play? Are you wanting something with a little more strength to bolster the 18", something light and quick to complement the 14"? Or a 16" that shoots right up the middle?

AAX Studio crashes have a really focused sound mix but aren't overly bright because they're thin. I have a couple (a 15" and a 17") that I plan to take to the grave.
Over 17" I'd probably recommend a plain old medium-thin crash, either Sabian AA or Zildjian A. They aren't really dark, but they aren't as glassy as what you have now and they have that straight up full crash sound I hear in my head when I think of a crash cymbal.
For a straight up 16" I'd go with another Sabian AA or Zildjian A at a thin weight. I tend to err on the side of thinner cymbals in general and I like 16" and smaller to open up easily.
 
A couple of paper thin A. Zildjians 16's. 70 years old and still going strong.

Pete

Edit - video taken with an iPhone 7. They're a tad darker in person given the phone's limitations.



 
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[QUOTE="Winston_Wolf, post: 1703679, member:
For a straight up 16" I'd go with another Sabian AA or Zildjian A at a thin weight. I tend to err on the side of thinner cymbals in general and I like 16" and smaller to open up easily.
[/QUOTE]
What he said. I prefer thinner cymbals also. Everybody should own a 16 in thin or medium thin Zildjian a or Sabian AA at least one LOL
 
I’ve been looking at a Zildjian A Medium Thin 18”, but in the videos, it has a very similar sound to my AAX Freq Crash. Maybe I could find an A Medium Thin in 16” and that would split the difference.
 
Be forewarned that words like "thin" and "paper thin" mean different things during different decades. You're way better off knowing how many grams the cymbal weighs especially if you can't hear it first. 800-850g would be paper thin in 1950 for a 16. It goes up and gets brighter from there.

They were heavier in the 80's and around 100 grams lighter now. In the early 50's they were lighter still and with hammering that's more common on the current lines of Zildjian K cymbals.

If you go used, figure on 100-150 dollars for a good thin or paper thin crash that's 10-20 years old. Trans stamp Zildjians (1947-1953) tend to be 200-300 in good shape. K. Zildjians (made in Turkey) can get scary expensive, or about 400-700 dollars for a nice 16in. crash, depending on weight.

Hope this helps. After all, it's YOUR money.

Pete
 
So go ahead, spend my money.

I've always been of the opinion that most drummers will eventually own something akin to a set of A-ish cymbals and a set of K-ish cymbals. Like many do with wood/metal snares, it's the most economic way to cover a variety of sonic landscapes. It looks like you already have two A-ish crash cymbals. I'd recommend you obtain a K-ish cymbal at this point. K-Sweet, K-Dark/Thin, Stock K, Sabian HHX, etc.

I personally went for both A and K boxed sets. Not everyone has the time for the a-la-carte journey, and I'm really not disappointed with the results.
 
Y’all,
I’m thinking about adding another crash to my kit to give another option that will fit in with my existing cymbal mix, but also be different enough that it won’t be redundant.

I threw this pic up in another thread about mismatched HHs. The one on the right is what you'd look for in vintage crashes. 1958. 16in. 1050g. Cost me 125 dollars plus 15 bucks shipping. They're more complex and darker than a modern A due to its fine arched hammering. They're not that common but you should be able to fine one if you want to go that route.

As for it's weight, it's marked "MEDIUM" but is the same weight as 90's 16in crash currently selling on eBay that's inked "THIN". If you're curious, I can throw up a sound video. Always looking to spread the joy of vintage Zildjians.

Admitting it is half the battle toward recovery.

Pete

Edit - Careful cause you might just get addicted.

PairOf16s.jpg
 
Big and thin. Go for a 20" A or AA, they open u really easily and I find bigger crashes have a better dynamic range on them.

Your 14" crash is definitely the odd one out in your set up.
 
I tend to choose crashes to match the volume of the gig. Smaller crashes for small shows, larger crashes for loud shows, and crash rides for jazz gigs where I’m not really crashing at all.
In your case I’d get a thin 16 then take two crashes to gigs - either 14 + 16, or 16 + 18.
 
Oaf, you recently asked us about an 18” vintage A crash. I’m assuming you don’t like because you didn’t mention it being part of your setup.

With that in mind, I’ll buck the trend of going thin and suggest an A Custom Projection crash. I had a 16” a few years back that I grew fond of.
 
Oaf, you recently asked us about an 18” vintage A crash. I’m assuming you don’t like because you didn’t mention it being part of your setup.

With that in mind, I’ll buck the trend of going thin and suggest an A Custom Projection crash. I had a 16” a few years back that I grew fond of.
Thanks for the heads up on the projection crash! I’ll check it out.

Yeah, you’re right about the vintage A Crash. I picked it up at a pawn shop at a steal of a price. It has an alright sound but I’m not entirely in love with it. I’m using it right now, but if I replace any of my crashes it will be that one. Thus, the not including it in my listed setup.
 
Thanks for the heads up on the projection crash! I’ll check it out.

Yeah, you’re right about the vintage A Crash. I picked it up at a pawn shop at a steal of a price. It has an alright sound but I’m not entirely in love with it. I’m using it right now, but if I replace any of my crashes it will be that one. Thus, the not including it in my listed setup.

Knowing what you don't like about it might help focus some better suggestions... :)
 
Alright y’all, here’s the update. I have a pretty hard and fast rule that I never buy new cymbals, but I broke it for this one. I was scrolling on Seeetwater during Gear Fest and saw they had a Sweetwater exclusive Sabian AA 16” Concept Crash. It has the lathing like a normal AA does, but also a fair amount of machine hammering. This improved a lot of the gong-ish sound I don’t normally like about normal As or AAs. It was selling for $99 new, which is less than I was probably going to pay for whatever 16” I was going to get.

My only concern was that there was no video or sound file yet, so I was kind of rolling the dice on it, but I played it for the first time this evening and I like it a lot.

I also sold my vintage Zildjian A 18” crash that just didn’t fit the rest of my cymbal sound.
 
Alright y’all, here’s the update. I have a pretty hard and fast rule that I never buy new cymbals, but I broke it for this one. I was scrolling on Seeetwater during Gear Fest and saw they had a Sweetwater exclusive Sabian AA 16” Concept Crash. It has the lathing like a normal AA does, but also a fair amount of machine hammering. This improved a lot of the gong-ish sound I don’t normally like about normal As or AAs. It was selling for $99 new, which is less than I was probably going to pay for whatever 16” I was going to get.

My only concern was that there was no video or sound file yet, so I was kind of rolling the dice on it, but I played it for the first time this evening and I like it a lot.

I also sold my vintage Zildjian A 18” crash that just didn’t fit the rest of my cymbal sound.

Seems like a good acquisition. I know you generally buy preowned, but aren't brand-new, shiny, unblemished cymbals fine works of art? Nothing compares to unboxing one. It's on par with panning for gold and coming up big.
 
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