Zildjian A Custom to Zildjian K

sjczildjian

Senior Member
I'm seriously thinking about selling all of my A Customs and buying some new Ks. My dilemma is I have sworn by A Customs for a long time, but they are a little bit on the bright side for the genre I am playing at the moment (Post Hardcore). Do I make the switch? I'm just thinking about how much money I am going to lose... Also, the A Customs do an OK job, but is it really worth it?

Current set up:

14" A Custom Hats
18" A Custom Projection Crash (Which I really don't like)
19" A Custom Crash
20" A Custom Crash

I like all of my cymbals matching (brand and series). I don't know why, I just do...

Any advice would be appreciated.
 
but is it really worth it?

Only you can answer that one mate....it's your coin.

Personally, I wouldn't be swapping out my whole cymbal set up for one gig. Why not look to aquire one or two K's and see how they go? I've heard K's paired with AC's on many occasions....with great success. A lovely contrast between bright and dark crashes. It's like a dream for all seasons.

As for not being able to mix 'n match series....well, that's just silly mate. There's nothing wrong with all AC's. There's nothing wrong with all K's. And there's certainly nothing wrong with a bit of both.....providing that's what pleases your ear. Play to the sounds.....not to the ink!
 
+1 to everyone who says blending bright and dark is nice. My two favorite crashes are a 18" Sabian HH thin (quite dark and similar to a Zildjian K) and a 18" Sabian Vault V-Crash (bright--think Zildjian A Custom). They sound awesome together.
 
I guess that could work. Maybe I should try that...

So how about this for a setup...

14" A Custom Mastersound Hats
18" K Custom Hybrid Crash (Primary Crash)
19" A Custom Crash (Secondary Crash or Crash/Ride)

I use a 20 A Custom crash as a ride... Although I never ride... So maybe a Zildjian K 21 crash ride?
 
I guess that could work. Maybe I should try that...

So how about this for a setup...

14" A Custom Mastersound Hats
18" K Custom Hybrid Crash (Primary Crash)
19" A Custom Crash (Secondary Crash or Crash/Ride)

I use a 20 A Custom crash as a ride... Although I never ride... So maybe a Zildjian K 21 crash ride?

That sounds like an excellent setup. The hybrid crashes are my favorite zildjian crashes.
The 21" k crash ride is great too. It's got a bright feel to it but with dark overtones, excellent cymbal!
 
Sounds like you know the sound you want, and I agree with the others. It would/could limit your options for optimum sounds if you absolutely insist on all same make/model.

Coming from someone who has 9 cymbals, ALL Zildjian A's, My setup sounds great but I would give up my A Crashes for A Custom Crashes in the same condition.
The A Crashes are great, no "real" problem there, but I'd like to mix the musical sound of my A Hats and A Ride with the quickness and brightness of the A Custom crashes.
I'm ready to mix it up a bit in order to get all the tones I want.
 
Sounds like you know the sound you want, and I agree with the others. It would/could limit your options for optimum sounds if you absolutely insist on all same make/model.

Coming from someone who has 9 cymbals, ALL Zildjian A's, My setup sounds great but I would give up my A Crashes for A Custom Crashes in the same condition.
The A Crashes are great, no "real" problem there, but I'd like to mix the musical sound of my A Hats and A Ride with the quickness and brightness of the A Custom crashes.
I'm ready to mix it up a bit in order to get all the tones I want.

What would you suggest if I were to stick with A Customs? I don't know what it is about them. I guess they are just so versatile. You say you like the "quickness". Have you heard the projection crashes? Absolutely rubbish IMO. They speak far too fast and are explosive, which is good in a sense, but... really, no decay at all!
 
Just letting you know, K Hybrid crashes can be quite bright so I don't know how much of a contrast you will have between the 18" hybrid and the 19" A Custom. I own a 19" K Custom Hybrid Crash and it is a lot brighter than my other crash which is 18" Med-Thin A Zildjian. Just might want to check out K Custom Dark Crashes or even Just normal K crashes if you are wanting a darker sound :)
Jackson
 
Just letting you know, K Hybrid crashes can be quite bright so I don't know how much of a contrast you will have between the 18" hybrid and the 19" A Custom. I own a 19" K Custom Hybrid Crash and it is a lot brighter than my other crash which is 18" Med-Thin A Zildjian. Just might want to check out K Custom Dark Crashes or even Just normal K crashes if you are wanting a darker sound :)
Jackson

Thanks for the advice. I think I'll just nip into my music store and ask to try some out. I'm quite good friends with the manager there so he won't have a problem setting me up a kit & cymbals of my choice. Someone on here said "bright with dark overtones". Sounds very interesting to me!
 
Have you heard the projection crashes? Absolutely rubbish IMO. They speak far too fast and are explosive, which is good in a sense, but... really, no decay at all!
Yeah, I have. Actually, I have the same two crashes as you - a 19" A Custom and an 18" A Custom Projection (among others). For the kind of loud music I play they work pretty well. The 19" can be a little splashy since it's thin, meaning it doesn't have as much body to penetrate the wall of noise and doesn't last long. The 18", being somewhat thicker (medium-thin) comes through better and doesn't have that splashy thing going at all.

I can understand if you're not smitten with the 18 ACP, but I'm not sure what you mean about too fast and no decay since that's opposite what thicker cymbals do. Thicker cymbals take a little longer to fully-open and the decay is longer. For example, "fast crashes" are extra-thin so they open up right away (fast) and their decay is short (fast).
 
Yeah, I have. Actually, I have the same two crashes as you - a 19" A Custom and an 18" A Custom Projection (among others). For the kind of loud music I play they work pretty well. The 19" can be a little splashy since it's thin, meaning it doesn't have as much body to penetrate the wall of noise and doesn't last long. The 18", being somewhat thicker (medium-thin) comes through better and doesn't have that splashy thing going at all.

I can understand if you're not smitten with the 18 ACP, but I'm not sure what you mean about too fast and no decay since that's opposite what thicker cymbals do. Thicker cymbals take a little longer to fully-open and the decay is longer. For example, "fast crashes" are extra-thin so they open up right away (fast) and their decay is short (fast).

I have done a few recordings with the ACP crash. Every time I hit it, all you hear is "pssh". Now say that out loud as quickly as you can... Yeah, not very nice... Having said that, crashing the ACP the same time as a china sounds pretty good... The ACP works really well in breakdowns where drumming volume is quite minimal... for me anyway...
 
Thanks for the advice. I think I'll just nip into my music store and ask to try some out. I'm quite good friends with the manager there so he won't have a problem setting me up a kit & cymbals of my choice. Someone on here said "bright with dark overtones". Sounds very interesting to me!

Bright with dark overtones is somewhat accurate but majority of the sound that the audience hears is the bright attack, well in my case anyway. Also I find the louder I play the cymbal the less the overtones cut through. But it varies between cymbal to cymbal :)
Jackson
 
I have done a few recordings with the ACP crash. Every time I hit it, all you hear is "pssh". Now say that out loud as quickly as you can... Yeah, not very nice... Having said that, crashing the ACP the same time as a china sounds pretty good... The ACP works really well in breakdowns where drumming volume is quite minimal... for me anyway...
lol, okay I tried it like you said... sounds like it might be cracked! Seriously, if the 18 ACP sounds like pssh, then the 19 AC sounds like psh, only not as bright. Out of curiosity, how would you spell the sound of a cymbal that sounds good to you? ;-)
 
Bright with dark overtones is somewhat accurate but majority of the sound that the audience hears is the bright attack, well in my case anyway. Also I find the louder I play the cymbal the less the overtones cut through. But it varies between cymbal to cymbal :)
Jackson

Yes this is true... But it will be more of a calm bright attack than an abrasive one.
 
I have done a few recordings with the ACP crash. Every time I hit it, all you hear is "pssh". Now say that out loud as quickly as you can... Yeah, not very nice... Having said that, crashing the ACP the same time as a china sounds pretty good... The ACP works really well in breakdowns where drumming volume is quite minimal... for me anyway...

Funny, what you call "pssh" can easily be defined (by me) as exactly the sound I'm looking for.
To me, the basic AC Crashes make what could be described as a quick in and out glassy crash sound with short decay, and thats exactly what I like.

The ACP's are thicker so they are louder brighter and ring longer (hence the name "Projection"). Thats not what I like so I get why you dont care for them.
The ACP rides are pretty nice though. The best rides of the line, but thats JMO.
 
lol, okay I tried it like you said... sounds like it might be cracked! Seriously, if the 18 ACP sounds like pssh, then the 19 AC sounds like psh, only not as bright. Out of curiosity, how would you spell the sound of a cymbal that sounds good to you? ;-)

It's hard to describe. Im not sure about what people are saying about the ACP crash thickness. Mine in very thin and flimsy, much more so that the standard crash.

The sound I am looking for "pussshhh" with not a whole load of emphasis on the u.
 
It's hard to describe. Im not sure about what people are saying about the ACP crash thickness. Mine in very thin and flimsy, much more so that the standard crash.

The sound I am looking for "pussshhh" with not a whole load of emphasis on the u.

The Standard AC Crash is a "Thin" cymbal, so the ACP is thicker ("Med Thin"). Pretty much a fact. Check out the website dd put up for you.

The way you describe your "Projection Crash" almost sounds like they took an A Custom Fast Crash ("Paper Thin") and stamped it with the wrong label.

This is getting pretty funny, but I think I feel you. If you want "pussshhh" sound...lol, I'm thinking an A Zildjian Med Crash could work for you.
They have a longer decay, are warmer and can get louder than the AC's IMO.
I'm thinking thats what you want because the "pussshhh" description you are going with now has more letters than the former. ;)
 
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