Fun Stuff > BAND
The Drum Thread
kyleg:
So I'm looking to upgrade my cymbals in the near future. I'm for the most part a metal drummer, though I do venture into blues, punk, and funk from time to time. I played on a friend's kit that has A-Customs and those are almost perfect for what I'm trying to do, especially the 22" ping ride. Since I'm fixing to spend some decent change on these, are there any other lines by other brands I should check out befor I go for the Zildjian A-Customs?
For ref- I play a Gretsch Catalina Maple kit.
edit: hi thread necro
turtlspinr:
yea, check out all of them, and take a long time doing it. don't worry about brand, worry about sound. take a cymbal you already have that you want to keep playing along with whatever new ones you buy, and compare new ones in the store to it to make sure they compliment each other.
if you're playing harder/louder/heavier music, i'd avoid any crashes smaller than 17 inches. also, splashes are kinda going to be a waste unless you're going to be playing with a kit that always is going to have microphones on it. no one will hear them otherwise, especially in a loud setting, and you'll inevitably end up hitting them harder and harder trying to get more volume out of them, and just end up breaking them. i'd also avoid chinas that are smaller than 18 inches, the exception being Zildjian's Oriental China Trash in 16. any other 16 inch china i've ever played didn't endure, and i don't hit particularly hard, or with poor technique. can't go wrong with 18 inch chinas, in any type of music. 20 inch chinas are cool, but just too hard to control, the exception being Paiste's Twenty series 20 inch. that's just awesome. or if you can find one of their Signature Dark Energy chinas in 20 inches....they're discontinued, but they're still out there.
for your ride cymbal, are you going to be solely playing it with the tip of the stick on the body and the shank of the stick on the bell, or are you going to be crashing on it too? what sort of metal are you playing? are we talking Brutus, Fleshcrawl, and Blood Red Throne type metal? or are we talking Winds Of Plague/Despised Icon breakdown metalcore?
if you want a nice heavy ride with a good articulate body sound and a nice, piercing bell, Zildjian's K Custom Dry ride. it only comes in 20 inches, and sounds great. As do Sabian's AAX Raw Bell Dry Ride, Sabian's HH Raw Bell Dry Ride, Sabian's Vault Definition Ride, Zildjian's A Custom Rezo Ride, and Zildjian's Z3 Rock Ride, Paiste's Signature Dark Metal Ride, Signature Dry Heavy Ride or Signature Reflector Bell Ride, 2002 Power or Heavy rides, or Rude Power ride. All sound great and would work in many types of music. However, they're not suitable for crashing....they're too heavy, and you'd end up breaking them fairly quickly due to their lack of flexibility.
if you want a ride to crash on, in addition to their body and bell sounds, Sabian's Vault Encore ride, Paiste's Rude Crash/Ride, Zildjian's Sweet Ride or K Crash/ride. these are all designed to flex, and are somewhat thinner weight cymbals.
for hihats, you've got to figure out what you'll be playing more often than not. if your hats are going to be kept half open at all time, and you'll be rarely playing them with your foot, then go for something heavy that'll give you insane volume. Zildjian's Z3 Dyno Beat would be a great option for that. however, they're only going to be used for metal or punk, something where subtlety or nuance isn't required. If you need something that has the capability to be versatile, then go for a hihat set that has a thicker cymbal on the bottom, and a somewhat lighter cymbal on top. Zildjian's K/Z combo or any Mastersoud models, Sabian's AAX Fusion or Xcelerator hihats, or Paiste's Twenty or 2002 Heavy Hihats or Rude Sound Edge hihats would all be good options.
don't rush into anything, and don't worry about making sure they all match, brand or series wise. take time to find the best sound for you and the way you play. if you're going to drop upwards of $1300 on four cymbals, you'd better be happy with them, and happy with playing them, for years.
kyleg:
I've definitely decided on Z Custom/Z3 Dyno Beat for my hihat. They're just perfect for grooving on(think Clutch or the slower side of Pantera) and they sound great when I need to open them up to start a fill(think Maiden or Sabbath).
I need to give Paiste the time of day though. I've tried most of those rides minus the Paiste, and the Ping Ride is the one I've been coming back to.
Really appreciate the post. Very informative stuff.
I guess because I can, my kit
http://s386.photobucket.com/albums/oo310/kguillemette/?action-view¤t=001-2.jpg&newest=1
http://s386.photobucket.com/albums/oo310/kguillemette/?action-view¤t=002-1.jpg&newest=1
I love so much. It's time to move away from ZXT's though.
turtlspinr:
if you're liking the sound JP Gaster from Clutch has out of his hihats, avoid the Dyno Beats then. WAY too heavy. He's using Meinl Byzance Traditional Medium hihats.
if you enjoy his hihat sound, which is kind of dark, try the Paiste Twenty hats. They can get you some serious volume while still being articulate.
kyleg:
--- Quote from: turtlspinr on 09 Mar 2010, 11:30 ---if you're liking the sound JP Gaster from Clutch has out of his hihats, avoid the Dyno Beats then. WAY too heavy. He's using Meinl Byzance Traditional Medium hihats.
if you enjoy his hihat sound, which is kind of dark, try the Paiste Twenty hats. They can get you some serious volume while still being articulate.
--- End quote ---
Will do. Really appreciate the advice from someone who's seen it all apparently.
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