How To Buy A Cymbal – A Drums Online Story
I got my first drum kit when I was about 16. It was a Hohner with a steel snare and a shallow bass drum and it came with a thin ride and a some weedy hi-hats. They sounded awful but, whatever, it was my first kit and I was excited just to have it and it got a pasting
The Crash
At the time, I was a drummer who was into his heavy rock music. It quickly became clear that bashing the hell out the ride just wasn’t going to cut it. I was going to have to buy a decent crash.
Being new to the drumming world, I had no idea what these things cost. As I chirpily made my way to the drum shop with $100 in hand, I was sure that I’d be able to have my pick of the finest hammered bronze in the world.
Boy, was I in for a surprise.
The First Shock
My spirits were soundly crushed when I was shown a range of rather pathetic looking no-brand cymbals that fit my rather pathetic price range. I had heard a many great things about the bigger brands – Zildjian, Sabian, Paiste – but was disappointed to see that only a few of the Zildjians had made the sub-$100 cut. None of the A, K or Z range that I had read so much about, just one or two from the ‘budget’ Scimitar Bronze range.
Determined not to leave empty handed, I swallowed my pride and bought the 16″ Scimitar Bronze Rock crash for about $90. Then I went home to make the best of it – at least I now owned a crash.
Twelve years later, I still play it every single day. It’s lost its shine and the branding has long-since faded, but it’s an integral part of my setup and has been everywhere with me – it even made it to the Other Stage and Acoustic Tent at Glastonbury 2005, where I was fortunate to play with my then band, The Deadbeats.
I have played countless cymbals from all the main manufacturers over these past 12 years and yet I still return to this old workhorse as an example of what a crash should sound like. It is my personal definition of a crash sound – thick and meaty with an explosive yet pleasant attack and a quick delay. I love it and hope that it remains part of my kit forever.
The Ride
About five years ago I upgraded my ride cymbal. My local drum shop does not have a price on each of the cymbals that it has on display. Instead, it has a price list posted to a board which makes it very easy to ignore and which, on this particular day, I did.
I went through with my favourite sticks (Vic Firth American Classic 5As) and tried out all of the rides on offer. I was looking for something that had a nice ride twang, but also a good crash edge and a solid bell ping sound. After about half an hour, I had found it. It was another Zildjian – the 21″ K Custom Special Dry Ride – and it was beautiful. The main cymbal sound was dark and esoteric, with a solid crash edge that makes the most wonderful whooshing noise when played with soft beaters yet with a bell that shines loud and clear when hit with the stick shaft.
The Second Shock
After falling in love with it, I then checked the price list. Not only had I found the most expensive ride cymbal, but I had actually chosen the most expensive cymbal in the entire shop. $400 it cost me, but by this point I was too far go and I had to have it so I bought it and the relationship has grown stronger over time.
Together, my cheap crash and expensive ride make a killer team and are an integral part of my overal sound. I couldn’t imagine playing without either of them. However, the most important thing is the lesson that they both taught me. Sound comes before brand and price. Every single time. If you like the sound of it, it doesn’t matter who made it, what the reviews say or how much it costs – you buy it.
That’s how you build your sound.