Intermediate cymbal advice needed
My lad needs a cymbal upgrade but I need some advice as I know sod all about drums.
Currently he's using Paiste 101s - hi-hats, 2xcrashes a ride and a splash. Whilst these did fine when he was a beginner, he's much more advanced now, he saved and upgraded his kit to a Pearl VBX so I'd be looking at something of that sort of level sound quality wise. Initially he wants a China but the rest will be getting upgraded gradually.
He likes a variety of music, but is firmly within what I would call 'classic rock', for example this week he's been listening to Aerosmith and Led Zep, but also likes Joey Jordison, Tommy Lee, Chad Smith. He's fond of playing funky rhythms but not so fond of listening to it.
Any ranges I should look at?
As with most instruments, your best bet is to get in the shops and try them out. Cymbals start as a raw material, so even cymbals of the same model and size can sound different from one another!Originally Posted by daveyh
Of course, Zildjian and Sabian will sort you something, no problem. These days, I tend to prefer Meinl cymbals
Maybe - Zildjian K customs?
Sabian AAs?
Meinl Soundcasters.....?
Stagg cymbals are good for the money, im not convinced they are as good as other "more expensive" cymbals, but there are plenty out there who will disagree.
There are loads of other cymbal makers out there, so go try some!
Cheers, that's a start. He tried out some Zildjian Pitchblacks the other day, and whist they sounded better than the low end Sabians he was comparing against (B8s?) I think it was more to do with the Jordison connection than the sound (the lads only 9 and still rather impressionable). It's difficult to get him to express what he actually likes, rather than just wants.
Yeah, do NOT waste your time with pitchblacks or any cymbal that is similar.
I would rather use sabian B8s.....
how much you looking to spend, and on what cymbals?
To be fair, any bronze cymbals will be an improvement on the brass 101s.
It really depends what you want to spend; Sabian B8 are decent enough starter bronze cymbals, but you'd need to upgrade them again in the future. You could try looking at something like Zildjian ZXT, Sabian XS20, Paiste PST5 as an alternative to the B8s, and if he's only 9 then they should last him a good while, I'd say at least until he's old enough to get a part time job and start looking at more expensive ranges!
I'd be more inclined, however, to get 'better' hats, crashes and ride before getting a decent china. If he wants one, I'd get a cheaper china and spend the rest of the cash on upgrading the others (probably starting with the hi-hats). Reason being that the china is only really designed as an effect cymbal, so it will probably get less action than the crashes and hats.
The china is a xmas prezzie so for his age it needs to be something 'extra' or he wouldn't really appreciate it. I do agree about the other cymbals would be better upgraded but he's not *quite* mature enough to grasp why he needs to upgrade the Paiste (which he saved for himself). So that'll be done by stealth.
So my plan is to get a good china, then upgrade the rest of the cymbals quietly.
His teacher is a bit of a dead loss on this, he's not a rock fan (at all) and he has an endoresement with Murat so recommends them for *everything* and doesn't really seem to take personal interest into condsideration.
ha! I bet if he was endorsed by Sabian or Zildjian, he would recommend their models insteadSoddin endorsees.....
I agree with what Matt says:
I wouldnt get a china. They are not crash replacements, they are for a different purpose, more harsh accents if anything.
If your son understands the whole accenting thing, then a China is a good option for this.
By the way, why the impression, that as drumming ability increases, so should the amount of cymbals......?
Last edited by Jazzy_Jefferson; 1st December 2010 at 05:29 PM.
Try the Paiste Alpha range too, excellent value for money
For Paiste stuff, give Julian at E Cymbals a bell...def the best value and he'll give you great advice.
http://www.ecymbals.co.uk/
Exactly what he said, or the PST5 range if the Alphas are a bit too pricy - both weed from a great height on the Zildjian ZBTs and Sabian B8s I tried 'em against while I was refining my setup.Try the Paiste Alpha range too, excellent value for money
For Paiste stuff, give Julian at E Cymbals a bell...def the best value and he'll give you great advice.
http://www.ecymbals.co.uk/
And SOME Stagg cymbals are excellent, but as they hand-made in the 'proper' sense of the term they're very variable in terms of quality; I'd say for every stunner there's half-a-dozen which sound as cheap as they are (or worse
Absolutely. I asked him why he wasn't interested in the Murat:ha! I bet if he was endorsed by Sabian or Zildjian, he would recommend their models instead
"They sound like shit dad. Like someones put a towel on them"
Fair enough.
AFAIK, he does. He can explain quite clearly why he wants a china, as he did before with the splash and the second crash. He can then integrate them into his playing quite effectively.
Probably in exactly the same way I don't really *need* my strat.
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