List the cymbals you own ...

[Josh Conover]

Great collections guys! I wish I knew more about the individual lines that Paiste puts out.

Picked up a few new hi hats and rides since I last posted…

1. 24” K Light ride (x2)
2. 24” Concept Orchestral
3. 24” A Medium ride
4. 23” K Custom Special Dry ride
5. 23” K Sweet ride
6. 23” A Sweet ride
7. 22” K Custom Special Dry crash
8. 22” K Dark Medium ride
9. 22” K Light ride
10. 22” K Light EFX
11. 22” K Pre Aged Dry Light ride
12. 22” Avedis
13. 22” Oriental Crash of Doom
14. 21” K Custom Organic ride
15. 21” K Custom Special Dry Trash crash
16. 21” K Crash Ride (Brilliant)
17. 21” K Sweet ride
18. 21” A Custom Anniversary ride
19. 21” Avedis
20. 21” A Sweet ride
21. 20” K Custom Special Dry crash
22. 20” K Sweet crash
23. 20” K Cluster crash
24. 20” K EFX
25. 20” Avedis
26. 20” A Thin crash
27. 20” A Medium Thin crash
28. 20” A China Boy High
29. 20” Oriental Crash of Doom (x2)
30. 20” S series Trash crash
31. 20” L80
32. 19” K Custom Special Dry Trash crash
33. 19” A Thin crash
34. 18” A Thin crash
35. 18” Oriental Crash of Doom
36. 18” ReMix Breakbeat ride (x2)
37. 18” L80
38. 17” ReMix ride
39. 17” i Family Trash crash
40. 16” K Constantinople crash
41. 16” K Custom Special Dry crash
42. 16” K Sweet hi hat (bottom only)
43. 16” K Light hi hat (set)
44. 16” Avedis hi hat (set)
45. 16” A EFX (jingles removed)
46. 16” ReMix EFX (jingles intact)
47. 16” Trashformer Prototype
48. 16” L80
49. 15” Kerope top
50. 15” K Custom Special Dry hi hat (set)
51. 15” K Light hi hat (top only)
52. 15” K Sweet hi hat (top only)
53. 15” K Fat Hats prototype (set)
54. 15” A Sweet hats (Traditional, set)
55. 15” A Sweet hats (Brilliant, set)
56. 15” A New Beat hi hat (set)
57. 15” Concept Rib Hat (top)
58. 14” K Custom Special Dry Trash hat
59. 14” K Custom Special Dry hi hat (bottom only, original series)
60. 14” Avedis hi hat (set)
61. 14” A New Beat hi hat (set)
62. 14” A Mastersound hi hat (bottom only, brilliant)
63. 14” ReMix crash (x3)
64. 14” Concept Trap Hats (set)
65. 14” Trashformer (x2)
66. 14” i Family Trash crash/hat
67. 14” L80 (x2)
68. 13” K Custom Special Dry hi hat (set)
69. 13” ReMix Jungle hi hat (set)
70. 12” K Custom Special Dry hi hat Prototype (set)
71. 12” ReMix hi hat (set, x2)
72. 12” ReMix crash
73. 12” A New Beat hi hat (set)
74. 10” K Custom Special Dry splash
75. 10” A Custom EFX
76. 10” Trashformer
77. 10” Spiral Trash (x2)
78. 10” ZXT Titanium Flash splash
79. 10” i Family splash
80. 10” FX stack
81. 10” L80
82. 8” Trashformer (x2)
83. 8” FX stack
84. 7” Concept Blast Bell
85. 6” ZilBel

[dexplosion]

Picked up a few new hi hats and rides since I last posted…

What are some of your favorite setups?
What hi hat cymbals are you pairing together?

I just can't get into the Zildjian sound, but you have a lot of cymbal models I would be into.

I wish Sabian's catalog looked more like Zildjian's.
I think whatever Sabian does to their cymbals is fundamentally different enough to Zildjian that they could copy what Zildjian offers and still be "Sabian".
Sabian's desire to always be innovative hinders them in my opinion.

[Josh Conover]

What are some of your favorite setups?
What hi hat cymbals are you pairing together?

I just can't get into the Zildjian sound, but you have a lot of cymbal models I would be into.

I wish Sabian's catalog looked more like Zildjian's.
I think whatever Sabian does to their cymbals is fundamentally different enough to Zildjian that they could copy what Zildjian offers and still be "Sabian".
Sabian's desire to always be innovative hinders them in my opinion.

For rides, I always come back to the 24” or 22” K light or the 22” K Dark medium… They just have “that” sound.

For crashes I LOVE my new 20” K Custom Special Dry crash, the 20” Crash of Doom, and always have the 22” K Light EFX (custom) crash ride with a BFSD Copper Bling Ring.

For stacks, I really enjoy the 10” Special Dry over the 10” Trashformer (sort of a synthetic handclap or cha sound) and the 21” Special Dry Trash Crash with a 10”Spiral Stacker on top (gives that sound between a big open, sloshy set of hi hats and a quick crash) . The newer FX Stacks are great as well.

For hi hats, I have a ton of combos that I really enjoy but I usually come back to the 15” Special Dry bottom with a K Sweet top, a 16” K Sweet bottom with a Constantinople crash for a top, or my Avedis line 14” hi hats.

I really don’t like a lot of “regular” cymbal sounds. I like synthetic, electronic, naturally EQ’d sounds that are quick and unique. I think about how most of us (maybe) sort of mimic sounds with our mouths when we can’t get behind the kit, or an idea we have in our head, and I like to find those sounds w/o having to process them in a computer program. You know, since I don’t have access to those things anyway.

[Drumolator]

Although over the years my cymbals changed from time to time, the situation has stabilized. Here is what I now have (all SABIAN, except where noted:

20" HHX Evolution Ride
19" SR2 Heavy
18" SR2 Thin
18" AAX Studio Crash
18" Rancan China
17" AAX Studio Crash
16" AA Thin Crash
16" Wuhan China
15"SR2 Thin
14" XS20 Hats
14" SR2 Hats (medium top / heavy bottom)

Peace and goodwill.

[dexplosion]

For rides, I always come back to the 24” or 22” K light or the 22” K Dark medium… They just have “that” sound.

For crashes I LOVE my new 20” K Custom Special Dry crash, the 20” Crash of Doom, and always have the 22” K Light EFX (custom) crash ride with a BFSD Copper Bling Ring.

For stacks, I really enjoy the 10” Special Dry over the 10” Trashformer (sort of a synthetic handclap or cha sound) and the 21” Special Dry Trash Crash with a 10”Spiral Stacker on top (gives that sound between a big open, sloshy set of hi hats and a quick crash) . The newer FX Stacks are great as well.

For hi hats, I have a ton of combos that I really enjoy but I usually come back to the 15” Special Dry bottom with a K Sweet top, a 16” K Sweet bottom with a Constantinople crash for a top, or my Avedis line 14” hi hats.

I really don’t like a lot of “regular” cymbal sounds. I like synthetic, electronic, naturally EQ’d sounds that are quick and unique. I think about how most of us (maybe) sort of mimic sounds with our mouths when we can’t get behind the kit, or an idea we have in our head, and I like to find those sounds w/o having to process them in a computer program. You know, since I don’t have access to those things anyway.

Right on.

I'm more into regular sounds as you say, but I think the Zildjian K Custom Special Dry cymbals are the best of those types of cymbals.

Look up Billy Ward (not Bill Ward) and how he combines cymbals for some inspiration if you're unfamiliar.

Have you tried riding your 20" China Boy?
It's a super traditional Jazzer thing to have a Swish cymbal, but I don't take you as a Jazzer, so maybe it could be cool in whatever context you're playing.

Also - you're not a real one until you have a gong.

[Josh Conover]

Right on.

I'm more into regular sounds as you say, but I think the Zildjian K Custom Special Dry cymbals are the best of those types of cymbals.

Look up Billy Ward (not Bill Ward) and how he combines cymbals for some inspiration if you're unfamiliar.

Have you tried riding your 20" China Boy?
It's a super traditional Jazzer thing to have a Swish cymbal, but I don't take you as a Jazzer, so maybe it could be cool in whatever context you're playing.

Also - you're not a real one until you have a gong.

If I play a more traditional set up, I use my 16” K Light hi hats, 24” K light ride, a 20” A series Thin crash over the hi hats, a 23” A Sweet ride as a crash over the ride, and the 22” K Light EFX to my far right… I also swap out the ride for the 24” A Medium and the hats for the 15” New Beats if I need a heavier sound. Those are my more traditional sounding cymbals.

I really don’t use the China cymbal at all. I find them to be too harsh and gongy. The reason I still have the one listed in my collection is that I was going to have laser-cut EFX holes cut into it. Hoping that might cut down on the decay and trash it up a bit.

Dang… what about Zildjian’s Gong Sheet? That was next on my list… lol

[MitchLyons]

Guess I’ve been adding to my to my collection without even realizing.

8” Stagg Sensa Splash
8” Stagg Black Metal Bell
9” Zildjian one-off bell
11” K Custom Hybrid Splash
14” A Custom Hats
15” A Custom Mastersound Hats
19” A Custom Projection Crash
19” A Ultra Hammered China
20” A Custom Crash
21” A Sweet Ride
21” A Mega Bell
22” Paiste Signature Reflector Bell Ride

Hoping to pick up some new cymbals this year. I’d really love some K’s, but there have definitely been some Paistes catching my ear lately.

[Josh Conover]

What’s this “one-off” bell you speak of?

[PhilB1029]

All sabian (minus 1 zilbel)
Blue kit:
21" AA Metal-X ride
19" AAXplosion Crash
19" AAXtreme China
18" AAX Stage Crash
17" AAXtreme China
16" AA Concept Crash
14" AAXplosion Crash
14" Evolution Hi-Hats
13" Evolution Hi-Hats
12" Stack (AAX Splash and AA Holy China)
10" Stack (AA Splash and AA Holy China
10" Chopper
10" AAX Splash
8" AAX Splash
7" AAX Max Splash
6" ZilBel

GIg Kit:
20" AA Metal-X Ride
18" HH Medium Crash
18" XS20 China
16" XSR Concept Crash
14" AAXplosion Hi-Hats
10" B8pro Splash
8" B8pro Splash
Stack (Cracked 8" AAX splash in a Cracked 10" B8pro Splash)

I also have a set of 15" Evolution hi-hats that I'm trying to decide if I want to sell them. I'm not too into the big hi-hat thing a lot of people are right now.

[MitchLyons]

What’s this “one-off” bell you speak of?

I don’t have much information on it, sadly. Purchased it from Memphis Drum Shop in February while I was on tour for $75. I originally thought it to be an early prototype of the Blast Bell but the profile is comparable to a standard Zil-Bell. It’s got a darkened patina finish on both sides and it does have the Avedis Zildjian logo on top and bottom but it seems almost kind of fuzzy in a way, like it’s not as sharp as it should be. The edge is also somewhat sharp and sort of rough rather than smooth and there is no stamp visible.

All of those factors in place lead me to believe that it’s just the bell from a mega bell ride that someone cut off and modified, which is a bummer, but it still sounds good so I have no problem leaving it on the kit for the time being. Maybe one day I’ll get an actual 9.5” Zil Bell but the price is a bit steep for a cymbal that literally only makes a “ding” sound haha.

[Josh Conover]

Interesting… may be a prototype made for Matt Greiner? I picked up the Concept Shop FX Blast Bell they made awhile back, but its a 7”.

[MitchLyons]

Interesting… may be a prototype made for Matt Greiner? I picked up the Concept Shop FX Blast Bell they made awhile back, but its a 7”.

I really like the Blast Bells and I’m still a little bummed I didn’t pick one up when Matt was distributing them and signing them to everyone buying. That was super cool and I wish more artists would do cool stuff like that.

I think this is a counterfeit Zildjian but it’s cool to look at and sounds good.