Need mini Hi Hat help....splash cymbals?

[SRT80]

I don't want to spend a lot on hi hats. As a matter of fact, the cheap (I assume brass) 10" hats that came with my old GP kit were perfect. I actually loved their sound. But they went when I sold the kit.

Now I'm tryin' to find a cheap set of hats that sound good. I tried two 12" meinl HCS splashes and they sounded horrible together. Wondering what others have used for small hi hats. I have also decided I want to do 10". Wonder if the HCS 10" splashes might work better.

Anyone know if good cheap thin splash cymbals? These HCS meinls are pretty thick so I'm wondering if that played a part in the bad sound?

I sent the meinls back to musiciansfriend.

Steve

[jmettam]

Hi Steve,

I picked up a pair of Wuhan 10" splash cymbals a while back when they were on sale. They are dark and earthy and sound great for a fixed Hi Hat. You can adjust them to get a tight closed sound or a slightly open sound. I think they go for $29 each new but sometimes you can find them on sale cheap!

- John

[traleeman]

I also used Wuhan 10". Now I use a Wuhan on the bottem and 10" Ziljian splash on top. Sounds good. I use them with a Tama x-hat, the clutch lets you make them washy or tight, with a flick of a stick,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Steve

[jmettam]

I use them with a Tama x-hat, the clutch lets you make them washy or tight, with a flick of a stick

Hey Steve,

You say you adjust your x-hat with the 'flick of a stick'. Is there a tension switch that you actually hit with your stick while playing? I am looking for something like this so I would love to know the details!

Thanks

- John

[jmettam]

Ahhhh, found it!

Looks like Tama makes two models now:

MXA63EN with the 'two stage lever' and the MXA73 with a proper hi hat rest and bottom tilter




I'm getting the one with the flip lever. For me it will be more versatile!

- John

[traleeman]

Thats the one. I enjoy it, good luck with it!!! Steve

[Tom E. Gunn]

I ordered two 10 inch Wuhan Splashes from Musician's Friend for $25 each. Should be here today. The hats that came with my kit were crap. I actually gave them to a kid just starting out on drums so he could have some splash cymbals.

[Tom E. Gunn]

As I mentioned, I just received a pair of Wuhan 10 inch splashes to use as mini-hats. They do sound pretty trashy, but not TOO much. Have a nice kind of old school Trad Jazz sound to them. Of course I just have them on an attached cymbal-hihat stand that came with my cocktailer, so I can't control them with my foot or anything. But with a quick spin of the nut on the clutch, I can either have them tight and funky, or open and jazzy.

For $50 bucks for two at Musician's Friend (sale going on right now), I'd recommend them for sure!

[MusicMan]

Hi,

You might also consider getting a pair of the Zildjian ZHT series 10" mini-hats. They are about $120 (for the pair) and are a little heavier because they are designed to work as hi-hats. Or, you could just get the heavier bottom cymbal ($60) to use with one of the cheaper splashes to give you a better hi-hat sound and function.

MusicMan

[Tom E. Gunn]

I looked into the Zildjian 10 inch hats. But I only paid $150 for the whole cocktail kit so didn't see the need to pay almost as much for the ZHT hats.

Also, it seems more fun to come up with your own sound by experimenting with different options that are not specifically manufactured by a company for a sole purpose.

[Baker]

I'm using a set of Dream Bliss 12 inchers on my kit, and I really like the sound. At just over $140 with shipping the price was right too!