Cymbals For A Cocktail Set
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Guest
Cymbals For A Cocktail Set
What cymbals do you use on you kits? I'm planning on using an 18" Med or an 18" Dance Zildjian and a 16" thin crash sizzle and a set of 13" New Beats. I'll probably go w/a set of 10" hats later.
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fw
Sounds like a good set up--especially if the 18" can do double duty as a crash and a ride.
I use 12" 70's A Zildjian hi hats, but I thought of a way to get very cheap, good sounding cocktail hats. Wuhan makes excellent hand hammered, B20 alloy cymbals that are available for next to nothing online (musiciansfriend.com for instance). It's easy to find 10-12" splash cymbals for between $10-$20 each, and they tend to very in weight from medium to thin. I've always thought it would be cool to get two of their splashes and make a hi hat. I love my Zildjians, but they are my main gig hi hats (although I sometimes use my 14" Zildjian lights from the early 70's) and it would be cool to not have to strip the cocktail set every time I have a gig or strip my drumset every time I want to play the cocktail set.
I use a 17" remix ride for my other cymbal, and I like it a lot for the cocktail set. The ride sound is good, the crash is kind of like a Paiste 2002 crash, which is heavier than I'd normally use, but good enough for a cymbal that is working as a ride and a crash. I like the 17" size for a cocktail set because it doesn't put a ton of strain on the drum. The bell is servicable for quiet music. I've got one of those pro-mark cymbal sizzlers that look like plumbing chain that I cut to length and toss on the cymbal for special effects. I don't really recommend the cymbal for most drumset applications, but it's very useful on a cocktail set. I tried a bunch of washier, more ringy, less focused cymbals off of my main set first, but the cocktail set is so condensed and crisp sounding that I needed a cymbal with the same tonalities.
fw
I use 12" 70's A Zildjian hi hats, but I thought of a way to get very cheap, good sounding cocktail hats. Wuhan makes excellent hand hammered, B20 alloy cymbals that are available for next to nothing online (musiciansfriend.com for instance). It's easy to find 10-12" splash cymbals for between $10-$20 each, and they tend to very in weight from medium to thin. I've always thought it would be cool to get two of their splashes and make a hi hat. I love my Zildjians, but they are my main gig hi hats (although I sometimes use my 14" Zildjian lights from the early 70's) and it would be cool to not have to strip the cocktail set every time I have a gig or strip my drumset every time I want to play the cocktail set.
I use a 17" remix ride for my other cymbal, and I like it a lot for the cocktail set. The ride sound is good, the crash is kind of like a Paiste 2002 crash, which is heavier than I'd normally use, but good enough for a cymbal that is working as a ride and a crash. I like the 17" size for a cocktail set because it doesn't put a ton of strain on the drum. The bell is servicable for quiet music. I've got one of those pro-mark cymbal sizzlers that look like plumbing chain that I cut to length and toss on the cymbal for special effects. I don't really recommend the cymbal for most drumset applications, but it's very useful on a cocktail set. I tried a bunch of washier, more ringy, less focused cymbals off of my main set first, but the cocktail set is so condensed and crisp sounding that I needed a cymbal with the same tonalities.
fw
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Guest
Re: Cymbals For A Cocktail Set
I use 13 new beat hats, a 16 amir crash (old non-cast ziljian) and a Wuhan 'S' series 18 crash-ride. The Wuhan is a cast cymbal with a light tone and feel. It tends to wash-out when really pushed hard unless played near the bell. It has good crash qualities but I rarely use it as a crash. As it's a cast cymbal and hand-hammered I'm hopeing it will age as the older K's and 'grow into' that cool dry tone. It has a similar weight as the old K's. It has a great tone when played lightly and a good ride tone when pushed a little harder but tends to 'wash' which can be a cool effect. The 16 amir is a cymbal I bought new nearly 20 years ago. I have a full array of A's and K's but keep coming back to this cymbal because it is so versatile. It's tone is somewhere between an A and K and it just fits everything, light to heavy. It's not an Amir II which I don't think have as good a tone. The oldest Amir's were professional cymbals created to compete with Paiste. The latter versions (to my ear) seem to have been created for the semi-pro player or amateur...good, just not a pro-sound. I don't know if they changed the alloy or hammering process, but, the Amir II's don't seem to sound as good. I'd love to get my hands on an 18" Amir ride. Every once in awhile they can be found on Ebay, but few and far between. The 13 new beats are just the most versatile and enjoyable hats ever. I use 14 new beats with my regular kit and have never been disappointed by either set. As an alternative (when I'm feeling a little randy) I'll mount a 12 wuhan china under a 12 wuhan splash on my closed hi-hat, very cool...unique tone. I purchased these cymbals as a set from Guitar Center for $34.00, more or less as a lark. Turns out they are a very cool alternative to the norm. Let me know what you are playing on.
cymbals for a cocktail set
I still don't think I've yet to make up my mind or found the perfect cymbal setup for my cocktail set. However, when it is a low level gig, sound wise I'll use a old 12" pair of thin A. Zildjian high-hats from the 30s, a 14" A. Zildjian crash from the 50's and an A. Zildjian 18" mini-cup ride from the 80s. When playing blues it's a mismatched pair of 14" high-hats I picked up for 50 bucks at Daddys Junky Music Shop in RI. A new beat on the bottom and a real K Zildjian from 50s?? on the top. The same 14" crash and a number of 18" rides :Ludwig/Paiste from the 60s, K Zildjian with rivets from the 60s, A. Zildjian Ping ride '02 and a Sabian hand-hamered(twice) prototype ride from the valult tour '04. The choice of the ride depends on what kind of day/evening I'm having.
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Guest