good, cheap all-purpose crash?

heatmiser

heatmiser

mr. green christmas
Hi,

Probably a dumb question, but I really have no idea what I'm doing, so...

I have a yamaha rydeen kit on long-term loan. I came with Sabian B8 HHs and a huge ride. That's it for cymbals. I think I need a crash, but have no clue what to look for.

Forgive my ignorance, but are there any standard, safe choices for a beginner? How much should I expect to spend...over $100? Under?

Kind of looking for the minimum that would be considered "acceptable" - whatever that means! :o :D

Thanks,
Pete
 
Haha, I just posted this in your "dark hollow" thread:

B8's aren't that good, but I think they're the best of the "cheap" cymbals. Every company makes an entry line, and the B8's sound the best by far to me. It's hard to recommend crash cymbals as they're all vastly different. They can be thin, medium, heavy, dry, washy, fast, slow, etc. I'd say look for something in the 16"-19" range and basic. No "rock" crashes or "fast" crashes or anything like that. Just look for a basic crash from any of the major companies that's not an entry level model and you'll do fine.
 
Oops. :o.

Yeah, that was kind of redundant, sorry. I didn't think anyone would see the question in the other thread.

Thanks Greg. I will follow your general advice which will help when I go to the drum store.

If I eventually get to buy this set from the owner (my hope), then I will eventually replace the HH and ride too.
 
If you're looking to go with a new cymbal, definitely go hit as many as possible. They all sound very different. And then when you get it home, it'll sound different again. It took me a while to train myself to hear the subtle nuances between cymbals, but once it clicks, you'll hear it easily. Don't worry about brand or model, just go by what sounds good and is priced right. If you're looking for something used, obviously make sure there's no cracks and that the mounting hole isn't wallowed out or oblonged. Dirty or tarnished isn't that big of a deal. Sometimes a little age makes em sound better. Green patina typically isn't good though. That means the protective coating is gone and the metal itself is reacting to air, moisture, sweat, fingerprints, etc and can be getting weak. If you buy used from the internet and can't hear it beforehand, then keep your selection basic. And don't buy anything from anyone without a lot of good pics. Plan on spending 75-150 for a good used crash, and 150-and up for a good new crash.

I use Paiste 2002's and RUDE cymbals. They're expensive as shit and rambunctious, but holy crap they sound good. If you come across some 2002's in good used condition, buy them. You won't be sorry.
 
Thanks again. Yeah, I was thinking new since I could hear 'em first in person, but hearing it by itself in the store is probably way different than hearing it in the garage in conjunction with the rest of the kit.

Interesting on the price, but good to know. I don't think I expected to spend so much (I think the whole kit was $400 used), and might consider used to get more bang for my buck.

The cymbals I have now are solid with very little wear, but they do have a greenish, blotchy film that I took to be mold or mildew! The HHs just sound kinda...dull.
 
Nothing more to add, Greg has pretty much summed it all up. But I do disagree with one point. I don't know about other 'rock' cymbals, but I just love the Zildjian Rock A series. I have an 18", it gives me just the right amount of sustain, and it really cuts through too.
 
saads said:
Nothing more to add, Greg has pretty much summed it all up. But I do disagree with one point. I don't know about other 'rock' cymbals, but I just love the Zildjian Rock A series. I have an 18", it gives me just the right amount of sustain, and it really cuts through too.
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Right, I just meant to not get caught up in descriptive terms like "rock crash" or "wild crash" or anything like that. Go by the sound, or if you can't hear the cymbal, keep it simple and just go for a basic style crash cymbal.
 
Just another thought on choosing cymbals

Hello.

Don't know if you've heard of this tip when choosing cymbals.
Get some to hit cymbal (tapping, crashing, riding, washing) while you stand back with your fingers in your ears. This takes off a lot of the high overtones allowing you to check if the cymbals basic tone is to your liking.
If you hear anything strange then it might be a sign that a cymbal's got a fine crack in it or something else that affects the tone.

Try it- it works!
 
if your looking for cheap and quality try the Paiste Alphas or PST5s both of them are good sounding cymbals and cheap :)
 
the PST3s sound terrible imo but the 5s aren't that bad to me sound a lot like zhts for budget cymbals they're ok but thats my opinion :D
 
sheoth said:
the PST3s sound terrible imo but the 5s aren't that bad to me sound a lot like zhts for budget cymbals they're ok but thats my opinion :D
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That's cool, but heatmiser makes good music and wants to sound good. He deserves better than PST's,
 
ZBTs, PSTs, B8s, they all sound fine when you start playing. But it doesn't take long to outgrow them. Even a couple of months into drumming, I started realizing how bad they sound. I would never recommend that stuff to anyone.
 
AW4416DR1 said:
Get some to hit cymbal (tapping, crashing, riding, washing) while you stand back with your fingers in your ears.
Click to expand...

Why do I get the feeling this is just some scam to make non-drummers look like idiots at the music store walking around with their fingers in their ears?

I can just see a bunch of actual drummers in the corner watching like, "wait, here's another one...he's gonna do it...whoa! What an idiot!" :)

No, I'm sure there's some value to doing that, I just probably won't be willing to. Thanks for the advice. And thanks to the rest of you for throwing some ideas out there.
 
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