used hi hats -- triumphs and perils

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antichef

antichef

pornk rock
I'm slowly (and I mean glacially slowly) building a studio kit, and I think I need to replace my crappy hats next. My question is -- is buying used hi hats a little like buying used guitar strings?

The cheap ones I have now have a crack that I didn't notice when I bought them (used), and I haven't exactly beat them to death. Should I consider hi hats to be perishable items, or does this mainly apply to low end and/or poorly maintained sets?

(yes, I'm a total drum newb)
 
antichef said:
I'm slowly (and I mean glacially slowly) building a studio kit, and I think I need to replace my crappy hats next. My question is -- is buying used hi hats a little like buying used guitar strings?

The cheap ones I have now have a crack that I didn't notice when I bought them (used), and I haven't exactly beat them to death. Should I consider hi hats to be perishable items, or does this mainly apply to low end and/or poorly maintained sets?

(yes, I'm a total drum newb)
Click to expand...

They can last a lifetime. Buy used if it suits you; check carefully for cracks next time.
 
antichef said:
I'm slowly (and I mean glacially slowly) building a studio kit, and I think I need to replace my crappy hats next. My question is -- is buying used hi hats a little like buying used guitar strings?

The cheap ones I have now have a crack that I didn't notice when I bought them (used), and I haven't exactly beat them to death. Should I consider hi hats to be perishable items, or does this mainly apply to low end and/or poorly maintained sets?

(yes, I'm a total drum newb)
Click to expand...

I have the same 1950's hihats that I bought in 1972, and another 60's AZ set and a pair of Wuhans.

Largely, cracking cymbals is due to bad technique - pounding the sound into the cymbal instead of drawing it out, although there are flaws in cymbals. Also, people are idiots when they don't use cymbal sleeves - don't buy them, go to Ace hardware and get a few feet of the plastic tubing. And check the edges of cymbals and sand out nicks before they crack.

I always buy used cymbals because, for one thing, they don't sound right to me until several decades after they are made and the metal ages.

Lots of cymbals get cracks and they should be drilled at the end and the sides of the cracks removed with a Dremel. I did some cracks in mine 35 years ago, and that saved them. It did not affect the tone of the cymbals as far as I can tell. But it's like a cavity in your tooth - fix it soon and you save it, wait and you might not be able to.

I'd buy off of Craigslist so you can see and hear them before you buy... I avoid new ones. I actually like ones with cracks for 2 reasons: I can buy them dirt cheap because "they're broken" and because it often means that someone played it a lot and for whatever reason most of the best cymbals I've used have cracks.

It's the new, shiny ones I avoid like the plague.
 
yeah, there's no reason why you can't buy used--i've picked up about half my cymbals that way. like supercreep said, check carefully for cracks--and i'm very wary of the "drilling" technique. i understand that it does work for some people, but it has to be done properly and on hi-hats i'd be especially wary of it simply b/c it's not just one cymbal hanging to be struck--it's the sound of the 2 cymbals together that can be altered by a crack.

pawn shops rock for cymbals. if you hit the right one, you can find amazing deals because a lot of pawn shop dudes simply have no idea what these things go for new. i picked up a 22" avedis zildjian ride 15 years ago that is still my only ride cymbal. cost me $70.
 
In my experience, once it cracks it sounds different - forever.
 
To me, older cymbals are like older guitars. Usually they have better sound, more personality and mojo and most of the time they can be had for less than new. Try some pawn shops or eBay and look for A. Zildjians or another brand that has a reputation...a good one that is.

Wuhan hats are hard to find but for a cheap, new pair of hats they're pretty cool and have a unique sound.
 
Gawd - I just went to 8 pawn shops and didn't find crap. There was one set of unbranded 14" for $30, but I didn't get them - they looked sort of crappy.

[But I did just pick up an Iron Cobra pedal (new at GC) - I don't yet have a kick drum, but for the time being I'm going to rig up some surface (2x4?) and tape a mic to it to use for triggering a software kick drum.]

Based on what I'm hearing, maybe Ebay's not the *best* place to look for used hats, because you can't inspect them?
 
antichef said:
Gawd - I just went to 8 pawn shops and didn't find crap. There was one set of unbranded 14" for $30, but I didn't get them - they looked sort of crappy.

[But I did just pick up an Iron Cobra pedal (new at GC) - I don't yet have a kick drum, but for the time being I'm going to rig up some surface (2x4?) and tape a mic to it to use for triggering a software kick drum.]

Based on what I'm hearing, maybe Ebay's not the *best* place to look for used hats, because you can't inspect them?
Click to expand...

Yes, cymbals vary a great deal, so it's best to try them out in person, but I'd still buy on eBay - life is full of risks, walk on the wild side.

I took a 2x6, maybe 15" long, and mounted a piece of angle aluminum on it to act like the drum hoop where you mounted the kick pedal. Then I used a strap (you could use duct tape) to attach it to a cinder block for weight and that was a good kick trigger setup.

Instead of a mic, for a trigger you can find piezo's in broken microwaves or smoke detectors that work fine for triggers. I carved out the back of the 2x6 and heat glued one in there for my kick trigger.
 
It's looking like the good stuff is easier to find new than used, at least for me, but I'll keep an eye out.
 
antichef said:
It's looking like the good stuff is easier to find new than used, at least for me, but I'll keep an eye out.
Click to expand...

oh, there's no question about this. i mean, you go to any of the major websites music stores, or crack open any catalog and you have endless variety to choose from. finding good stuff used is always a treasure hunt.

if you have any local drum shops or even a gc close by, those places will sell used stuff too. you won't get killer deals, but you will get a decent discount. and as long as there are no cracks, dents, or ovalled mounting holes, you're getting the same cymbal that you would new. that may mean getting a $350 cymbal for $275--still not cheap, but a deal nonetheless. just a thought.
 
Used cymbals are nothing like used guitar strings. Though I guess it depends on your view of new strings vs broken-in, a cymbal can age and mature in sound, there's nothing wrong at all with used cymbals.

I've snagged some great deals on Ebay, but be sure it's a reputable seller and the photos are good quality and detail things like the hole and edges.
 
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