Are You Buying Cymbals Wrong?

_______________ Secret to Buying the Perfect Cymbal Is...

Buying a cymbal...it's such a BIG purchase for a drummer. How do we know if we're making the right cymbal choice? What is the cymbal thought process we need to be going through?

Lucky for you, I have the man himself with me today, Mr. Paul Francis from Zildjian cymbals. Paul has been at Zildjian for YEARS. He's the head cymbal maker at Zildjian and, in my opinion, is the world authority on all things cymbal related.

I had Paul sit down with me and go through his 5 biggest tips for how to buy a cymbal.

Leave a comment below and let me know your thoughts/tips of buying cymbals!
___

All Zildjian

Drums:
Tama Starclassic Bubinga with Tiger Wood finish

Sticks:
Vic Firth 5A

Drumheads:
Aquarian
Classic Clear on toms and snare resonant
Response 2 on toms batter
Hi-Velocity on snare batter
Regularor (Ebony) on kick resonant
Super Kick 10 on kick batter

Alclair In Ear Monitors

Earthworks Microphones

[StephenTaylorDrums]

Buying a cymbal...it's such a BIG purchase for a drummer. How do we know if we're making the right cymbal choice? What is the cymbal thought process we need to be going through?

Lucky for you, I have the man himself with me today, Mr. Paul Francis from Zildjian cymbals. Paul has been at Zildjian for YEARS. He's the head cymbal maker at Zildjian and, in my opinion, is the world authority on all things cymbal related.

I had Paul sit down with me and go through his 5 biggest tips for how to buy a cymbal.

Leave a comment below and let me know your thoughts/tips of buying cymbals!

[joshua.merrill]

As a beginner drummer, I find the most helpful thing when buying cymbals is to have a lot of disposable income.

[DDannyrose]

The best advice for drummers. The advice no music store wants you to hear.

[derekpink]

“Bring a friend”

As a drummer, I’m not sure what that last word means. Is it German for cowbell?

[joshraleigh]

I'm a drum salesmen actually and I always do my best with customers when they are buying a cymbals. I don't have a room with a drum set unfortunately but I do have a 45 day return policy so if they buy something they play it for a month and a half to really decide if they like it

[beastehful]

The thing that is both frustrating and rewarding about shopping for cymbals is the wild variation in sound between specimens of the same model. You could play five "identical" cymbals and find that two are gongy/clangy/bin lids, two sound okay and maybe one (or none) actually sounds really nice. If you're very lucky or spend years searching you might find the best example you'll ever hear.

In my observation there's a lot of expensive bin lids hanging on the walls of music shops. Beware of high end cymbals on sale at a discount, with a layer of dust from sitting in the shop for ages.

[CameronBartholomew]

Another idea -- buy used -- and you can always flip 'em! Some of my favorite cymbals ever have been second-hand finds.... Definitely worth it to check out used models, and get familiar with the second-hand marketplace. It can be a lot of fun too.

[SocialistDistancing]

I live in Canada and most of my drum gear has come through long & mcquade. They have a pretty good policy for buying cymbals. I you purchase a cymbal, you may return in 30 days and get a refund. The only issue with this is you need the cash (or credit) to out right buy the cymbal. This is how I would buy cymbals. First, pick out whatever cymbal that you're interested in. But don't pick just one of that model. Pick two or three (if possible). Mount them on in store stands and play them against each other. As he indicated, bring a drummer friend along. With back turned (so that you can't see which cymbal he is playing) have him play each cymbal. I find this helps you focus on the sound and not any visual choices. Once I've done this phase, I take the cymbal home and play it on my kit. I have taken 2 of the same type cymbals home for a test drive and then return the one that I decided that I didn't want. I once bought a ride and after a couple of weeks I decided that it wasn't working out and I returned it and picked out a different ride. I've also taken cymbals to jam sessions to hear other drummers play them to hear what they actually sound like with a full band. Buying cymbals can be a long process. My local L&M doesn't stick the massive amount of cymbals that it use to, so I've had to order cymbals unheard and then had to return them. I feel for the drummers that have limited selection to peruse through. My suggestion is try to travel to a store that has a better selection. I hope this gave you some ideas.

[boomerguy]

Step No. 1 - GO TO THE STORE. Gotta hear them in person. Bring your own sticks!
Step No. 2 - Then follow all of Paul's tips! EXCELLENT VIDEO!

[ultradrums]

Here are some tips that may help choose a cymbal. Hit it soft, hit it hard and hit it all around. Let it ring and hear it ping. Let it ring and wash it out.Crescendo the cymbal then suddenly, grab cymbal quickly to stop. If you’re ears are smiling that’s the cymbal for you.

[ILikeWafflz]

The first thing you said; I think that speaks to all of us. I bought a 16" Zildjian ZHT china online about a month ago, and I love it! Even though it's a pretty inexpensive cymbal, it's very bright and cutting compared to the rest of my cymbals, and it's _perfect_ for when I want a sharp accent, which was exactly what I was looking for.
If curious, it sees use at the 5:00, 8:51, and 10:34 marks of my 7empest cover (not a plug, honestly; it's just if someone's curious about the cymbal in use).

[cydrums]

The most solid advice I've ever heard on the subject!

[coconut]

0:24 those are some pretty nice sounds ngl

[JoshReserMusic]

Short, sweet, dense, to the point. absolutely love it

[DanGrossDrums]

Good tips. Did not get the opportunity to "bring a friend" but did most of the rest on my two recent cymbal purchases.
I'd clarify the "bring your sticks" to include mallets/rods/brushes. Anything you'd normally use on your set.
And "bring your cymbals" can also include the cymbal you intend to replace, if you're doing that. Just decided that I wanted to have a darker ride than I had been using for my default ride, so brought my old ride to compare (I almost always set up with 1 ride). If you're going for a "different" sound, you don't want to end up with a cymbal that sounds too close to the cymbal you currently have. (ended up going with a 20" K Custom dark).

[kyronnewbury]

And then play it regularly for a year and once the cymbal settles in and gets its kinks out decide if its the right cymbal for you

[samtumminello]

Right on Steve!!! Simple and to the point! Perfect advice!!! You gotta love what you buy!!! No sense spending a ton of cash and it doesn’t blend with your other sounds. I group my cymbals that compliment and blend well for certain situations as well and keep them separate. I have a cymbal rack that works well for this and when I wanna different set up I go over change up and roll. Playing out I use different bags and keep them as organized as possible 😂

[kiltymacbagpipe]

I was once told to plug the ear closest to the cymbal or drum or whatever, which can approximate what it’s like to listen to at a distance. It’s effective but not a substitute for having someone else play for you.

[ronphilbeck]

Great tips. I have to admit I've been a little intimidated to take my cymbals in and to ask for a place to try things out. But now I won't be! I do wish Zildjian had all their sound samples more organized on their website. Some do not work at all. It would be great to be able to listen to more of them at home just to narrow it down a bit. I think the Paiste site has nailed it and I love their digital sound room where I place several cymbals to click on and try out. That said I just bought a Zildjian 21" K Sweet ride and 19" K Sweet crash and totally love them! Thanks for the amazing videos Stephen! I'm coming back to playing after a 20 year break.

[Pure_KodiakWILD_Power]

i have 15 or 16 cymbals on my kit; they're not going anywhere unless it's a permanent move, so i just buy what sounds interesting, take it to the kit, and return it if i don't like it 😂