Cymbals – So Many Decisions!

When shopping for drum cymbals, there is no doubt that we have many choices!  Brands, sizes, finishes, budget…the list goes on and on.  This article will cover some basic tips when cymbal shopping.

Budget

This is probably one of the most important factors when shopping for your next cymbal.  You will want to know (and stay) within your particular budget.  These days, even the least expensive cymbals can sound good; however, comparing them to higher end cymbals will only complicate your decision.

Tone

As drummers we understand some pretty crazy and funny terms like: warm, heavy, thin, bright, crisp, shimmery, etc and we usually understand exactly what we mean!  I’ve always recommended choosing what sounds best to you.  Be creative and open when choosing your drum cymbals.  It is not necessary to even stay with the same brand.  The tone you choose basically comes down to what sounds good to you and the sound you are trying to achieve.

Sizes

HiHats Size can sometimes dictate tone, so be sure to understand this as you go shopping.  Standard HiHats are 14” but be sure to explore the 13” HiHats which are more compact and are unique sounding. 

Crash cymbals range from 14” to 19”.  The 16” crash cymbal is still one of the industry standards however to this date, the 17, 18, and 19” crashes are becoming more popular . These offer warm tone while maintaining brightness at the same time. 

Ride cymbals usually range from 20” to 22” and offer many different “bell” sizes which play a large part in their sustain and tone.

 


Splash cymbals will usually be 8”, 10” and 12”.  Splash cymbals offer a short sustain and are sometimes defined to have a fast attack with a trashy sound.  Other cymbals to explore are China and Trash (or Effect) cymbals.

Basic Set Up & Roles

The beautiful thing about music is that there are really no rules!  You can create your own thing and be as original as you can be.

With that said, there are some standard cymbal set up’s that you might want to know about.  

Here are a few examples:

• Basic Set Up #1

  • HiHats
  • Crash Cymbal
  • Ride Cymbal

• Basic Set Up #2

  • HiHats
  • Crash Cymbal (Left Side, usually 16-17”)
  • Crash Cymbal (Right Side, usually 17-19”)
  • Ride Cymbal

• Basic Set Up #3

  • HiHats
  • Crash Cymbal
  • Crash Cymbal
  • Ride Cymbal
  • Effect Cymbal (Can be a splash, china, FX, etc)

If you need any help deciding on how to go forward with your cymbal setup - contact us at 1-877-778-7845 and one of our Drum Professionals will help you.