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Cymbals

Cymbals will be reviwed in this category.

Sabian 21″ Vault Holy China Crash Cymbal

John E. Johnson, Jr.

In the 1950's Avedis Zildjian got together with Gene Krupa to make something that would be called a Pang cymbal. It looked like a regular cymbal with the edge turned upward, and it had a distinctive Far East sound quality. The Swish cymbal, a variation on the Pang, was also developed, and it had a higher pitch with more wash. Jazz drummers started using Pangs in their kit, and these days, many drummers have several of them, calling them simply China cymbals. While the first one didn't look distinctive except for the turned up edges, the China cymbals of today have all kinds of distinctive characteristics, including engravings. Sabian collaborated with Chad Smith and introduced what they call the Holy China cymbal, because it has holes in it. Drilling holes and slots in cymbals, calling them Special Effects cymbals, is very popular now, and Sabian has done this with the Holy China line. Available in 19" and 21" sizes, the present review covers the 21".

Cymbals

Sabian 19″ Vault Holy China Crash Cymbal

John E. Johnson, Jr.

In the 1950's Avedis Zildjian got together with Gene Krupa to make something that would be called a Pang cymbal. It looked like a regular cymbal with the edge turned upward, and it had a distinctive Far East sound quality. The Swish cymbal, a variation on the Pang, was also developed, and it had a higher pitch with more wash. Jazz drummers started using Pangs in their kit, and these days, many drummers have several of them, calling them simply China cymbals. While the first one didn't look distinctive except for the turned up edges, the China cymbals of today have all kinds of distinctive characteristics, including engravings. Sabian collaborated with Chad Smith and introduced what they call the Holy China cymbal, because it has holes in it. Drilling holes and slots in cymbals, calling them Special Effects cymbals, is very popular now, and Sabian has done this with the Holy China line. Available in 19" and 21" sizes, the present review covers the 19".

Cymbals

Sabian 22″ AAX Omni (Crash and Ride) Cymbal

John E. Johnson, Jr.

Jojo Mayer requested that Sabian design a cymbal that could be all-purpose, namely crash and ride. Of course, you can crash and ride any cymbal, but the sound that is produced is not often suitable. So, Sabian came up with the Omni. Currently, they are available in two sizes, 18" and 22". This review covers the 22" version, and I have to say that the design not only works well, but the two versions make a nice set.

Cymbals

Sabian 18″ AAX Omni (Crash and Ride) Cymbal

John E. Johnson, Jr.

Jojo Mayer requested that Sabian design a cymbal that could be all-purpose, namely crash and ride. Of course, you can crash and ride any cymbal, but the sound that is produced is not often suitable. So, Sabian came up with the Omni. Currently, they are available in two sizes, 18" and 22". This review covers the 18" version, and I have to say that the design works very well.

Cymbals

Sabian 22″ HHX Legacy Heavy Ride Cymbal

John E. Johnson, Jr.

Cymbals that jazz drummers often seek, but have a difficult time finding are rides that have a dark wash, and a ping that is just above the wash to be heard but not distract from the soloist. The Sabian 22" HHX Legacy Heavy Ride is just such as cymbal.

Cymbals

Meinl 20″ MB10 Medium Crash Cymbal

John E. Johnson, Jr.

Meinl's MB10 series is made from B10 bronze, which means 90% copper and 10% tin. The high copper content results in a bright sound, and although high copper content usually gives the cymbal a more reddish color, the MB10's look like B20.

Cymbals

Sabian 22″ APX Ride Cymbal

John E. Johnson, Jr.

One of Sabian's more economical lines of cymbals (mid-priced) is called APX. They are made from sheet metal rather than cast, but they still use a bronze alloy (not brass). This particular one is the 22" APX ride cymbal, and I have to say that the ping from this cymbal cuts through like a razor. It has a very sharp and lightning fast attack, with very little wash. So, all the energy goes into the ping. You can ride the heck out of it without developing a wash that buries the ping. So, don't overlook this moderately inexpensive series. It might have what you need.

Cymbals

Bosphorus 18″ Traditional Jazz Crash Ride Cymbal

John E. Johnson, Jr.

Bosphorus cymbals are a little hard to find, mostly because they make up part of the 10% of cymbal sales that are not Paiste, Sabian, or Zildjian ("The Big Three"). But, they are out there, you just have to look. This one is an 18", and it is classified as a jazz crash ride in the Bosphorus Traditional series, meaning that you can use it as a crash cymbal as well as a ride cymbal. So, I measured the response both ways.

Cymbals

Meinl 20″ Soundcaster Fusion Powerful Crash Cymbal

John E. Johnson, Jr.

Meinl's Soundcaster series is one of their top lines. They are B20 bronze, with elegant hand hammering and lathing, and the surface has one region near the bell that is hammered but not lathed, while the outer region is hammered and lathed, so you get three playing surfaces including the bell (which is not hammered or lathed). It comes in the Brilliant finish, and is a sure fire attention-getter both in looks and sound.

Cymbals

Meinl 22″ Soundcaster Custom Mega Bell Ride Cymbal

John E. Johnson, Jr.

The bell of a cymbal is much more than just a place to suspend the cymbal from. It contributes a lot to the sound. The larger the bell, in general, the more musical it sounds. A cymbal without a bell sounds very dry. A typical cymbal has a bell that spans about 25-30% of the cymbal diameter. In this 22" Meinl Soundcaster Custom Mega Bell Ride Cymbal, the bell makes up nearly half the diameter across the cymbal. This results in a very unique ride sound, and it also gives "Bell Riders" a huge surface to work with.

Cymbals

Meinl 20″ Byzance Jazz Club Ride Cymbal

John E. Johnson, Jr.

The bell of a cymbal contributes much more to the sound than one migh realize. Nowhere is this more illustrated that in a cymbal that has no bell, such as this 20" Meinl Byzance Jazz Club Ride. It has a dry, light ping that is perfect for small club venues. It has four rivets that add a subtle note to the wash which is very intense compared to the ride ping.

Cymbals