Categories: Cymbals

Zildjian 18″ K Custom Dark Crash Cymbal

The Zildjian K Custom Dark Crash is a favorite among many drummers. This particular one is 18″.Â It has a great sound, and I think it would be terrific in a jazz kit.

Specifications

Manufacturer Line: K Custom Dark
Type: Crash
Style: Medium
Alloy: B20 – CuSn20 – 80% Copper, 20% Tin
Diameter: 18″
Metal Work: Hand Hammered, Hand Lathed, Buffed Finish
Weight: 3.5 Pounds
MSRP: $511 USA; Street Price $295
Zildjian

The close-up photo below shows the unique hammering pattern. The cymbalsmith used a tool that is much smaller than the tool used to hammer most cymbals, and it has an odd shape to it. This is the “K” hammer mark (blue arrows). There are also some larger, more typically shaped hammer marks, and they are moderately deep (white arrows). The lathing is very regular, but not enough that I would think it was accomplished by machine (CNC). This is very fine hand lathing. The sound quality shows the craftmanship put into this cymbal.

The spectrum shows peaks at 600 Hz, 1.6 kHz, and 2.2 kHz, followed by some major peaks in the 3 kHz – 4 kHz range, then slowly drops off. In particular, it attenuates above 10 kHz. The major peaks at 600 Hz, 1.6 kHz, and 2.2 kHz give it the “Dark” sound. The initial crash frequencies extend to 50 kHz, and most of the spectrum decays evenly after 2 seconds.

The peak of the crash occurs at 0.22 seconds, so the sound builds noticeably after the initial attack (struck with the drumstick). It rides very well too, and reminds me of late 1950’s dark cymbal work, with the ping just noticeable above the wash.

Click HERE to listen to an audio sample, which will include crash (when appropriate), ride, and bell sounds (these are 24 bit, 176.4 kHz wav files, so be sure your sound card is capable of handling these high resolution sound files).

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John E. Johnson, Jr.

Editor-in-Chief Emeritus. John E. Johnson, Jr. founded Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity in 1994, shortly after publishing a hardcopy book of the same title. He served as Editor-in-Chief of Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity until 2022. John has been involved in audio and video for more than 50 years, having built radio transmitters, amplifiers, turntables, and speakers from scratch. He was also one of the founders of the Northern California Audio Video Association, now The Bay Area Audio Society. John holds four university degrees, including a Ph.D. in Neuroscience, and has published numerous scientific books, along with dozens of scientific articles on biomedical research topics as well as imaging technology. He was the founder and Editor-in-Chief of two medical/scientific journals for 20 years. John holds several patents, including one on high resolution image analysis and one on a surgical instrument. He has been affiliated with NASA, The National Institutes of Health, The Johns Hopkins University, Stanford Research Institute, and The University of California at Berkeley. He is President of the consulting firm Scientific Design and Information, Inc., which is based in Redwood City, California. John resides in the San Francisco Bay area with his wife and multiple kitties! His daughter, Cynthia, who was an integral part of SECRETS for many years, resides in San Francisco.