Categories: Cymbals

Zildjian 20″ A Custom ReZo Crash Cymbal

The ReZo line for Zildjian is relatively new, and there are more than a dozen models ranging from a 10″ Splash up to a 21″ Ride. They are beautiful cymbals to look at, and in my opinion, one of the best sounding models they have ever created. The ReZo has a combination of hammering and lathing, but the lathing is spaced with regions of finely lathed and heavily lathed surfaces. The inner portion of the cymbal is thicker than the outer region. In this review, we look at the Zildjian 20″ A Custom ReZo Crash Cymbal to accompany the 19″ ReZo Crash review also published.

The sound is bright, but with a tinge of trashiness that gives it a totally unique character.

Specifications

Manufacturer Line: ReZo
Type: Crash
Style: Medium
Alloy: B20 – CuSn20 – 80% Copper, 20% Tin
Diameter: 20″
Metal Work: Machine Hammered, Machine Lathed, Buffed and Traditional Finish
Weight: 4 Pounds
MSRP: $495 USA; Street Price $285
Zildjian

The close-up photo below shows the unique lathing pattern.

Spectral analysis shows that the frequencies are highest in the 6 kHz range, but extend out to 60 kHz. The magenta spectral line is the peak volume at the initial crash, and the yellow line is the sound level 2 seconds afterward, so the yellow line shows the decay. As you can see, this cymbal produces sound as low as 30 Hz, and you can watch the cymbal shimmy after striking it. And, even after 2 seconds, it is still producing those low frequencies at almost the same volume as it did when it was initially crashed.

The peak level of sound is reached at 0.15 – 0.2 seconds, followed by a relatively fast decay.

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).

RETURN TO ZILDJIAN INDEX.

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.