Categories: Cymbals

Zildjian 21″ A Custom ReZo Ride 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 21″ A Custom ReZo Ride Cymbal. It not only rides beautifully, it crashes nicely as well.

Specifications

Manufacturer Line: ReZo
Type: Ride
Style: Medium
Alloy: B20 – CuSn20 – 80% Copper, 20% Tin
Diameter: 21″
Metal Work: Machine Hammered, Machine Lathed, Buffed and Traditional Finish
Weight: 4.5 Pounds
MSRP: $543 USA; Street Price $315
Zildjian

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

The spectrum represents a single ping as in riding the cymbal. Notice that the frequency response goes to 14 kHz before dropping sharply 30 dB to 16 kHz and then slowly declining from there. The ReZo crashes, on the other hand, have a main frequency response out to 6 kHz (19″) or 9 kHz (20″) before dropping off. The 21″ ride having a main response to 14 kHz gives it a very bright ping that will cut through other instruments in the band. It is not a heavy ping, so would be perfect as a jazz ride. However, its excellent brightness would also make it a good choice for rock music in a medium venue.

A combo of the Rezo 19″ Crash, 20″ Crash, and 21″ Ride cymbals would be a killer kit. The 21″ ReZo Ride can also be used as a crash, as you will hear in the sound sample.

The Level vs. Time graph indicates that the decay is a bit slower than some other ride cymbals.

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.