How to Choose a Good Ride Cymbal
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- Опубліковано 16 гру 2024
- In this video I show you the qualities I look for when purchasing a ride cymbal. I show you several different vintage and modern ride cymbals and tell you what I like and don't like about them.
Drums are Craviotto Private Reserve
20'x15", 10 x 8, 12x 8, 14x14 floor tom, 14x 6.5 Snare Drum
The Hi Hats are Sabian 13" HH Regular
Sticks are my custom Vic Firth Signature set stick in maple. These are available only from me at rickdior@gmail.com. They are also available in Hickory.
The microphones are Neumann U89 overheads and a Shure Beta 52 on the bass drum.
First of all, this is another great video. I agree 100% with your choice of cymbal weights. I'm about 10% as good as you, but I still enjoy learning and trying to improve at the age of 74.
I bought my first set of Zildjian cymbals in 1966, a pair of 14" hi hats and a 19" ride. They were all pre-serial number and pre-"A-series". I still have them.
The hi hats are thin, lightweight with a wonderful bright sound and work great with brushes as well as light sticks, particularly wood-tips. I still use them a lot.
The ride is a 19" medium weight which sounds great at low volume only; as volume increases, the hum/roar becomes overbearing and drowns out acoustic instruments. I hid this one in a closet.
As a moonlighting jazz player, I prefer the darker K's with lighter weights, particularly the Custom Dark ones. I've tried Sabian, Bosphorus and others in all models but always come back to the darker K's without wash or hum. I like a clean sound with definition, but that's just me. Cymbal choices are like choosing your favorite ice cream flavor, very subjective.
A good ride cymbal is great, but I’d rather have your impeccable ride hand technique. Great work Rick 🥁👍
Thank you.
I have a 19" Zildjian ride that was my father's and he passed away in 1972. He had that cymbal for years, so it may go back to the 50's. I think I have one cymbal stand that the hole of the cymbal fits! Great sound to me. Great video and great playing Rick.
Thanks Tony. 19' was a rare size back then. Even I don't have one of those!
Hi Rick your videos are the most informative on UA-cam about drumming and drum related topics. Just watched this and great tips about choosing ride cymbals. Like snare drums drummers can go through a lot of snare drums and cymbals trying to find 'their' sound. I have a plethora of various cymbals most of which I acquired used, came with drum sets I purchased, at garage sales and even found out in people's trash by the road. I've bought very few brand new cymbals at regular retail prices. One of my favorite ride cymbals is one of the few I've bought brand new: a Meinl Vintage Pure 22" Light ride cymbal. It has a rather dry dark tone with a lot of stick definition but enough 'wash' to be usable in a variety of musical applications, and it crashes well. I use it in a church praise band application because it is controllable and doesn't 'get away' from me with steady ride patterns. I also have an older (1980's ?) Zildjian K 22" heavy flat ride that has a very crystalline 'pingy' stick definition with almost no wash. Along with a collection of Zildjian A's crashes and rides I find the sound colors available in cymbals to be fascinating. Great video thanks.
Mr. Dior has The best stuff in the Planet! I want to live in a House like yours! Craviotto, Gretsch, Ludwig drums...old Ks , Bosphorus...To me the main diference between old ks and today's cymbals is the stick definition. Old cymbals usually have the ideal amount of overtones. The new ones usually get dirt when you Crash them. One question: Is that due to the surface's oxide?the hamering! The size of the bell? Or the thickness?
Thanks for watching.
I think it's due to the combination (formula) of metals that were used back in those days. Purity or impurities could be a part of the process as well. I don't think there is a way to get that exact formula back because the ingredients are different now according to my metalworking friends.
While some modern cymbals get very close, i.e. Istanbul, it's never exactly the same. Of course, many of the old K's were terrible and there is far more consistency in the modern cymbal game.
Rick this is a great video I think. And your playing is fantastic. Of all the components of a drum set I love ride cymbals. I have 22 ride cymbals now going from 18 inches to 26 inches. My favorites are Istanbul Agops.
If you leave the top felts and nuts off you can change a ride presto. I do this for hours sometimes. And sometimes a cymbal will sound very different from the last time I played it. This fascinates me. Anyway cheers and keep up the great videos. Bill.
Fantastic video full of useful information. Thanks so much, Rick!
I recently picked up a Paiste Twenty series 20 inch ride at 2600 gms. What a beautiful tone. My first Paiste and I am very happy. I play jazz 👌
Great video Rick! Really enjoyed watching, and I’m still on the search for a good jazz, and good what you call ‘all-round” ride, I want both on my kit plus a hi hat. You mentioned weight, and I have a Dream Vintage Bliss crash/ride, 20 inch, that is just outside of your lower weight range. I think the weight is OK, I just wished it had a bit more raised profile. Now, for quiet playing it’s incredible, for anything loud the wash easily takes over.
Just shopping for a new set of cymbals now, thank you for these videos! Rick, I hear a lot about matching the cymbals to the genre of music you want to play, and this is so, so helpful. Does drum material matter, as well? Since drum kits sounds so different depending on construction ... for e.g., I just got my first acrylic kit and my existing cymbals that I was using with a Tama hyperdrive kit sound horrible with it (I think). Do certain cymbals also sound better with certain drum materials, regardless of genre? Thank you so much for any insight! Maybe another video in this series on "how to choose a cymbal" with consideration of drum types (diff woods, acrylic, etc)? I always trust your advice first and foremost! Thank you for all you do.
This is great Rick.
At the beginning, I was thinking "He has way better cymbals than that. What's going on?" 😆
That ludwig cymbal is all mids and ups. The old K is all lows..... that Constinople sounds full bodied but loud. I love the Sultans. I have cracked Istanbuls that are cracked and I really miss em
I find the paiste traditional light 22” almost perfect but often a bit clangy in the crash. Something about the signature alloy, but on the lighter end under 2400g they sound better. The Istanbul 22” 30th medium is like a less dry Nefertiti style ride, and their traditional and special edition jazz rides, crash rides and paper thins are also great. I just wish they made a small semi dry light ride with some sizzle. Somewhere between the sig 19” and the mel lewis crash ride maybe.
To my ears I like how modern made Istanbul crashes sound.
Try a thin old 50's A Zildjian. Some of them were great. Both bright and dark at the same time if that is possible. You can see some of mine here: ua-cam.com/video/1bugSEFpAZk/v-deo.html
I really like the lightest thins and paper thin ones. I find the darks have a bit too much tone/sustain that interferes with other instruments in a mix, since they are pitched much lower than zildjians or paistes. The OMs and 30ths can be great for a trashier crash though. The xist naturals are also very nice I think if a bit ordinary. Which can be a good thing. I think the Mehmet Tony Williams series is really great.
Your collection is incredible.
@DogAfraidOfUmbrellas
26 seconds ago
I have a 20” small stamp under 1800g which is exactly how you describe and is my favorite Zildjian. I can’t find a modern Zildjian ride that beats it and I’ve tried many. The sizzle in the ping stands out over a lower pitched wash that sits in the mix perfectly.
I have a 20”Sabian with a terrible hum but it has a great bell, also. Maybe it’s a thing? My 20” K Con. med thin low also amazing crash. The plan for my yucky Sabian is reworking it. There are some very interesting videos of guys relathing some awful cymbals with incredible before and after results.
Tim Roberts does great work in that realm.
Thank you I learned a lot. Great video!
Thank you for keep doing an equipment suggestion video. I bought a 20” K Constantinople Medium Thin Low (2040 grams) due to your previous video about choosing a jazz ride cymbal.
However, I got naughty by not listening to you and bought a pair of 14” Zildjian Special Dry Hi Hat which my band hates it so much.
PS. Even people kept recommending a 22” K Constantinople MTL - myself, however, found it to be too difficult to control, humming and vibrating a lot.
All of the hand hammered (or machine hammered) cymbals will be a crapshoot. You need to try before you buy or at the very least listen to a good sound file.
@@rickdior Thanks again Mr. Rick. I'll kept that in mind.
Thank you for this!!!! Very practical advice.
Fantastic Video. Great playing Rick.
In the description, you mention you're using your Signature Maple stick. What sonic difference does a Hickory Stick produce. I'm assuming the feel is different as well? Thank you.
Hi John
The hickory will be heavier and create a deeper sound on the ride cymbals.
The maple is more transparent.
@@rickdior
Thanks Rick
Am I crazy, or does that K (the very first one you play) not have a slight hum as well? A quite pleasing hum, but a hum none the less. I think I hear an A3 (220hz ish). Love your videos! Thanks!
I use a set of homemade small tubular bells in my drumset and ever since I brought it in I have issue with ride cymbals, because the overtones and the fundamental clash with the pitch of the tubular bells. The ride sounds out of tune. Terrible. I'm in search for a new ride and I'm aware I have to try one before I buy it, but what is it that I should look at? Flat rides? Heavier regular ones? I want smaller, possibly 18, because I play quiet stuff. Any hints? Thanks.
Great video. What would your suggestions be for readily available crash/ride for rock?
Hi Simon
I like the Sabian Vault crashes for rock. You could also go with the A customs but your milage may vary.
9:35 Do you ever put tape on your cymbals?I know steve gad does
I do not put tape on my cymbals.
You can probably fix that old ludwig ride by taking a hole-saw to it x6. Take 6 2-3 inch holes out and youll prob have somethung worth hitting. Love your channel thx. Maybe test it after 3 evenly placed holes
LOL! Folks, please don't try this at home and if you do, wear body armor.
@@rickdiorI've had positive results doing this. I made a completely unusable heavy ride into a gongy sounding FX cymbal ......... not unlike ozone. I have a hobby metal shop so I'm metal inclined though
What beat is he playing at the beginning? He goes through several dynamic changes but theres gotta be a main thread line no?
Funny I like the ludwig cymbal, its unconventionally bright but it has a great stick sound
It's the stick tip. All cymbals sound good with that type of tip.
Rick ever play a pre serial 602?
Yes, I have a few. Just like the serial # 602's. Pretty much all copies of themselves but in a good way.
whats the weight of the remix breakbeat ride? or i missed it. thanks for the great video
I think it's listed in the video. If not, I am guessing around 1600 grams.
thanks. it is not listed. :)
I think you could make a garbage lid sound good.
Exactly!
The 18 old K that is ‘bad’ is really not that bad in my opinion. Sounds cool to me
I’m still looking.
prob just fine 4 loud music. decent bell. so many paistes have pathetic bells even ridiculously expensive ones. i like more definition than wash.