Why is it you never see threads saying....

Larry

"Uncle Larry"
I'm getting a new cymbal set. It's always always always, I'm getting a new drum set.
It's all good, it just struck me that I've not seen threads like that before.

You see the threads where someone is considering a single cymbal, but never a set. Excepting the box set of cymbals, people don't think in terms of cymbal sets it seems.
 
I think it's because, like snares, cymbals are so individual in their sound and application that nobody buys a set of cymbals usually. We identify a sonic need and we fill it with a single plate.

Having said that, I am probably going to be the closest thing to "buying a set of cymbals" in the next couple of years. I move my 18" and 19" crashes and my 20" K Custom back and forth between my Yamaha and Ludwig sets, but I want to purchase a darker set of cymbals that will work with the two sets. I'm looking at Ks and older As in 18" and 19". I'm also considering a crashier ride to contrast the K Custom (which is anything but crashable). I'm thinking a nice sloshy, dark pair of 14"s or 15"s and an 18" EFX-type would round out the set and the sound I want. So there. When I do go out for cymbals next, that's the "set" I'm buying!
 
I guess people are told on here constantly not to buy 'sets'.

I dunno though, I see lots of stories where somebody on here went to the store to get Evans heads, they then saw a nice ride, picked that up, then while they were at it...tried some hats to match, and oh ya found a good deal on a crash too. They left the store paying > $1000.
When all my purchases are kinda planned, really thought out, that always amazes me
 
Bought my Giant Beats as a "set" a couple of years ago.......in as much that I bought the ride and two multis second hand off the same eBay seller at the same time. It's as close to buying a "set" as I've ever been, I guess.
 
I think it might simply be a matter of the dominance of the A and K sounds in the cymbal marketplace. Most manufacturers sell A clones and K clones, and while other sounds do exist and are sold, exploring those sounds is an expensive and difficult endeavor.

If I were to find myself behind a set of Byzance VS cymbals, I'd be lost. Sure I could plink around, and play them as if they were K's, but I'd really want to have them for a few weeks to figure them out. At $2k for the set, I really don't have the motivation to do so.

I'm optimistic that my ear will mature to the point where I desire something other than a set of A's and a set of K's. I'm also optimistic that someday I'l be able to afford to spend $2k on a whim to try out some more complex cymbal setups.
 
We don't post information about our new cymbal sets for two reasons.

When we buy a set of cheap cymbals that we can live with, we are embarrassed and we don't want other drummers to know we use cheap, bad sounding cymbals.

When we buy a set of expensive cymbals we don't want to say how much money we spent. Consequently we are embarrassed about spending so much money on cymbals.

.
 
Part of it might be that people who ask about whether or not to get a certain kit will generally be guys who are making the leap from a starter kit to an intermediate (or even pro) one.

Since drummers generally replace kick and toms (and often snare) in one go, they want an opinion on the whole package, but then they'll probably replace their starter cymbals one by one.
 
I'm getting a new cymbal set. It's always always always, I'm getting a new drum set.
It's all good, it just struck me that I've not seen threads like that before.

You see the threads where someone is considering a single cymbal, but never a set. Excepting the box set of cymbals, people don't think in terms of cymbal sets it seems.
Firstly,what we most often see, is the erronious "I'm up grading my kit or cymbals".....no .....you're NOT.You're simply buying something new,that you didn't have before.You're not "upgrading" ...anything."Upgrading", only applies to and existing item,that you're adding on to,as in an airplane ticket.The ticket was for coach,now you've "upgraded "to first class...............see the difference? Same ticket,but,you've changed the seating ,and service arrangement.


I think ,as oppose to drum sets,cymbal sets often don't sound like a set.Just a bunch of cymbals that are thrown together.The promise of "factory matches" is subjective at best.One mans pig is another mans poke.I may love the sound of a certain,individual ride,but the ride in the "boxed set" may not be as much to my liking as the crash and hats in that same box,...could be.

In the end, I still believe to should let your ears decide,buy cymbals individually,and even mix brands if they play well together.( I currently have 3 different brands on the same kit)............OCD aside.They have meds for that now.:)

Steve B
 
I think OpenTune hit the nail on the head. Unless you buy what is called a "cymbal pack" even if you buy them all at once but pick them one at a time we don't consider them sets. Or Packs. And because of price we tend to "upgrade" one at a time. Sell the B8 and buy the A's or 2002's rather than all at once. I bought my A's all at one time from once source, ride, three crashes, and hats, but Im' not sure if I called them a set when I posted on here. Just semantics me thinks.
 
I bought a whole new set of cymbals a few weeks ago, I just didn't post it because it seems odd to spout about it.

Cymbals are very hard to feel good about buying without a lot of thought.

I think they might cause the most post purchase depression of anything musical.

I really fear buying new cymbals.

I wanted a new ride because my old ride was too rock for what I play lately. Then I did a few recordings and felt that my Paiste Signatures were just too sparkly and a bit harsh with the way we were mic'd, — only overheads, snare, bass and a front mic.

With that thought in mind, I chose cymbals that would work with my drums and be less harsh and a little less loud, so the drums will have more presence in the mix.

I drove from Boston, up to the Drum Center in Portsmouth, NH and picked from a big stack of cymbals that were mostly hand picked at Meinl, by the owner, Shane.
The Meinl rep, Adam was there and he really helped me out a lot.

I picked a nice set of mostly Vintage Sand cymbals. A 20" sand ride, a set of sand hats, an 18" sand thin crash and a 20" extra dry thin crash.

I think I should be able to work my Paiste 20" Sound Formula silk crash/ride into this mix too. That's one of the cymbals I bought, but hated later. I think it will work with this setup.

I'm really happy about this set. It's been a long time since I bought new cymbals. Maybe close to 20 years.

The drums they work with are SonorLites. They record really well and bark and growl like hell.
 
I'm glad you're happy with all your new bronze Wally. Cymbals never sound the same to me in the store as at home or at the gig. I've returned many a cymbal. Buying cymbals is tricky. It's not cut and dried. I have a set that works together, and TBH, I have no plans on changing anything, it's too hard to get a full set that works well together. Buying cymbals is tough, how do you evaluate when you aren't at a gig? Drums are much easier. Drum tones are much more similar to each other than cymbals tones are.
 
Cymbals are very hard to feel good about buying without a lot of thought.

I think they might cause the most post purchase depression of anything musical.

.

Ha! agreed.
I have had some real buyers remorse on some cymbals. Not right away at home, but first time they were played out, or with the band practice.
 
I was fantasizing about the prospect of all my cymbals getting stolen. Not for real, but as a thought exercise to starting over with my cymbals and what would I do differently.

As long as I can find Thin to Medium-Thin crashes, a Medium-Thin to Medium ride (21" or 22"), and 15" Hats, I'm good to go. And since I've succumbed to all-Zildjian-all-the-time, the choices wouldn't be difficult.

19" A Medium-Thin / K Dark Thin
20" A Medium-Thin / A Custom / K Crash-Ride
22" A Medium Ride / 21" Sweet Ride
15" New Beats / K Lights

Prolly have to throw in a EFX too. I have an 18" now, which is cool, but a 20" ... sure, why not.

In any case, going to a store with a large inventory to try things out (and together) would be a gas. I don't think it would be something that would freak me out or cause me any regrets. It would be fun. Cymbal buying seems most problematic (and anxiety-inducing) when buying one at a time and taking the new one home to meet its new siblings.

Imagine buying toms and bass drums à la carte ... That would definitely freak me out!
 
Threads about one cymbal usually ask for something that will mix with their current cymbals. A set can be one-and-done, where individual cymbals seem to demand a thread every single time someone wants to add to their setup. If you're buying a cymbal pack, you already know what you want, or are at least confident enough that everything will sound good together.
 
Although I didn't post that I got a new cymbal 'set', I did when I got my 22 K Light Ride and the 17" thin crash for hats. I guess people don't consider hats and a ride a 'set'?
 
I was fantasizing about the prospect of all my cymbals getting stolen. Not for real, but as a thought exercise to starting over with my cymbals and what would I do differently.



In any case, going to a store with a large inventory to try things out (and together) would be a gas. I don't think it would be something that would freak me out or cause me any regrets. It would be fun. Cymbal buying seems most problematic (and anxiety-inducing) when buying one at a time and taking the new one home to meet its new siblings.

I thought I lost my cymbals once, for like a week. Like a dope I set them by my tire, and the round black case....I missed it while loading up. Ugh. Realized it when I woke up. Never put the cymbals in the van. Went out and got a whole new set. Turns out I went for the same kind of cymbals. I have this requirement in my head. Then next time I played there a week later, surprise, my original cymbals got returned to me. Somebody saw them in the lot and brought them in the bar. Yay, but oh darn, an extra set of cymbals lol.

Re: store with large inventories....On paper that sounds great, and it is, but when I was in Memphis I stopped by the Memphis Drum Shop and wow did THEY have a ton of cymbals. I was pretty much paralyzed with all the choices. I was only looking for hats, New Beats actually, of which they only had like 2 or 3 pairs. I got a set, but I didn't like them at home in PA. Gave them to my son.

Cymbals are tough. They should have like a cymbal palace, where they have every new cymbal made and you can sit and try anything you want, 24 hours a day. On every block lol.
 
I've never bought a set of cymbals.

I buy cymbals that sound good to me individually, and that complement (or contrast) the ones I already have.
 
....Excepting the box set of cymbals, people don't think in terms of cymbal sets it seems.

I think people do think in terms of 'cymbal sets', but everyone defines it differently.

For myself, if I get a set of cymbals, I get hi hats and two rides.

One alternate set of cymbals I've gotten is hi hats, one crash and one ride.
 
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