When I first started looking to buy my first cymbals, I had no idea what to look for or whether the price of the instrument was proportional to how good it sounds, and looks. So I thought Id write a little article to shed some light on the jargon and prices surrounding cymbals. And the most important thing to remember is that no description can beat hearing the pure sound of an instrument, so go to music shops and ask to try out anything your thinking of buying.
The first place to start with all the instruments your choosing to buy is looking at the type of music your going to be playing. Some people will like to play certain styles of music over others and other people want to play anything and everything , of which Im in the category of.
People who play only certain types of music are going to want gear tailored to the style/styles of music they will be playing; other people like myself will either choose well rounded and versatile instruments or pick different instruments for different jobs.
This first table is compiled of four of the main cymbal manufacturers, I have put the series of cymbals you most likely expect to be used for certain types of music.
Brand | Rock | Pop | Funk | RnB / Hip Hop / Drum n Bass | Jazz |
Zildjian | Z3 Series/ A Series / | K Custom hybrid Series/ A Zildjian Series | K Series / K Custom / A Series /
| A Series / Z/K Custom series | K Series / K Custom Series |
Paiste | Rude Series / Alpha Series/ 2002 Series | 2002 Series / Signature Series | Signature Series / | Twenty Series / 2002 Series | Signature Series / Signature Dark Energy/ Signature traditionals |
Meinl | MB20/ SoundCaster Series / Byzance Brilliant Series
| Byzance Brilliant Series/ MB10 Series/
| Byzance Range/ M Series | Generation X Series/ MB10 series | Byzance Jazz Range |
Sabian | AAX/HHX Series/ AA Series / APX Series/ Paragon Series | AAX Series/ HHX Series | HH Series / AA Series | HH Series / AA Series / Vault Series | Vault Series/ HH Series / AA Series |
Of course this is not a fully accurate table of styles against cymbal models as drummers choosing cymbals will choose them for the sound they produce and whether you like it or not. This is a basic guide, but my advice would be to look at this table and see what cymbals your favourite artist use and go try out some cymbals you like the look of to see if they sound good to you.