Experiences with the 23" K Sweet?

[D. B. Cooper]

Anybody here ever play or own a 23" Zildjian K Sweet Ride?
I've been listening to videos and I think I'd really like to have that low, deep, dark voice in my main ride slot. But I'm worried that they might not be that versatile.

I play mostly rock, pop and latin styles.

I realize that it's mostly about touch, but is a 23" too big for say, small rooms, if you wanted to get the full range of sounds from it?

I have and love a 19" Sweet Crash, which got me down this road.

 

[UptownShakedown]

I have the 21" and I am not in love with the bell - a bit tinny to my ear, doesnt really blend with the rest of the cymbal and feels a little clangy off the stick. Then again I am much more of a fan of the Cluster Crash than the Sweet Crash so you may dig the articulation rather than the darker tones, I just find it to be a bit more Ping ride-esque than I expected. Maybe the size of the 23" give it a little more body?

 

[D. B. Cooper]

I have the 21" and I am not in love with the bell - a bit tinny to my ear, doesnt really blend with the rest of the cymbal and feels a little clangy off the stick. Then again I am much more of a fan of the Cluster Crash than the Sweet Crash so you may dig the articulation rather than the darker tones, I just find it to be a bit more Ping ride-esque than I expected. Maybe the size of the 23" give it a little more body?

Ping ride with no bell? Sounds terrible!

 

[culture trash]

I love my 21" K Sweet Ride. Never played the 23", but to me, if I was going to go low, deep, and dark for my ride, I am not sure I would go K Sweet. To me, this line gives me some of that brightness that I crave from the Avedis line without the harsh frequencies. If I want low, deep, and dark, I reach for something else.

 

[charlesm]

Had a 23 for a week. Loved the idea and general tone of it. Loved the bell. Problem was that it had a REALLY bad overtone hum. It was a distinct other pitch that was loud and slightly harsh/clashing. Couldn't deal with it.

I would advise trying in person if possible. I've heard some examples that had a similar hum and others that didn't.

 

[JazzyJeff]

The 21” was my main ride for one particular Jazz/rock band because it handled the different tunes extremely well. Based on that, I bought the 23”. I use it in for rock/prog, and sounded exceptionally good for Zep tunes (I’m not a Paiste fan).
I think the tones can be pulled out of it in a small room, but you might have to back off of it a little. Also depends on other instrument volumes and tones. To me, the bell on the 23 is a bit fuller than in the 21”.

 

[justensen]

Personally I'd have concerns using a 23" ride of that weight, unless it's outside or in a larger room. But in a small room, might be a bit much. I can imagine it'd be good for rock/pop though.

 

[stevil]

My 21 Sweet is my crash than ride to my ear, but I’m a heavy hitter

 

[rsmittee]

I didn't want to continue hijacking the other thread, so I came over here.

My 21 is 2414g, and sounds almost identical to this one:
MyCymbals.com 21 K Sweet

But if you check out this 23, it just has some extra warm special yummy goodness that speaks to me:
MyCymbals.com 23 K Sweet

Had I to do over again, I'd definitely have the 23. I chose the 21 K to be a brighter complement to my 24 Beverly (go ahead and snicker, but that thing sounds great!), which it is, but it's just not as "Sweet" as the 23. And that studio 23 I mentioned, I've used on everything from light jazz blues to hard rock, so it's been plenty versatile for me. Happy hunting.

 

[Snooter]

My K light 24" is killer. Also love my 22" K light

 

[lossforgain]

Those large Ks just seem too heavy to me, I had a 24” Light that wasn’t light at all and wouldn’t wash enough without getting really loud. I had a 22” K Rarities Dark Thin ride that was the best K I’ve heard in a 22 or more. Those are hard to find and pricey.

My 24 is a Mehmet MC Jazz and it can be too washy sometimes but I love it.

 

[D. B. Cooper]

Those large Ks just seem too heavy to me, I had a 24” Light that wasn’t light at all and wouldn’t wash enough without getting really loud. I had a 22” K Rarities Dark Thin ride that was the best K I’ve heard in a 22 or more. Those are hard to find and pricey.

My 24 is a Mehmet MC Jazz and it can be too washy sometimes but I love it.

Yeah. The weights on the K lights do make me double take when I see them.
The K Sweets seem to be a touch lighter, but I have no data to back that up.
The A sweet rides that ive played had a thinner edge, which I think probably helps them open up easier when crashed. Do the K Sweets also have a thinner edge compared to other rides in the K line?

 

[D. B. Cooper]

I like the stick on this one. Doesn't seem to ever get lost. Love the dark tone.
I wonder how it would sound with amplified musicians? Not like full stacks cranked to 11, just medium loud settings.

 

[lossforgain]

Yeah. The weights on the K lights do make me double take when I see them.
The K Sweets seem to be a touch lighter, but I have no data to back that up.
The A sweet rides that ive played had a thinner edge, which I think probably helps them open up easier when crashed. Do the K Sweets also have a thinner edge compared to other rides in the K line?

I haven’t specifically looked for that, but I think that’s right. I just have circumstantial evidence, not first hand comparison to work from. I’m sure the Sweet is a nice cymbal in its own right, but I think the model designation of “light ride” for the other model is misleading.

 

[D. B. Cooper]

I haven’t specifically looked for that, but I think that’s right. I just have circumstantial evidence, not first hand comparison to work from. I’m sure the Sweet is a nice cymbal in its own right, but I think the model designation of “light ride” for the other model is misleading.

Oh for sure.
I wonder what demand zildjian heard that lead to the Light Rides being so heavy? Or have they always been that way?

 

[rsmittee]

If you want to hear in context the studio 23 I've been swooning about, check out these tracks from my band.

The Valve - Storm Sea Grey
The Valve - Toes

 

[rsmittee]

One more. I promise this isn't shameless self-promotion. The intro to this song at 13:20 from a live stream I did during COVID is a great sample (even though I stumbled through my part!) of the 23 K Sweet I know and love. If you're interested, it's here.

 

[foxy_shazamtastic]

I haven’t specifically looked for that, but I think that’s right. I just have circumstantial evidence, not first hand comparison to work from. I’m sure the Sweet is a nice cymbal in its own right, but I think the model designation of “light ride” for the other model is misleading.

Some k lights are much lighter and play like crash cymbals. Just like all Zildjians, the weights are all over the map, I’ve seen a variation of nearly 500 grams

 

[foxy_shazamtastic]

 

[Johnny K]

Anybody here ever play or own a 23" Zildjian K Sweet Ride?
I've been listening to videos and I think I'd really like to have that low, deep, dark voice in my main ride slot. But I'm worried that they might not be that versatile.

I play mostly rock, pop and latin styles.

I realize that it's mostly about touch, but is a 23" too big for say, small rooms, if you wanted to get the full range of sounds from it?

I have and love a 19" Sweet Crash, which got me down this road.

I havent, but I do like my 19" Sweet Crash too. I use it with an 18 A thin and a 19 A med thin and that combo just works for me. I like that you can ride the 19 K Sweet and the bell is nice. What I do play on my kit now is a 24" K Light Ride. Man, what a cymbal. I like it more than the 22 K-Con Med High that I have. It's a big sound when you crash it. Not for jazz. It cuts thru those Marshalls that our gitty players are using. Love it.