Flat rides

[dogmanaut]

So for those of you that have favorite flats, is your favorite very thin/light weight, medium, or heavy? Of course those are not standardized terms, but if you could give a general impression --or a specific weight, along with the diameter?

For me, I definitely prefer lighter ones — around 100g/inch or less, roughly speaking. I find that heavier flats lose some of the unique “flat ridey-ness” (“ride-iness”?) and begin to sound too much like regular rides, just missing the bell.

Then again, my experience with flats so far has been entirely limited to Turkish brands. Maybe I’d like a heavier 602 or something just fine. Hard to say.

 

[Maggot]

Oh man, I hope you're joking.
I just heard a 21 Custom Brilliant RA and....no thank you!

The one demo I saw of a Brilliant RA Flat sounded a bit sustainy, but 26" might be a universe unto itself.

 

[A.TomicMorganic]

I have a 22" Sabian Ed Thigpen with 2 rivets. Love the sound and feel, but it has a somewhat limited application.

 

[markkarj]

I have two 20" flats... an A Custom and an HH. I was very tempted by a used Paiste Signature flat.

Of the two, I prefer the A Custom because of its shimmer.

 

[Burps]

So for those of you that have favorite flats, is your favorite very thin/light weight, medium, or heavy? Of course those are not standardized terms, but if you could give a general impression --or a specific weight, along with the diameter?

I usually judge my favorite cymbals for how they sound recorded, more than the way it sounds to me playing it or how it feels playing it. So this is how I came to like the 22" Zildjian K Flat Top ride more than my other flats. It just sounds awesome to me on recordings.

But I can also say that I do like the feel of the K better than the others because it seems to have built-in rebound in it, more than the others. Not that I play a lot of fast music, because I don't. But if I wanted to play faster, the K just seems easier to do it than the others. It also projects more than the others, since it is a larger 22" size, unlike the smaller flats which have a smaller sound. Plus this 22" K is on the heavier side. I have never weighed it, so I'm not sure how much heavier it is than most 22 flats.

 

[bongomania]

I just picked up this 20" Paiste 602 Medium flat, and I love it! Crisp pingy stick, but not at too high of a pitch, just enough sparkle and wash, and a surprisingly pleasant crash tone. The rest of my flats are going up for sale.

 

[trommel]

Played a few, can't remember the sizes or brand. I missed the bell, but the cymbals just seemed to be dead and lacked a good ping sound. I won't campaign against them, but I will not campaign for them other than "if you like it/them, have at it and play away!"

 

[dogmanaut]

Played a few, can't remember the sizes or brand. I missed the bell, but the cymbals just seemed to be dead and lacked a good ping sound. I won't campaign against them, but I will not campaign for them other than "if you like it/them, have at it and play away!"

As somebody who actively dislikes any “ping” in my ride, that’s probably why I like flats so much!

I just pulled out my 22” Mehmet El Negro again last night, actually. Such a cool sound — it’s like a weird/awesome mix of super clicky, woody stick and little bursts of crystal shimmer. And even though it doesn’t have a bell, it has such a wide range of unique sounds — including when you shank the area where the bell would have been — that I honestly don’t really miss the bell at all.

 

[Ptrick]

Love them when played in the right situation. Unfortunately for me, it seems anything louder than acoustic piano and the sound gets lost.

Best I’ve owned was a 20” Bosphorus Masters.

 

[Gcort49]

I have a 20" Paiste Alpha flat for sale on Reverb...looks brand new, excellent shape...and it is about 10 years old...check out the pictures, make me an offer...

I currently have a Sig Trad Flat 20", an 18" 2002 Black Label...enjoy the Alpha, but just no need...had a 602 flat, but actually prefer the Sig and 2002

 

[rpludwig]

Have a k custom 18 flat, one rivet, (sometimes 2), as a LSR, great for quiet jazz trio gigs....bonus, I mount my splash upside down on top of it with a felt between, one less bracket/mount for the splash to mess with, one less wingnut to lose!...I like flats for their stick definition in the right application.

 

[Soulfinger]

That´s what I like about my 18" Paiste 2002 too - it´s quiet and I can mount a splash or accent cymbal on top of it.

My favourite "flat ride" actually isn´t one - the Sabian XS20 Monarch. It sounds a lot like a flat ride but has a (very small, but distinct) bell. A perfect compromise.

 

[Maggot]

That´s what I like about my 18" Paiste 2002 too - it´s quiet and I can mount a splash or accent cymbal on top of it.

My favourite "flat ride" actually isn´t one - the Sabian XS20 Monarch. It sounds a lot like a flat ride but has a (very small, but distinct) bell. A perfect compromise.

Awesome. I got one of those coming!

 

[Freewill3]

I just picked up this 20" Paiste 602 Medium flat, and I love it! Crisp pingy stick, but not at too high of a pitch, just enough sparkle and wash, and a surprisingly pleasant crash tone. The rest of my flats are going up for sale.

Tried one of these out recently, very impressed. Your description is spot on!

 

[Gcort49]

Best flat ride I ever tried, and have and will never part with, is a Paiste Sig Trad 20" flat....have played most Turk flats and everything Paiste offered...the Sig Flat and 2002 flat are the best, IMO, which I have also

 

[AtlantaDrumGuy]

When you need volume, you gotta go with a B8! 2002 works well...I have an old 18” 2002 with no logos. It’s still somewhat quiet since it’s a flat, but probably comes through more than a B20.

I’m more of a big cymbal guy though, so it’s only been used a few times.

 

[SKINZ]

I have a 22 K FLAT TOP RIDE BRILLIANT 90S awesome for cutting thru has a woody tang looks like a shield with pronouced profile i somtimes mount it upside to further dry it out......also a 20 A CUSTOM FLAT RIDE w stero rivets........nice and sparkly shimmer ......

 

[Gcort49]

I've got a 20" Paiste Traditionals flat ride that I hold on to just for piano trios. Used it tonight with a piano trio, as a matter of fact.

Love my Paiste Trad Flat 20'....thinking of picking up an 18" Trad Flat with rivets to help contrast it

 

[bongomania]

After one my gigs recently, my wife came up and tapped the 602 flat and said “this is my favorite cymbal that you play, it’s pretty.”

 

[jptrickster]

That’s true Lv right there