Good CHEAP cymbals . . .

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drums147

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Greetings . . . my band is negotiating for a jam session gig . . . if we get it I don't want a bunch of clowns abusing my good cymbals . . . .

Does anyone make a good cheap cymbal? I would like to find something good enough sounding that if a good player gets up at the jam he won't be "offended" by the sound and never return to our jam . . .

Are any of the B-8 or B-20 formula cymbals any good . . . Sabina, Zildjian, Paiste, ???? . . . in case you haven't figured it out I don't want to spend a fortune . . . I would like to buy these "cheap" cymbals used if possible . . .

Thanks . . . NAD

 
Ive heard some decent sounding ZBT's and B8's. Think a lot of players use them now. You can usually find these used in the 30-50 dollar range too.
 
Im thinking that Saludas might be a solid option. They are good (Ive played them at a gig before) and are very reasonably priced. I believe that they are b-20s.
 
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I'd say a good route to go down would be Dream, Wuhan, etc. I know I'd be turned off by seeing "beginner" cymbals on the kit, even if understood the reasons. With the likes of Dream and Wuhan, if you take a moment to go through them and find the good sounding ones, you could have a great sounding set of cymbals for a very low price.
 
My sons school didn't have a set for them to play on, so I took some parts and pieces and made a Frankenstein kit for them to play on. I picked up some WuHan high hats and for the $30 dollars I paid for them used they sound great. I also have a WuHan 10" splash I love and for china cymbals their the only choice if your looking for "Authentic"
 
I don't have extensive experience in the cheap cymbal field, but I do know the Sabian B8 ride is pretty darn good.
 
I have a Zildian ZBT 20" ride and a Sabian B8 Medium crash, both of which are fairly good. Paid $50 separately at GC.
 
For my money, Stagg cymbals can be some of the best values out there. A major step up from the sheet bronze offerings. I prefer the Double Hammered line. Sabian XS20 are pretty good, but the Brilliants sound better than the standard finish.
 
ive played some sabian b8's that sounded pretty nice.

mike
 
I've heard good things about the Sabian XS20 series but I've never owned any.

Usually when someone local asks me about getting cheaper new cymbals I'll recommend Wuhans. They are definitely hit or miss but the nice ones do sound pretty good.

If there's a Music Go Round anywhere close then just go there and pick out some used ones. Sometimes you can great deals on real Zildjians and the like if they are keyholed or have some other minor flaw....and the used B8 stuff is often dirt cheap.
 
I thought the Paiste PST5 (now PST8?) ride was good.

I love the XS20 chinas, more than the high-end chinas too. Overall, I think the XS20 cymbals are a great value for the sound you get. I also own a PST5 china 18", and I like it more than the higher-end versions (but still prefer XS20).

Wuhan splashes are very nice, I prefer them to the more expensive Big Three splashes.
 
I have only been playing acoustic drums for about six months. I started out with a set of Wuhans--the pack that comes with a 20" ride, a 16" crash, and 14" hats. I knew nothing about cymbals so I thought that would be a good starting point. I have never been able to bond with the ride. It has a complex dissonant wash that tends to overwhelm the stick. I replaced it with a 21" Sabian HH Raw Bell Dry Ride that I got on Amazon for a very good price. That cymbal is a bit heavy, but I like it a lot. I replaced the crash with a Sabian HHX X-Plosion crash that I also got for a great price on Amazon. I ended up replacing the hats with some 13" New Beats that I bought used from Guitar Center. The New Beats are fairly recent ones so they are a little heavy, but they are smooth and bright. I like them. Recently I put the Wuhan hats back on the stand. They are thinner, trashier, sloshier, but they sizzle well and they are pretty responsive. They are quite usable. The crash is too.

I haven't played xs20s except to hit a couple in a store. They seemed pleasant but not too complex. They are probably more consistent, and more mainstream, than the Wuhans. People will say to buy used, but it really is a lot of work to go hunting for deals on used ones when you don't know what you are doing. You have to hit quite a few cymbals before you can hear the difference between two crashes.

The Wuhans are likely to be more complex, but whether in a good way or bad way is a matter of taste and circumstance. The B8s or xs20s are likely to be better for playing loud rock, while the Wuhans are better for jazz or blues. Of course, this is just my impression based on the limited examples I have encountered.
 
I had a set of Sabian XS and they were really good. The 14 in particular was a real keeper and I think it holds its own against higher end cymbals.
 
Used Zildjian A's, Sabian AA's...

Many great deals out there - I haven't checked the prices on the student stuff, but used will probably cost you the same or less - and sound a heck of a lot better!
 
search your local craigslist, mine is flooded with old a's and sabian aa's
 
+1 on the Stagg cymbals ... I've heard some great sounding crashes from them ... and the owner said how durable they are too. About $80 for a nice 17".
 
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