Who owns only one set of cymbals?

[Stalky55]

Just one set for years. Vintage Paiste 2002 15" sound edge marched pair hi hats, 16" 2002 crash, 18" Stambul crash, 20" 2002 crash ride. Bought 2nd hand around 1979 for £160. There was also a 24" 2002 ride cymbal which I sold for £60 so the whole lot came in at £100.
Sadly sold the lot for £600 about 10 years ago.
Now playing a Zildjian/Paiste mix in same sizes.
Used to play about 160 gigs a year at my peak, only have 5 booked in for the whole of next year!

 

[Cpb282]

Only one set of cymbals here, due to cost. But a second (gigging) drum shell kit.

Not sure what my daughter will do when she goes off to college as she want to take her gigging kit with her. Maybe a set of cheap(er) cymbals if we can get our hands on any.

 

[FlowTom]

I don't have a set of anything. Drums or cymbals.

My drum life is like my personal life. Mostly pairs and singles.

 

[DrSkillet]

I did use one set for a number of years when I was younger. I was typically playing very similar styles of music and that's all I really needed. I began gigging in a number of different genres back in the early 2000s and from that point on my cymbal collection started to grow. Most of the variations I use have to deal with what type of ride and hi hat will work for the gig. The crashes and effects cymbals I try not to keep too many variations. Right now I have three sets that fit most of my gigs.

 

[PhillipAycockOfficial]

I've always had 1 set of cymbals they are All Sabian Brilliant Finish.

15" Paragon Hihats
22" HHX Custom Shop Legacy Ride
19" HHX X-plosion crash
20" HHX X-plosion crash

However Id like to at some point buy some extras to have on hand for different setups

AAX x-plosion crash x2 19" an x2 20"
Artisan crash x2 19" an x2 20"

 

[ChuckAkeley]

I have one and a half sets. Play small church venues, primarily. HHs, 14" Sabian regular/medium, 14" Sabian AAX Stage, and 15" Dream Bliss. Crash/Rides, 18" and 21" Sabian AAX Omnis, 21" Sabian HHX Omni (prototype). Fx, 18" Wuhan Smash and 10" Sabian HH Splash. The two best of the bunch are the 21" HHX Omni and the 15" Bliss HHs - although the best "chick" is with the Sabian 14" AAX Stage hats.

 

[HAWK13]

I bought my first real cymbal in 1959, a 20” Zildjian and soon added rivets as I really liked the sound. In ‘61 bought a Ludwig Super from a fella that won it in a poker game, along with the purchase came 2 “14 Zildjian hi hats. I played this simple setup for awhile but while when we were “on the Road” I came across a 22” Zildjian
that has been rescued from a fire that a music store had recently had. I added a 16” crash to this setup and played this setup until I retired. Love them Zildjians!

 

[fitzsy]

I’m working my way down to one set.

 

[TCurtis]

I do remember seeing an add for an A series cymbal pack with different sizes, such as 15” hats, possibly the 23” sweet ride? May have been DCP. Sounded like a nice set although I’d prefer to hear something 1st. 1 set , for my tastes would be A’s. I see them as in between K and A custom, as far as brightness. Sizes? 15” hats, the 23” sweet ride, a 16 fast crash, 18 or 17 fast crash, 20 low boy china, 10” splash, and round it out with a regular crash in 15, and a left side ride, dry or ping, 20”.

 

[Rotarded]

I'm the library type, but it's usually in sets. All Zildjians, many sizes/voices to choose from.

60's paper thin setup (Buttery) for studio or small venue
70's hollow ink stamp setup (Heavy) for large/outdoor
Modern A Custom setup. (Glassy/Cutting) large/outdoor (unmic'd)

Depends on gig/vernue/studio.

 

[bigfiddle]

I have one set of cymbals for each drum kit.

 

[Old Drummer]

I am definitely a one-set-of-cymbals guy--life would be way too confusing to have multiple sets--though I must say that I have some spares, don't necessarily set all my cymbals up, and am always thinking of replacements or additions.

My go-to ride is a modified 22" 60s A Zildjian weighing in at around 2700 grams, and no matter how often I try to replace it, I keep coming back to it. It doesn't cover every base, but it's pretty versatile. This is supplemented by an 18" Mehmet Traditional, about 1600 grams, which is smoother and nice on ballads, plus can be crashed. A third ride is an older 20" Murat Diril Jazz at around 2000 grams. It's kind of excessive, but I like the fuller and trashier wash as a complement to the Zildjian, plus it's more crashable. To these I add a 15" K Dark crash and some early 70s 14" New Beats.

My deficiency now is a brighter cymbal--all mine veer dark--and every once in a while I'd like a bright sound. However, I really don't want to set up another stand and can get by with what I have.

Oh, my cymbal strategy is to try to have something for everything already set up. I suppose that if I played in different bands each dedicated to totally different genres, it would make sense to have different cymbal setups. But that's not my reality. My strategy might have been warped by years of playing wedding receptions because I want to be ready for anything.

 

[Jazzhead]

I'm the library type, but it's usually in sets. All Zildjians, many sizes/voices to choose from.

60's paper thin setup (Buttery) for studio or small venue
70's hollow ink stamp setup (Heavy) for large/outdoor
Modern A Custom setup. (Glassy/Cutting) large/outdoor (unmic'd)

Depends on gig/vernue/studio.

What 60’s As do you have? Weight?

 

[JimmyM]

Only one set? I had no idea such a phenomenon existed in our world.

It does when I see the collections people on here amass and I do the math. Forget that! Got no desire to go that route for a non-main instrument!

 

[Paistekid]

Paiste Signatures:

13” Dark Crisp HH (with bottom on top)
20” Thin China
8” Splash
17” Mellow Crash
20” Dark Full Ride (21” Dry Ride for more traditional/focus sound)

 

[Formula428]

Far from one set now, but early on I only rolled with:

20 A Medium Ride
14 A New Beats
12 A Splash
18 A Thin Crash

 

[ranbunctious]

Hats, crash, ride, splash, etc.
Only one set that has worked for you for pretty much anything. What are the cymbals in the set, size etc.
OR if you could pick one set from the library of the cymbals you have.
For me, my Armands work well, maybe just missing a good dry pingy ride.

In my early years in the 60s, owned only hi hat, crash, & ride. 60 years later, however....

 

[Jeremy Bender]

I have a bunch of Paiste cymbals collected from several decades, if I had to settle on only set of cymbals to play big band or classic rock, I'd use a ride cymbal, couple of crashes, a splash and China from the original run of the Twenty series.

 

[Classicdrummer]

Small stamp 15” hats
Small stamp 18” crash
70’s stamp 22” ride

What can’t this set up do?

Although I also just finished putting together a medium thin Bosphorus set up for music that needs a darker and quieter approach
14” syncopation SW hats
20” black pearl crash ride
21” prototype crash ride
21” 1600 ride

 

[Rock Salad]

I have a hi hat stand and two cymbal stands but have six cymbals and a hi hat pair. It would make an awesome set though all up at once: thin and medium 20" rides, 17" and 15" crashes, 18 china-ish and 8" splash, with 14" medium hi hats. I really enjoy hearing the new stack type and holed effect cymbals but shoot, I rarely use the two effect cymbals I have.
Last night we played a benefit deal and another drummer had this contraption cymbal- maybe homemade? but it had like an 18" ozone type base with one of those spiral cut things, a bell like thing with tambourine jingles and a small clap stack all in the one and attached as one piece