Your Favorite 13" Hats

[mfk252]

My top 4 13" hats ( I played mostly 13s for about 3 decades so too tough to pick one pair):

1) EAK hats (on the thin side) - sound like 14s and record really well
2) pair of unmatched Trans Stamps (quite thin)
3) 1970s New Beats
4) Original K/Zs (Weckl sold a lot of these)

 

[eigentone]

Love my 13” K cons from the early 2000s.

That's my 13" set too.

 

[Skyrm]

K/Z's for me too. Have had mine for over 30 years.

 

[slapstick]

K/Z's for me too. Have had mine for over 30 years.

over the decades I've played just about every size of primarily old k"s you can get---from 11's to 15's. I loved 11's and 12's for a long time. they don't get in the way and can work percussively with real accuracy instead of just chomping out the time......,i got round to settling on 13's over the last 8 or so years --an old pair of k's and a beautiful pair of avedis trans hats, both thin but cleanly stable. but for me the shock was when I picked up a pair of old thin paiste 602's. they have the clean articulation and the wash that you want from a great pair of hi hats. it took me some time to allow myself to recognise this, so much was I hooked into the old k thing, but paiste hit the nail right on the head with those cymbals.

 

[Slingwig26]

My favorite 13” hats are Paiste Fo602 Medium HH bottom (on top) with Twenty HH bottom (on bottom). Nice and tight and crisp.

 

[Elvis]

I have a setup I made myself, through trial and error.
Paiste Dark Energy Mk.1 top over Paiste Signature Medium bottom.
748g./935.5g.
Superb set of 13" hats.

 

[Devindrums78]

I hope to be buried with my 13” Agop Sig hats…first run from when they were new in market.

 

[mebeatee]

A Zildjian ”New Beat” bottom on top and a “Quick Beat” bottom (with the holes) on the bottom....most excellent for reggae and funk.
Ya lose some tone but they cut through them geetarz!!!!
Many moons ago, in the city, a way kewl drum dept fellow told me they were getting a bunch of new cymbals coming in and mentioned four pair of 13 hats were included. He called me up when they arrived but asked me not to come down until he unpacked them and did the paperwork et al......no probs.
I arrived at the store and there were only two pair of 13’s....upon making the obligatory drummer not being able to count he mentioned he had hid all of the tops as he knew I only wanted bottoms....was that service or what....
bt

 

[DavedrumsTX]

Mine are plain A Custom 13"s, not master sound. There is something special about certain size s on cymbal model. They are pin point articulate and not too bright and hissy. Makes me play tight and groove with my 3xq3" piccolo snare. The 15" 2002's go best with my fat 6 5 classic maple.

I love Meinl 13” Thin Jazz Hats. Not suitable for loud volume music, but wonderfully musical.

Home - Meinl Cymbals

MEINL Cymbals inspire drummers from all around the world. A diverse collection of cymbals for students to professionals.

meinlcymbals.com

 

[gezz]

I fee l meinl cmbals hav something missing..
Ljke the crisp explosive burs t I love.. I very tried man y ranges ans I dnot ljke them.. just nto for me

 

[charlesm]

Recently obtained my first 13s...a pair of Zilcos at about 600/650. Really enjoying them for what they do.

 

[Quai34]

Paiste Signature 13” Dark Crisp hihats are my all time favourite 13” hihats followed by 13” Zildjian A Custom Mastersounds from when they were initially introduced .

Great, glad to hear that, I have no Paiste hats and only one 15 and 19 signature dark energy crash, a Paiste Master dark crisp ride 22" and a 16" sound formula Frankenstein logo that is really close to a signature crash so, the dark crisp hats should be a great pair to go with them, right? I might add a signature full crash 18 and then, I could consider that the paiste set is quite good, correct?

 

[Elvis]

Great, glad to hear that, I have no Paiste hats and only one 15 and 19 signature dark energy crash, a Paiste Master dark crisp ride 22" and a 16" sound formula Frankenstein logo that is really close to a signature crash so, the dark crisp hats should be a great pair to go with them, right? I might add a signature full crash 18 and then, I could consider that the paiste set is quite good, correct?

Well, everyone's going to have different impressions on the same set of hats, and none of them are "wrong", but for me, the 13" Paiste Signature Dark Crisp hats, while impressive under certain conditions, I found lacking in other conditions.
I was going to sell the set off and get something else, but instead decided to work with the setup and see if I couldn't create something that appealed to me by combining cymbals from different series.
What I ended up with can be seen in post #66.

Elvis

 

[Glendrum]

Regular 802. Terry K demonstrated a set of these on his YT channel I was sold. I mean it is THE sound. Incredible . I only paid $75 for them as well.

 

[Burps]

Regular 802. Terry K demonstrated a set of these on his YT channel I was sold. I mean it is THE sound. Incredible . I only paid $75 for them as well.

Nice! I think they have a sound that's somewhere between a 602 and the old 3000 line at a fraction of the cost. I don't know much about the 802 crashes or rides other than what I hear on videos and they don't thrill me. But the 802 13" hats are absolute winners. I've played the regulars and the plus and the regulars are the nicest. They blow away a pair of 13" New Beats that I have.

 

[Elvis]

Nice! I think they have a sound that's somewhere between a 602 and the old 3000 line at a fraction of the cost. I don't know much about the 802 crashes or rides other than what I hear on videos and they don't thrill me. But the 802 13" hats are absolute winners. I've played the regulars and the plus and the regulars are the nicest. They blow away a pair of 13" New Beats that I have.

I remember when 802's we're considered the best deal in cymbals.
They weren't perfect, but they sounded good enough to work in a variety of situations....and the price wasn't too bad, either.
To me, the modern equivalent would be the PST7.

 

[Rick]

I haven’t played many 13” hats, but I do remember liking a pair of 13” K Custom Dark hats quite a lot.

I have a set of these and they are wonderful!

 

[EDL]

Paiste 13" Dark Sound Creation HH's Medium Sound Edge..