ILOVEDRUMS... It Begins.

[Ancient Astronaught]

You might as well be speaking Mandarin for as much of your last 2 posts as I understood, man...

HAHAHA just imagine them as pedals.... with a life expectancy

Different sounds, different tones, destined to crack.

[AxAxSxS]

need to get ryder back in here. He speaks this language.

[Ancient Astronaught]

need to get ryder back in here. He speaks this language.

Agreed!!!

I've been talking with my vocalist (who is also a drummer) all morning and I'm gonna go with option A, the china really doesn't fit with what we do and the big resonating rides as crashes does so...

So now I have to find a way to get enough money to get these new cymbals and hardware..... hmmmmm.... I might have to sell something I really don't wanna... but how many times have I said that before hahaha

[AxAxSxS]

approximately 7,237,910 times.

[Ancient Astronaught]

approximately 7,237,910 times.

It's gonna go from this thinking about it:



to this when i finally give myself the command to sell:

[Road Bull]

Found yesterday at practice that I cracked both my ride and my hi-hats at the show on Saturday....

And we go into the studio in a month...

So the funds that were gonna go to finishing off the Matamp rig now gotta go towards new cymbals...

But fuck it if I'm gonna do it I'm gonna do it right! Figure I might as well replace what will now be the mismatched crash as well. So I'm gonna pick up a Sabian 24" AA raw bell heavy ride to use as my main ride, a Sabian 24" AA Bash Ride to use as my main / left side crash, and a set of Sabian AAX 16" plosion hats (all though they aren't AA's exactly, I think I can quell my OCD hahaha) and then I'll move my 21" AA Bash Ride to use as my right side crash. So it'll be 16" hats, 24" ride and crash, and a 21" crash, fucking DOOM!!!!!

I could also get a 24" AA metal ride and 16" AA metal hi-hats and save about $75... but I'm not sure I like the idea of "metal" cymbals....

Hey Skip,

Here's my take. I would say overall, option A.

I love chinas, even have an excellent Paiste Novo china sitting behind my kit. I might use it more, but I took it down due to it being just one, more, thing I had to set up and tear down for shows. I think they are grate for accents.

I have learned to get by with my Paisley 2002 22" left side crash, 24" Reverend Al big ride right side crash, 24" ride and 15" sound edge hats. I love them all. I am not super knowledgeable in the Sabian cymbal line, but if I didn't go with Paiste, they would be an easy choice. I wouldn't go with 16" hats, but that's a personal choice. Hats can get a little sluggish opening and closing. But a lot of that depends on playing style. Hell, I have 15s, but I am sure I would be happy with 14s too.

I hear you on the money front. That's always a battle. I like my big cymbals for their versatility. You don't alway have to lay into them. They can produce a nice rolling volume clear to full on bus falling from a tall building and landing a few feet away volume.

The last and possibly most important aspect of all this is asking yourself what you are doing to cracks your cymbals. If you don't address this, you can bet that you will get a lot of experience replacing cymbals.

What cymbals did you break? Where did you break them? What sticks where are you using? How do you have your cymbals set up on the stand? How are you hitting your cymbals?

Ideally, you want to slice your cymbals with the stick, as in a glancing blow. If you hit them as in your stick is making a direct line to the hole in the middle of the cymbal, this can put a lot of strain on them. Also if you're trying to get too much volume out of a smaller cymbal, you can quickly crack a cymbal. This is partly the reason I play big pies. You can get volume without overhitting. I look like I am beating the hell out of my stuff, but I am careful with my technique. So far it has been working really well for me.

[Ancient Astronaught]

Thanks bud!

After talking to my band mates I decided to go without a china. All the music we've written has been without and it seems stupid to try and include it at the last minute. I know when and where I would use it but I use the second crash alot more so it makes no sense.

As far as the 16" hi hats. I'm currently using 15's and just find that I prefer the feel and vibe of bigger hats with my playing style. I play em as high on the stand as I can get em (mainly cause I'm tall as shit) and I don't really do anything complex on them as its not what our music requires. I also like lower pitched hats with a good chunk instead of a chick, and I've found bigger hats usually get closer to the sound I hear in my head.

What symbols did you break? Ride (and right hand crash a couple weeks ago)
Where did you break them? On the edge, small 1/4 cracks
What sticks where are you using? Promark 747BN
How do you have your cymbals set up on the stand? Ride - relatively flat with a 10 degree or so lean towards me, right side crash 20-25 degree lean towards me
How are you hitting your cymbals? usually off to the side (not towards the center) letting the sticks bounce off instead of following through.

I naturally hit hard and as much as it may break cymbals (honestly these cymbals have lasted me almost a year, thats a record haha) every band I've played in has said its one of my strong suits. Plus I tend to definitely "get into it" on stage, theres certain sections where I do alot of cymbal hits almost as hard as I can as part of an emotional build up or release. I've been trying to watch my technique but I have a feeling its mainly during those sections that I have caused the cracks. I've also noticed its only the right side cymbals that I have cracked so maybe its something to do with placement or how I hit not crossing over my left, I dunno.

Also have you ever made a hi-hat set out of two crashes? Due to my strange desires (raw bell, non-brilliant, and in the same model range as my other cymbals) I'm going to make my own set out of two 16" crahes. The top will be a simple AA Raw Bell crash, which is medium - light in weight, and I was thinkin an AA Metal-X crash on the bottom, which is heavy in weight. From what I've read and heard its better to have a heavier cymbal on the bottom than to have two matched cymbals. Just curious to your thoughts.

[Road Bull]

I don't have any experience with using non-hi-hat cymbals for hi-hats, so I can't really tell you much beyond what you already stated. Generally speaking, you run a heavier bottom than top hat. To get an idea, go to >>

http://memphisdrumshop.com/cymbals/mycy ... -layered=1

Take a look at top and bottom weights for the hi-hats, factor in that they are 15", but shoot for something in the same ballpark. Anyway, that's what I would do. Don't go too thin for the top. Jason Roeder (sleep / neurosis) played rides that were cut down for hi-hats, albeit, 17" hi-hats... >> http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/show ... hp?t=37860

I think you are on the right track though. Buy once, cry once. Get what you want. I try to pick up my stuff used where I can. Although I dislike Guitar Centers overall, I like the availability of used cymbals that I can find there for a good price. And you have 30 days to figure out if it will work for you, inspect for damage, and whatnot. My ride and 22" were purchased used, well I guess a second set of 15" 2002 sound edge also. The one Reverend Al's Big Ride was purchased for a good deal, but new, as well as my first set of 15" sound edges. I try to save money where I can. I haven't wanted anything for a long time either. I suppose I am always on the look out for the snare of DOOM or something. But, for the most part, I enjoy what I am playing.

[whiskey_face]

What kinda snare is everybody running?

Also im starting to want another kickdrum. The metalhead since birth wants it to happen so goddamn bad.

Dual sparkle red 26s? Fuck yes please...



Tell me straight faced that isnt badmotherfuckingass

[Muff_Diver]

2 kick drums can be mad frustrating. Not only do they have to be tuned identically, but you also have two pedals that need to be adjusted accordingly.

That being said, playing 2 kicks are fun as fuck.

[Ancient Astronaught]

I don't have any experience with using non-hi-hat cymbals for hi-hats, so I can't really tell you much beyond what you already stated. Generally speaking, you run a heavier bottom than top hat. To get an idea, go to >>

http://memphisdrumshop.com/cymbals/mycy ... -layered=1

Take a look at top and bottom weights for the hi-hats, factor in that they are 15", but shoot for something in the same ballpark. Anyway, that's what I would do. Don't go too thin for the top. Jason Roeder (sleep / neurosis) played rides that were cut down for hi-hats, albeit, 17" hi-hats... >> http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/show ... hp?t=37860

I think you are on the right track though. Buy once, cry once. Get what you want. I try to pick up my stuff used where I can. Although I dislike Guitar Centers overall, I like the availability of used cymbals that I can find there for a good price. And you have 30 days to figure out if it will work for you, inspect for damage, and whatnot. My ride and 22" were purchased used, well I guess a second set of 15" 2002 sound edge also. The one Reverend Al's Big Ride was purchased for a good deal, but new, as well as my first set of 15" sound edges. I try to save money where I can. I haven't wanted anything for a long time either. I suppose I am always on the look out for the snare of DOOM or something. But, for the most part, I enjoy what I am playing.

Yeah I remember reading up on using crashes as hi-hats in the past when I played in Ol' Scratch and the guitarist kept pushing me to use bigger drums and cymbals. I was using 18" hi hats at the time, but we played at the tempo of molasses so it worked haha

Most of the stuff I'm looking at is used, or priced near used. The two 24's I'm gonna get (one bash ride, one custom shop) are $300 each which to me is pretty damn good for brand new. I tried using the GC used site but not much pops up for 24 sabian's, they just aren't that popular I guess.

Snare of doom?!?!?! Whats your snare of doom? Mine would be a 14x8" Aluminum snare from Dark Horse (the guys who made my kit). I just love the sound of Alu for snare, copper seems interesting but not quite what I hear in my head. But the meat and insane crack of Alu is.

What kinda snare is everybody running?

Also im starting to want another kickdrum. The metalhead since birth wants it to happen so goddamn bad.

Dual sparkle red 26s? Fuck yes please...

Tell me straight faced that isnt badmotherfuckingass

14x8" Pearl Masters (70's 6ply shell, modern Masters hardware)

As pointed out above tuning them identical is a pain in the fucking ass. 99.99% of the time when you see two kick drums they are both triggered so tuning doesn't matter, and back in the 60's 70's it wasn't used for modern double bass techniques, they often used either two different sized kicks or had the two bass drums tuned wildly different so they had a variety of tones at their disposal.

Oh it looks badass, and trust me I've thought of going the double bass route again (I've had a couple double kick kits in my past). All I've gotta say is you must be a glutton for punishment when it comes to load in / load out. I hate lugging around a 4 piece kit enough as it is, I cant even fathom a dual kick setup......

[Ancient Astronaught]

I'd have to throw this snare in the hat for SNARE OF DOOM:



Premier Heavy Rock 9

14x9" Brass shell snare with some of the thickest metal hoops ever made.

If you can't cut through the densest mix with that snare tuned tight, nothing will.

[ShaolinLambKiller]

looks almost as big as the custom one this guy made for himself. he played in a really shitty I guess it was nu metal or goth something with female guitarists/vocalists.

But it was about the same size, a little deeper with these domes that pop off from the side for just looks. it weighed 60-70 pounds cause it was thick cast brass he poured himself. the sides were almost 2inches thick.

just sucks that he was a shitty drummer in a shitty band. he also built his own kick cannons.

[Ancient Astronaught]

Jeebus! That weighs more than my 26" kick drum!!!! Probably more than my kick and toms combined!!!! Thats like another hardware bag....

2" thick shells is completely unnecessary, he'd have to use the heaviest sticks he could find to get that shell to resonate. How'd it sound?

Sometimes people are better at building instruments then they are at playing them.

[ShaolinLambKiller]

Yea he had it in a case and rolled the fucker out. I actually had to borrow it for the show cause after our first song I tore a hole right through the head. he handed it to me and I about feel out cause I didn't expect that at all.

it sounded fucking amazing. it was tight as fuck and louder than christ himself. It didn't sound deep, it was more like a piccalo snare. after the first song I used the snare on they actually turned that mic off.

And I have to agree he was very gifted in building but not playing though he honestly thought he was god's gift to drummer and then he was all on my nuts after we played cause he couldn't understand how someone can be so fast on double bass.