Zildjian K Custom Special Dry Cymbals

95
PRICES
10" splash, £155;
13" hi-hat (pair), £419;
13" hi-hat (bottom or
top), £245;
14" hi-hat (pair), £475;
14" (bottom or top),
£238;
14" FX hi-hat (top), £245;
15" hi-hat (pair), £509;
16" crash, £285;
17" Trash crash: £309;
18” crash, £335;
18" Trash China, £345;
19" crash: £355;
19” Trash crash, £355;
20" crash, £379;
21" ride, £415;
21" Trash crash, £415;
22" crash, £449;
23" ride: £485
CAST OR
PRESSED
Cast
MACHINE
OR HAND
HAMMERED
Hand hammered
COUNTRY OF
MANUFACTURE
USA
MODELS
AVAILABLE
Splash: 10";
Hi-hat pairs: 13", 14",
15"; FX hats: 14" (top
only); Crashes: 16", 18",
19", 20", 22";Trash
crashes: 17", 18", 19",
21"; Trash China: 18";
Rides: 21" and 23"
SUITABILITY
Could work with all
styles. Recommended
for modern jazz,
studio, country and
medium rock
CONTACT
Zildjian
www.zildjian.com
Headstock Distribution
www.headstock
distribution.com
Essential spec
CRASHES
The crashes range
from 16" to a
massive 22"
FINISH
The top surface of each
cymbal is left with a natural,
‘baked on’ fi nish
can get away with it. Despite the bark of the
open sound, they also possess a warmth
which is reminiscent of old school big band
recordings, particularly when played in a
swing context. The chick of the stepped
hi-hat doesn’t have lots of volume but still
has suffi cient impact to cut over the ride and
other cymbals.
The 21" ride is a surprisingly versatile thing
and plays beautifully. The stick defi nition is
impeccably clear while the cymbal maintains
a decent level of wash, despite its overall
dryness. It crashes wonderfully, opening up in
an instant and shutting back down relatively
quickly, a reaction you’d expect from a crash
rather than a large ride cymbal. The bell is
clear and dark, coaxing out the more complex
tonalities from the body of the cymbal with
each note. The 18" crash is probably the most
dry of the collection, almost vanishing into the
mix as soon as it has been struck. This works
well on one hand, giving it an almost pre-mixed
or EQ’d sound, although in a live context it
takes a bit of getting used to. You really have to
embrace ‘the dirt’ to get on board with this
crash, but some players will absolutely love it.
The effects elements of the line-up are
where things really start getting experimental.
The 17" Trash crash delivers as much of a
sting as its look would suggest. Responding
instantly and fading out almost as quickly, the
cymbal is not only great for accents and quick
attack, but also works surprisingly well as a
main crash. I found myself favouring its punch
over the 18" crash.
The Trash china has all the qualities of any
good china cymbal but with the same dryness
that eliminates any potential pang. It’s super
quick and sharp and would work well for
heavier styles.
VERDICT: Zildjian has delivered
exactly what it set out to do with this
re-vamped range of Special Dry
cymbals. Catering for more modern
tastes, the cymbals are actually
surprisingly versatile.
BUILD QUALITY
PLAYABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY
RATING
The 14" FX hi-hat top completely transforms
the hi-hat into something more akin to a
cymbal stack. With a heavily produced, ‘fi ltered’
sound, this would work amazingly for
electronic music or even hip-hop grooves. Set
up as an auxiliary hat though, I was able to fi nd
an additional range of interesting sounds
suitable for other styles.
WWW.MUSICRADAR.COM/RHYTHM MAY 2017 |
RHY267.gear_zildjian.indd 95 23/03/2017 19:42