New Cymbal

I've been contemplating buying a new crash/splash cymbal for the last few months. I kind of hate the sound of cymbals because they give me a headache. So sometime shortly after joing SPB I switched out the crash cymbal that I would hit for regular crashes with a splash cymbal. At the time I was thinking it gave a more goofy, new-wave/punk sound...but it also had a quick decay, which I liked.

Lately, though, I've been thinking that the decay is actually TOO quick. Listening to other people play I realize that it probably isn't appropriate to use the splash as a crash all the time. I have a 10" splash, a 16" crash, and a second 16" crash that is crap (original to the kit) that I use (infrequently) for a garbage can/china type sound. So I thought maybe I'd get a 12" splash or a 14" crash to bridge the gap.

I'm cheap, so this greatly limited my scope of purchase...but even so...there are about a hundred or more choices in the 12" splash or 14" crash realm to choose from. And the only way to pick is to go to a music store, which may or may not have a very good selection, and hit various cymbals. It is weird and difficult. What I WANT to do is take a bunch of cymbals home and play them as part of my kit for a few weeks. That's how I'd be able to pick. Never mind that a new cymbal will sound different after it has been played for a while. I can't even worry about that. Ideally I'd rather buy used for both cost and sound reasons...but I'm discovering that it is pretty hard to find the exact cymbal you want in the used market.

So yesterday the sweetie let drop that she'd like to buy me a new cymbal for my birthday...and that I should get the one I "really want" not just get the cheap one.

This opens up the entire world of cymbals again (since I'd been narrowing my search to those under $100 before)...perhaps too much. To make matters worse, I was looking through drumming magazines last night to see what other people play...and Tre Cool plays 19" crashes! Holy shit! Am I shooting too small???

I think I gotta pull back and realize that I'm not Tre Cool and I'm not playing drums in a stadium. And I like what I like...which is quieter cymbals with a faster decay. Also, I'm never gonna play heavy metal...and I'm never going to want to play in a band that is so loud that I have to have the ability to play over them. In a gig situation my drums will be mic'ed (though they never mic the cymbals...) and in a practice situation it's better to be a little quieter so that everyone else doesn't feel the need to "turn up" to be able to play over the drums.

Probably I should listen to recordings of myself playing and critically listen to the cymbals and figure out what I need to balance the kit out...which may or may not be what I originally thought that I needed.

For the record, it looks like Zildjian K series or A series is pretty standard pro cymbals. I've been leaning towards Sabian. Taking the restriction off of the cost means I can probably step up from the B8s that I've been eyeing and move on to something like the AA or HH. I gotta go through my notes, but I think I was fond of the HHX with the unfinished bell, but I don't remember if that was based solely on sound or if it was a price consideration.

Much research to ensue.