I've had these cymbals for way over two years now, and am replacing them with A Custom and K's now I've got a salary increase, but might as well write a review anyway.

14" Hats- Bright, chic sound too them. Not too bad for what you pay for, chic sound is ok.

16" Crash- Very, very bright. Too much for my liking. Sounds more like a splash, but I suppose it works well enough for a beginer.

20" Ride- A good enough ride, I applied a small bit of duct tape to cut down a bit of ring, the bell on mine isn't very clear cutting but is good compared to others.

Overall review- 7/10

i also have zbts and at times is laughed at for that. besised the point i agree and id like to add to it:

hats- i axtually put my bottom hat on top and they now have a sound similar to a custom projection hats.

16 crash-as therocker said its very bright but i like it

18 crash- in a stark contradiction its actually somewhat dark. good contraction and it makes a great orchestra suspended cymbal

ride- very washy, not very great stick defintion. im goin to apply some clear nail polish in a ring ro cut the wash and hopefully that will help.

ride- very washy, not very great stick defintion. im goin to apply some clear nail polish in a ring ro cut the wash and hopefully that will help.
moongel. -Les:drums:

I've had these cymbals for way over two years now, and am replacing them with A Custom and K's now I've got a salary increase, but might as well write a review anyway.

14" Hats- Bright, chic sound too them. They have a nice chic sound which works well with the rest of my kit, I might keep them and save buying K Hats as despite being quite cheap sound quite good.

16" Crash- Very, very bright. Too much for my liking. Sounds more like a splash, but I suppose it works well enough for a beginer.

20" Ride- A good ride, I applied a small bit of duct tape to cut down a bit of ring, the bell on mine isn't very clear cutting but is good compared to others.

Overall review- 7/10

Sounds like you had the same ZBT pack that I had years ago...and for the same reason...money.

And now you are upgrading just as I did.

You are obviously a very smart guy!!!:icon_mrgreen::icon_lol:

They were decent for the money, but looking back I would have to say that there are better beginner cymbals out there.

Oh, and congrats on future upgrades! You will love the As and Ks!!! Which ones do you have in mind?

I do not like the ride. Not enough bell, and it sounds for days......
wait a minute...... yup it's still ringing!

I do not like the ride. Not enough bell, and it sounds for days......
wait a minute...... yup it's still ringing!

my paiste is like that...:shifty:

I do not like the ride. Not enough bell, and it sounds for days......
wait a minute...... yup it's still ringing!

lol sometimes i feel like the and lez i will have to try moongels. its just that in Z time 05 bill stewart talked about the k custom special dry ride and when exper.inting with a prototype he said"i applied some nail polish for a slight muting effect. we tryed to replcate that sound using more sophisticated lating techniques" so if zildjian uses it it should work

I do not like the ride. Not enough bell, and it sounds for days......
wait a minute...... yup it's still ringing!


My point exaclty...duct tape and moongel isn't really working too well on the ZBT, I suppose it's alright for its price, but I can't wait to get rid of the crash and ride. It seems Zildjian make very bright entry level cymbals, too much so. My band asked me why I was using a splash as my primary crash...Very embarrasing

Might be ridiculed for this, but would making the ride more like an ozone help?

sound is worth anything

If I had to rate them, I would give them no higher than a 5/10 with a 10/10 being A/K lines.

I have had ZBTs for about 18 months.

I quite like the hi-hats, they sound good opened and closed and everywhere in between and can take quite a beating.

I stuck a big piece of tape on the ride as soon as I got it and haven't had any problems with the sound since. Not bad for the price.

As for the crash, it never sounded all that good. It was very flimsy and didn't stand up to much. It cracked after 18 months playing about 3 hours a week.

They are fine for the price, but if went back in time, I would try another manufacturer.

Nice to hear a review of these cymbals instead of people just dissing them.....obviously they do have their good points as well. Nice job TR. :clap:

I started with ZBTs as well, good for a start, but if the expectation is for high quality then do not buy them for performace grade expectations. For someone just starting out, they are good. The rides are nice, the crash is a bit tin like and the ride is a sharp ride vice a full body ride that you get with your higher end cymbals. My pack also came with a china that I do like very much.

Now if you play like stickswizzarddraggon who uses a wide range of cymbals, the ZBT would offer a sound effect good for such a style of play.

I also have ZBT's because I still don't have a grand or more to dish out for cymbals. The crashes don't sound great, especially when hit softer, but they're not too bad when hit a bit harder. For someone on a budget wanting to buy some cymbals, I would say compared to other cymbals, they are worth right about what you pay for them. I definitely would not have paid any more. Can't wait until I can afford a full set of A's or K's or some comparable high end cymbal. Until then, I'm making the best out of what I have.

You know what they say: "When life gives you lemons, build a lemonade stand and make lemonade. Then use the profits of your lemonade business to buy a machine gun. Let's see if life makes the same mistake twice" :icon_mrgreen:

You know what they say: "When life gives you lemons, build a lemonade stand and make lemonade. Then use the profits of your lemonade business to buy a machine gun. Let's see if life makes the same mistake twice" :icon_mrgreen:

LOL!~

That was good Lagerhead!!!!

Back to the ZBT's. My crash isn't that bad, but I like my PST5 crash better. The hats I think are fair. My drummer from my last band has K's and I really like the sound of them.

Is Christmas near, yet?

You know what they say: "When life gives you lemons, build a lemonade stand and make lemonade. Then use the profits of your lemonade business to buy a machine gun. Let's see if life makes the same mistake twice" :icon_mrgreen:

lmao

No offence intended here guys. I'm back into the drums after a 15 year hiatus & decided to take the option of buying good quality used gear as opposed to budget new gear. The difference between the AU & US dollar aside, for what I've picked up my Sabian 17" HH Crash & 20" HHX Stage Ride, someone would have probably paid the same price for a new & vastly poorer ZBT equilivant cymbal. I'm just wondering why you would you would go this way? Is the used market any different over there?

they were one of my first rides, i was stoked on them

I saw the last post in march so I figured i'll bring this review back. I have played for 2 yrs and had the zbt's. I honostly love them. The crashes were bright and quick and the hihats sound really nice half way open. The ride i was not too thrilled about though, too weak of a bell and too many overtones. The only downside I found was that they werent too durable, but I am a hard hitter so maybe it's just me. I cracked 4 within the two yrs i've played. Overall I give the zbt's an 8.5/10

Cracked 4 cymbals in 2 years and you rate them an 8.5 out of 10??! I must be doing something wrong...playing almost 50 years and haven't cracked one yet. The ZBT's are strictly an entry level until you get to be a better drummer product. Since you've got cracked cymbals, now would be a good time to start researching quality cymbals and get an idea of what you want and start putting aside some $$$ to get them. They don't have to be brand new and don't get caught up in the "Brand name game."
Check the "Auction" sites for what's available. One of the best cymbals I own...A Zildjian 21" Sweet Ride...I found on ebay for $50. It had a crack in the lathing. I drilled it, put in a few sizzles and this baby sings like a Persian cat.

Ive Bought Some Of Da Best Cymbals
I Own At Pawn Shops Thru My Travels,,,
The Experience,the Price Of A Treasure...
And Priceless Is Da Story
Dat Goes Wif Da Search !!!!!:punk:

Ebay, Pawn shops and pre-owned are not a bad way to get upgrades. I agree with Phrogge.

The ZBT's are strictly an entry level until you get to be a better drummer product.

So where does that leave Planet Z cymbals?

I wouldn't say ZBTs are an entry level cymbal.

So where does that leave Planet Z cymbals?

I wouldn't say ZBTs are an entry level cymbal.

ZBT's are entry level cymbals. Planet Z's are throw-away cymbals.

ZBTs are most definitely entry-level cymbals. Zildjian marks them under the same catagory as Planet Zs (Bronze Beginnings). Trust me, don't as why, but I had to use a set of ZBTs for like 5 months with the china as the crash. Ugh...

Cracked 4 cymbals in 2 years and you rate them an 8.5 out of 10??! I must be doing something wrong...playing almost 50 years and haven't cracked one yet. The ZBT's are strictly an entry level until you get to be a better drummer product. Since you've got cracked cymbals, now would be a good time to start researching quality cymbals

I just got a set of z custom's for my birthday

Happy Birthday to you and I hope that you have better luck with the cymbals. Very thoughtful presents for you...

Planet Z's are "budget" cymbals, really not worth buying at all.

If you compare ZBT's to ZHT's (which are also still stamped, not cast) you can see the ZBT's are beginner cymbals. When you compare the to A's, etc... there's no doubt. Huge difference in sound quality.