I LOVE my Sabian AAXplosion stage ride. Use it for classic country, alt country (not to be confused with pop country), classic rock, and contemporary christian music.
I've never really experimented with rides. Been play ingfor years but always used an A Medium ride. It does the job and fits for just about everything I do. It's a good all-rounder but nothing special. I've never been excited about a ride like I have my 13" hats or my crashes.
So I need some feedback. I'm looking for a ride that can cover a lot of ground - classic rock, pop, country - and be a bit more exciting than my old standby A Medium. Suggestions?
Gretsch Renown
6,8,10,12,14,16,20,22
Ludwig Supraphonic
Zildjian
15”, 16”, 18” K Dark Thin
16”, 18” K Sweet
16" A Custom EFX
20" K Custom Dark Ride
22” 60’s A Ride
14" 50's Thin hats
14” K Sweet hats
I LOVE my Sabian AAXplosion stage ride. Use it for classic country, alt country (not to be confused with pop country), classic rock, and contemporary christian music.
I have an HHX Evolution that works for virtually anything, however these are apparently very different from one another. Some are very washy, while others like mine are much drier. It's not a bright sound, though, so if you want something that isn't very dark this is probably a bad choice. If you want to crash your ride as well, the Zildjian Sweet Ride is a good one.
A custom ride? I've used a few different types in my years, but mediums are seemingly built for all applications. That's what you get when you go for an all rounder type of cymbal - does multiple jobs well, but doesn't emphasize one quality over another. It's the reason why it's balanced.
Last edited by Russ; 08-29-2014 at 12:57 PM.
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I myself prefer a super dry ride. I also have a giant 20" crash I use if I need a washed out right sound. But as for my main ride I want a crisp sharp ping. I use a classic Sabian Heavy ride. I also love a good solid dome as I ride the bell a lot for accents
UFiP class series rides sound good in just about all settings. I have the 21" heavy in UFiP class, it's very nice but you may want to just try a larger size from any brand of your liking. 21 or 22. I started with a 20 but gradually have gone up to a 22 which i use now (original Z Light Power Ride). It may be a one trick pony but perfect for what I'm playing right now. Haven't thought about going back to a 20 for a ride at all.
Last edited by slinky; 08-29-2014 at 01:16 PM.
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I'm not aride junky, as I only have 2, but I'm like you as for the Med. ride. I've been using a Zildjian, I think from the late 60's. I've had it about 20 some yr. I think it might be a Med. it doesn't seem vary light or heavy. Lately I've been wanting something different. Something with not as much ring, and more stick definition. I ended up with a 22" Sabian Omni. I really like it. It's a little bit dry but not so much that it's not musical. It's also got good crash qualities. I think it would be a good ride for just about anything. Good luck on your quest.
I have an A Custom ride (not the medium one, the regular one) at church, and it does the trick there. It's super-light and can wash out easily if you aren't careful. It's great with 7A sticks, but I wouldn't recommend for anything heavy.
I, too, have an Avedis medium, and I LOVE it! It's an absolute joy to play!
If I was wanting to upgrade, I'd look at the Sabian Hand-Hammered series. Those are fantastic! I played one probably close to 20 years ago, and it still haunts me. Love that cymbal. I'd also look at Zidjian K rides. I've heard that they are super-diverse and sound good as well.
Best of luck!
I am a ride junkie... Actually, I'm a cymbal junkie.
Do you have a particular brand you want to stay with? All the manufacturers are making great stuff now so finding something you want should be easy or may be hard if you find too many. Then again, you may find what you're currently using is the best solution.
Ever look at Paiste - Dark Energy or maybe 602 Modern Essentials?
K Series 20" Ride
Best ride ive ever played period.
22" Paragon. A good all around ride fits many genres.
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I have three 22", 1950's Zildjian block letter stamped rides. I love them all but one sounds a little better than the other two to my ears. I believe it's a little lighter and mellower with a nice shimmer. I guess it's nice to have a variety to choose from for different sounds for the various settings/styles.
Last edited by Olimpass; 09-12-2014 at 01:57 AM.
I'm a ride junkie....the last time I looked, I have about 10 or more to choose from! But the two which always seem to work the best (and are in my cymbal case always) are two Paistes.....a 20" Paiste Sound Formula Full Ride and an old 20" Black Label 2002 Medium. The Full Ride sits in so well (for me) in all sorts of live and recorded situations, no matter the style. It's been part of my sound for who knows how long....just under two decades? The other one was my first decent sounding Paiste ride, and works so well in low to medium volume situations, especially if I find the Full Ride is a tad bit clangy, and I want a washy ride (still with a decent bell) with lower volume and pitch.
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Picked up a 20" K ride. Never really looked at that one before - thought it would be too washy being a K. Turns out it holds together more than my A ride. The A sits comfortably in the mix and does its job very well without really being noticed. The K seems to play a little heavier than the A. Has a more defined ping.Super nice woody stick with a nice mellow wash when played near the edge. Still a good general all-around sound but with a little more character than the standard A. I think I'm going to like this one.
Last edited by G-man; 09-11-2014 at 08:07 PM.
Gretsch Renown
6,8,10,12,14,16,20,22
Ludwig Supraphonic
Zildjian
15”, 16”, 18” K Dark Thin
16”, 18” K Sweet
16" A Custom EFX
20" K Custom Dark Ride
22” 60’s A Ride
14" 50's Thin hats
14” K Sweet hats
Totally lovin' my K Ride especially the bell. Though the body needs to be mic'd up if it'll stand out. But AWESOME ride.
I have a Meinl mb20 Heavy Bell Ride 22" and I really love it! But that's more for metal I think Zildjian A or K is good for what you play. Also Sabian AAX can be good. Just go to a store and take the ride with the sound you like the most.
I have 3 rides:
Zildjian 20" ZHT ride = meh.... it's not a bad ride, but it's nothing special either.
Zildjian 20" A Custom Projection ride = great ping, clean wash, great volume, decent bell.
Sabian 21" Hand Hammered Raw Bell Dry Ride = stronger ping, somewhat lighter wash, great volume, AMAZING bell.
If I had to pick just one, I would go with the Sabian HH RBDR every day, and twice on Sunday. I don't have a whole lot of experience, but to me, it's the most versatile ride I've ever played.
I've always used a medium ride, until Sabian came up with the AAX Stadium ride. I absolutely love it. Great stick articulation, clean sound, really projects if you lay in to it, great wash if you want it, great crash for it's weight, and a bell you can hear from another zip code. I'll never use another ride after this. Sabian hit a home run with this one.
Mapex Drums / Ludwig Hardware / Sabian Cymbals / Tama Pedals & Hardware / Remo and Aquarian
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Years ago when I made the decision to downsize from a 22 to a 20, I narrowed the selection down to a 20" K heavy ride and a 20" Ping ride. I loved the feel and sound of the K but to my ears the Ping was the better choice for the kind of music that I was playing. I would still like to get the K for blues though ... some day ...
A friend of mine had a Paiste 21" dark/dry ride that I fell in love with. When I looked into ordering it, I discovered it had been discontinued. Also, the price tag was around $600!
I had heard of Amedia Cymbals, based in Verona, N.J. not far from where I live. I showed them a video clip on YouTube of the Paiste cymbal. They promised to make me a cymbal that matched it.
It took about three months, but I did receive my cymbal. To my pleasure and surprise, they matched it dead on! The ride of my dreams, and the cost? $350 dollars. Why go through the process of trying to find a cymbal you like, when you can have the ride of your dreams at such a reasonable price?
Perhaps a custom-made cymbal is the way to go.
John
Found my latest favorite ride - K Custom Dark ride. I like a ride to be a little washy and this certainly delivers. It has an almost glassy quality but retains its dark character from the initial stick through the sustain. Sensitivity is fantastic with a nice soft feel. Not the loudest ride cymbal so it sits in and under the music, not on top of it. Great bell. I'm having fun with it.
I've been on the hunt for a ride to replace my 20" A Ping Ride. I'm looking for something lighter and darker. I've narrowed it down to a 20" K Ride and a 20" K Custom Medium Ride. I'm leaning towards the K Ride but I haven't made up my mind yet ...
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