hi hat assistance

[GeorgeHandley]

i am on a limited budget and want to pick up some used hi hats for around £40 - 70 . can anyyone recommend anything? all the time people are always like 'oh, buy se pro cymbals. they are much better'... no ****! but i dont have that much money so im looking for more inyermediate. i was thinking maybe XS20's or paiste pst5s?

[Markadiddle]

I have some Sabian xs20 hats that I frequently play. They're not bad, but still not as bright as the sound I'm looking for. Picked them up for $180 which I think equates to 117 GBP. Either I am doing the currency conversion wrong or they are outside your budget.

[GeorgeHandley]

haha yes, im talking used though. people are selling them on ebay, one example is 50 quid but that runs out in a couple of hours... is it worth going for?

[Markadiddle]

I have Sabian 14" xs20 hats. They're not bad. I bought them on the recommendation of some others here. They sounded ok in the store but when I brought them home, they were a little darker then what I was looking for. They are a pretty decent for the money. If you're on a budget, I'd definitely go for it.

Edit: I think 50 quid equates to about $76 USD. Not bad at all.

[GeorgeHandley]

hmm ok thanks. what about the paiste pst 5's?

[Markadiddle]

hmm ok thanks. what about the paiste pst 5's?

I don't have as much experience with them. Hopefully someone else will chime in here.

[GeorgeHandley]

ayneyboody?

[Olimpass]

I'd try to get some used Sabian regular hats or used Zildjian new beats. They can be found for 80 gbp/$120 or less. Patience is the key. Then they're good for life and you'll be very happy.

[Markadiddle]

+1 on the Zildjian new beats.

[GeorgeHandley]

what about dyno - beats?

[WYOman]

I still use my XS20 Medium / Brilliant hats. I love em'. They aren't AAX's, sure, but they sound great. Just my opinion though.

[slinky]

meinl has some B10 stuff that I think sounds pretty good. Not terribly exspensive brand new and don't know used haven't searched in awhile. Classics Custom or Custom Classics line

[KevinVanRillaer]

hmm ok thanks. what about the paiste pst 5's?

I owned the PST5s for a while, I don't think they were worth buying. They sounded like two pieces of metal put together. But I think there was something wrong with mine, the hi-hat would never fit together, there was always some space in between the two cymbals, even when I pushed my pedal really hard. I think the top was bend or something.

[ZildjianKid234]

I have Xs20 hats. I have no problem with them at all. There is nothing particularly amazing about their sound. But they sound good and get the job done. They get my vote for best mid-level cymbals. But as other have said, if you can score NewBeats or even AA regulars used, go for it.

Good luck!

ZK

[onegourd]

as stated, i too have seen good deals on new beats. otherwise, to my ear i think Sabian b8s are super for the price. nice dry chick, and a decent open sound. if anything they lack a little delicacy in the open position, but if your playing med to med-loud i wouldn't consider it an issue.

[SpatzST]

i am on a limited budget and want to pick up some used hi hats for around £40 - 70 . can anyyone recommend anything? all the time people are always like 'oh, buy se pro cymbals. they are much better'... no ****! but i dont have that much money so im looking for more inyermediate. i was thinking maybe XS20's or paiste pst5s?

my favorite mid to low level cymbals are the XS20's, without a doubt. Better than any zbt/zht

[GeorgeHandley]

oh right ok cheers. i missed my auction but thanks guys, i will keep a look out. incidentally i got blocked in ebay because i kept offering to buy an aax crash off this guy for 20 quid less than he offered, and each time raising it like 'you drive a hard bargian - £61'... 'ok final offer, £61.50'.... such fun! :D

[GeorgeHandley]

what about the sabian pro's though? i should confirm, not pro sonix i dont think. it just says 'pro' in large letters...

[NPYYZ]

You might want to check out Kasza Cymbals. I have a full set on my secondary kit. I have a set of 13" R Series hi-hats and they sound great. They sound so good in fact I'm now using them as a X-hat on my main kit, and I have to pick up another set for my secondary kit. Nice crisp full sound. I know a lot of drum shops don't carry them so check online.

One thing about buying cymbals online. I always make sure to buy from a place that will let me return it if I am not happy with it. Just in case I don't like the sound or if it does not blend well with my other cymbals.

They cost me $125.00

I found this video on you tube. It will give you an idea how these cymbals sound. 14" hats in the video , my 13" are a bit more bright.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OsMNHJJOR0

[Olimpass]

Lots of good suggestions. I'd like to mention Wuhan cymbals too. Very decent for the price.

[drumstix]

Dream/Wuhan/Kasza are probably your best value for money.

[Russ]

For lower budgets, go with Pst5/Xs20/Zht new or else something a little more upper level at a used price. Such as Alpha/AA/A.

[PHROGGE]

Look into sabian b8 pros as a decent set of "cheap" (ya get what ya pay for)
hi hat cymbals...i still have the 1st set of zildjian new beats...i bought
wif my own $$$$ in 1968....along da way ive always gotten others
(even use 16" crash cymbals on occassion now)....
Depends on situation & venue....

[drumstix]

what about the sabian pro's though? i should confirm, not pro sonix i dont think. it just says 'pro' in large letters...

I actually own a couple of these, use em for practices n whatnot. They aren't bad cymbals at all. If you can score some cheap, then all power to ya. I got a pair of hats and a ride for $40 second hand. Super cheap.

[yohin]

I don't get why people always seem to put PST5's in the same category as Xs20. Xs20 are leaps and bounds ahead of PST5 in terms of the sound and quality of the cymbals. IMO a fairer comparison is PST5 with B8, and Alpha with Xs20.

+1 on the suggestion to look for New Beats or AA Medium/Regulars. You can probably find them in a similar price range to Xs20's if you're patient. If you can't find any deals on that though, I'd say go for some Xs20's or Alphas.

Sabian has a series called SR2 where they refurbish used pro-level cymbals and sell them at extremely low prices. The refurbishing process doesn't drastically affect the sound, so you could feasibly get an HHX for the price of a beginner-level cymbal. Might want to look into that too.