Trends in Cymbals
Interview Questions
Modern Drummer Senior Editor: Rick Van Horn
How have cymbals changed over the past five to ten years?
The majority of cymbals made by the major brands have become heavier, in response to
the greater impact they experience with the musical styles that have become more
prevalent. A "thin" cymbal today would have been a "medium" ten years ago. Also, entire
lines are now devoted to high-impact playing, where formerly there were "rock" models
within more general-purpose lines.
At the same time, the industry has seen a proliferation of brands making more
"traditional," hand-crafted cymbals that hark back thirty to forty years. These brands
have tried to cater to the "purist" and/or jazz-oriented drummer, rather than to massmarket/younger buyers.
How do you see cymbals changing over the next five to ten years?
It's hard to imagine music getting much louder, or drumming getting much heavier, so it's
doubtful that cymbals will get much thicker and heavier. The likelihood is a continuation
of the diversification happening today. Where cymbals once were entirely cast of B20
alloy or cut from sheets of B8 alloy, they are now offered in B8, B10, B12, AND B20
alloys. Price will dictate popularity more so than musical qualities, simply because there
will be so many models available that it will make "musical selection" a difficult process.
What are the most popular trends in cymbals that you see today?
Heavier cymbals for most players; many esoteric lines for more advanced players, and a
high degree of attention to the improvement of lower-priced lines for entry-level players.
How has cymbal making technology affected today's cymbals?
Computer-assisted production has permitted faster development of new models, as well
as much greater production output. Cymbals are rapidly becoming a commodity item,
nearly as much as drumheads and sticks. There are positive and negative aspects to this,
depending on one's perspective. Purists will decry mass production as reducing the
individuality of cymbals as musical instruments. More pragmatic players will applaud the
opportunity to obtain a cymbal that sounds just like the one they broke on the last gig.
Are cymbals becoming more specific in their nature?
Absolutely, and this is largely a marketing effort on the part of the manufacturers.
Ironically, just as 5A, 5B, and 2B drumstick models are still the biggest sellers for the
stick makers, basic all-purpose cymbal models are still the biggest sellers for the cymbal
makers. But offering more variety and a wider range of esoteric/specific models will
attract a certain amount of fringe players who are looking for "something different,"
while making the manufacturer appear innovative and consumer-oriented.
How do cymbal trends effect your purchase decisions?
Not at all. I base my cymbal acquisitions purely on the basis of what works for
a given purpose. IF that happens to be a "trendy" cymbal, fine. If, on the other hand, it's
a garden-variety 16" thin crash, that's what I'll choose.
How successful do you think companies are in recreating the old Turkish sound?
At this point, there are few people living who can truly evaluate and identify
"the old Turkish sound." What the manufacturers are going for now is a sound that
meets the legend, the reputation, and the descriptions that have been touted for the past
generation or more. In that effort, many have been very successful. Not surprisingly, it is
the smaller companies still making cymbals "the old-fashioned way" in Turkey who are
probably coming closest to the authentic Turkish sound. That being said, however, there
are those who feel that Zildjian's K Constantinople series comes very close.
What do you think the average catalogue life is for a Signature Series Cymbal?
This is a hard question to answer, since technically speaking only Sabian
(among the "big three" manufacturers) offers signature models. Zildjian offers several
models "developed in conjunction with" name artists, but they do not actually sell those
models as "signature" models for those artists. Ditto for
Paiste.
Many of Sabian's signature models have been in their catalog for ten years or more.
However, since they probably only make these models in very limited quantities, and
perhaps even on a to-order basis, it's not difficult for them to keep the model in the
catalog almost indefinitely.
Meinl does make signature models, but none of them have been around more than five
years or so, so it's too early to determine a "shelf life" for them. Ditto for Bosphorus.
What type of cymbals does Modern Drummer magazine most often review?
MD tries to run a wide variety of cymbal reviews, in order to assist the widest possible
variety of MD readers with their cymbal choices. That being said, we also try to be timely
with reviews of the newest introductions. Consequently, our reviews reflect the diverse
nature of cymbal lines being created by the various manufacturers.
What percentage of drummers' purchase decisions are affected by cymbal trends?
As stated earlier, sales figures show that basic, all-purpose cymbals outsell specialty or
trendy models by a wide margin. The one exception is the "trend" toward heavier
cymbals, since even the general-purpose models of today are heavier than their
counterparts of a few years ago.
Still, one cannot discount the huge amount of promotion that the manufacturers put
behind their new-product launches. Add to this the influence of endorsers (who often are
shown using the new, trendy models), and buyers cannot help but be influenced. Whether
that influence is strong enough to overcome their own innate preferences is something
that only the retailers can see.
High School Band Instructor: Elise Bestreski
How have cymbal trends effected your purchase decisions for this school?
They haven’t affected my purchasing very much at all. I may choose one or two different
cymbals than I might have, but overall the school has its basic needs, and my purpose is
to meet them. If schools had unlimited budgets, we could have more fun experimenting
with trends, but that’s usually not possible. I usually go for classic and reliable.
How often does the school purchase new cymbals?
We’ll get one or two every few years as we need them, and we’ll make a larger purchase
every 5 to 10 years.
What characteristics of cymbals do you find most influences these purchases?
General sound quality overall. If it won’t sound good, I won’t buy it. Next would be
durability. Our cymbals are used by many different students for different purposes and
under different conditions, so they must be somewhat sturdy.
How have orchestral/ marching cymbals changed over the past few years?
They haven’t changed tremendously, but the market has changed to include more variety
in the types of cymbals that are available.
What is the average lifespan of a cymbal/set of cymbals at a high school?
It depends on the players, instructors and cymbals. If a student plays correctly, concert
cymbals can potentially last forever. If the players have bad technique or the cymbals are
inappropriate for what they are being used for, they’ll last only a few years.
What are the most popular trends in cymbals that you see today?
I think one popular trend right now is creating new effect cymbals. Companies are
discovering all kinds of wacky sounds and they’re fun. People love them.
How satisfied are you with the selection of cymbals on the market today?
I’m pretty happy with what’s being offered now. There’s some good effort being put
toward quality products.
What do you think of the school’s selection of cymbals?
I think we have a decent collection of thin suspended cymbals and our new marching
crashes are good, but we’re lacking a bit when in comes to concert crash cymbals and
effect cymbals.
How do catalogues affect what you purchase?
They don’t affect my purchase that much. Of course I look at websites or online catalogs
before I spend, but I generally know what I like and what works for the school, so most of
my purchase decisions come more from experience and recommendation that catalogs.
When purchasing cymbals, do you spend a lot of time listening to different models before
making a decision?
Unfortunately I don’t have that luxury. It’s difficult to find a place with enough variety
that testing cymbals is actually effective.
Professional Drummer: Casey O’Connnor
What are the most popular trends in cymbals that you see today?
Well, I haven’t bought cymbals in a while because I, like most jazz drummers, like the old
dirty cymbals, you know when they get that nice brown/green shit on ‘em. But maybe a
lot of guys are going for that sound, at least the ones I run into. I guess the companies
are making them like that, or guys like me just won’t buy ‘em.
How do cymbal trends effect your purchase decisions?
As I said, I haven’t bought new gear in a while, but I don’t care about trends. I mean,
what does it matter, if it sounds good, then it sounds good. I don’t care what type of metal
their made of or what company logo is on ‘em. I just close my eyes and use my ears, man.
But when I hear a cymbal, I like to know what it is.
How successful do you think companies are in recreating the old Turkish sound?
I don’t really know. I prefer the old ones. They keep doing this and that but, the only was
for it to work is if they give up all that computer bullshit and make a thin, wobbly,
inconsistent totally hand made cymbal. They don’t have the time, money, or skill to do
that anymore. But a lot of guys like ‘em and they are much more affordable.
How often do you purchase new cymbals?
As, I said, bairly ever.
How satisfied are you with the selection of cymbals on the market today?
I think there are so great cymbals out there, but I don’t really buy new stuff. I like going
to pawn shops and little mom-and-pop shops to find old dirty cymbals. It is part of my
sound, so I don’t really pay attention to that stuff.
How do catalogues affect what you purchase?
They don’t. I look at them to see what is new, but I don’t care if Joe Shmoe plays the
Zildjian ride or whatever, I just listen. It is enevitable, however, not to be a semi-gear
head because it is your passion, ya know?
When purchasing cymbals, do you spend a lot of time listening to different models before
making a decision?
Yeah, if I find one I like, I try to find two or three and compare them. They are all so
different. Now, because of computers, they aren’t as much, but still they are very
individual instruments. I just don’t go out a buy a cymbal because I saw it in the
catalogue or because it’s on sale.
What is the average lifespan of a cymbal for you (before you sell it/ damage it/ get sick of
it)?
I play mostly softer music, I don’t wreck cymbals. Sometimes I go through phases,
however, when I find a cymbal that I really like, I use it for years. Then maybe I’ll put it
in the closet for a year, re-discover it and play it again, or maybe not.
How have cymbals changed over the past five to ten years?
They have definitely gotten thicker. They are getting thicker because a lot of kids play
incorrectly and treat their cymbals like shit, then they complain about breaking them, so
they make the cymbals thick and the get gongier. That why I don’t buy new cymbals.
What are your favorite cymbal that you/ plan to purchase?
As far as new cymbals go, I’d probably purchase some Zildjian K’s because they are like
the old ones, but are a bit more reliable. It is much easier if you really need a sound to
just get a new cymbal than search all over eBay, but I like that part.
Zildjian Cymbal Representative
What are the most popular trends in cymbals that Zildjian is perusing?
I can basically divide this into three categories:
 Raising the quality of affordable cymbals
 Creating more diversity in the artist inspired models
 Still we try to keep the general population content with standard cymbals that
have been in our catalogue for decades
Also we are always trying to push the boundaries as far as technology is concerned
and while making cymbals that meet the needs of out consumer base.
How have cymbals changed over the past five to ten years?
Anyone will tell you that cymbals have been getting thicker. I think this caped off and
even recessed after the 80’s. You see more metal drummers using thin cymbals and
breaking them, just to get the sound they want, rather than durability. The thick cymbals
such as the Z Customs have not gotten too much thicker, but all of our lines have greatly
expanded over these year.
How does Zildjian see cymbals changing over the next five to ten years?
I think that Zildian is always pushing forward and is in the forefront as far as product
development, however I think a lot of people are trying to achieve vintage sounds will
modern reliability. Diversity is the only word for the future. A 16” crash may still be a
16” crash, but more selective cymbals are really taking off.
How has cymbal making technology affected today’s cymbals?
Where to begin… technology has changed everything from the baking of the alloy to the
final lettering of the logo on the cymbal. We have temperature controls, computer
automated hammering, etc. However, all of our cymbals are hand tested. Computers
cannot replace a good set of ears. But technology has made out cymbals much more
consistent. That is one of the problems with older cymbals. Their sound is sometimes
destroyed or the actually cymbal is destroyed due to inconstancies in the metal and the
process. Technology has fixed this.
What does Zildjian believe most effects the buyer’s decision to purchase one cymbal over
another?
I think that product awareness is very important. Ads and endorsers influence decisions
but it comes down to what you like. At Zildjian, we make cymbals that the consumers like.
It is as simple as that.
How important has it become to recreate the old Turkish sound?
Very. Much of our new products are in this vein. We are also pushing forward with
cymbals that are appropriate for modern music, but actually, jazz drummers aren’t the
only ones using these, so we really try to re-create that sound using technology to
decrease inconsistency as mentioned earlier. A lot of drummers are going for it. If there
is a demand we will fulfill it. Also this sound was created by Zildjian so we must be in the
forefront of continueing it, as part of tradition.
What makes Zildjian more able to create this sound over competing companies?
When people talk about the old Turkish sound they mean the Turkish K Zildjian sound. It
is the Zildjian sound. We have been creating for over 400 years, so everyone else is
trying to copy this sound. We are at the point that we can push forward and revolutionize
that sound, combining old world craftsmanship and modern technology. It is Zildjian that
invented it and Zildjian that will change it.
What do you think the average catalogue life is for a signature cymbal?
We just recently started creating cymbals in conjunction with select artists. We don’t
know yet, but they are having great success and sales are very pleasing.
How susceptible is Zildjian to consumer trends?
Of course, we need to reply to requests; however, we need to instigate the new trends so
that the market does not become stagnant. Also, it is very important to change things
because new sounds influence musical creativity almost as much as musical creativity
influences cymbal sounds.
Any recent developments that you think will push cymbals and cymbal technology
beyond current trends?
Just wait until 2006. The new Z Times will be out soon.
Musical Instrument Retailer: Jersey Drums n’ Percussion
What types of cymbals do you sell most of?
We mostly sell two types of cymbals, either eclectic traditional cymbals such as
Bosphorus or cheaper more virsitle cybals to students and gigging musicians who need
reliable diversity.
How do you see cymbal sales changing over the next five to ten years?
I think they will continue the same way. Some things will change, but they doesn’t change
cymbal sales. However cymbals are getting cheaper while specialty cymbals are getting
more and more expensive.
How have cymbal sales changed since you have owned this business?
They have been the same. There are just a lot more different cymbals available today
then back then.
How do cymbal trends effect your costumers’ purchase decisions?
I see a lot of younger kids effected by trends based on what they can afford or what their
favorite drummer is playing. However, other more experienced players come to hear a
veriety of cymbals and have a sound it their head that they are looking for.
What percentage of drummers’ purchase decisions are affected by cymbal trends?
I think most drummers are effected in some way by trends and catalogues, even if they
say they aren’t. These things catch your eyes and that is why they are their. If their
weren’t trends, we wouldn’t have trends to talk about. However, most players’ personal
tastes follow trends because the trends are dictated by the costumer. So trends aren’t
followed by the costumers, they are created by the costumers.
How successful do you think companies are in recreating the old Turkish sound?
There are a lot of nice cymbals out there and the Turkish sound is one of the things that
have become increasingly popular. The Bosphorus are the closest because they are still
made entirely by hand in Turkey. Zildjian started the sound, so they are also very good at
it too. Plus they are much high quality and more affordable than the older cymbals.
What is the average shelf-life for a cymbal?
Cymbals sit in the store anywhere from a day to a year. It all depends on who, what, and
when. Cymbals are very personal, so they are just there waiting for someone to take them
home.
How has cymbal making technology affected today’s cymbals?
Technology is amazing. You would have to talk to someone from the companies to get a
better answer.
How do cymbal trends effect your personal purchase decisions?
I see a lot cymbals, a lot of the time before others, so the new products end up in my
hands first. Let me say this: it is hard sometimes to put them on the rack instead of taking
them home. Trends are not really important because I am an experienced player. I have
seen them come and go, and at the end of the day, I have new cymbals and old cymbals,
and I just go for sound.
Do you sell more moderately priced cymbals or higher quality pricey cymbals?
We sell more moderately priced cymbals to our students, but also, we are known for our
selection of high quality cymbals that tend to be more expensive. We sell them all, but at
the end of the year, we probably sell more run-of-the mill cymbals that everyone can
afford than anyothers.