A custom thin vs medium thin

ok, i'm not a drummer.. sure i can play a few beats .. a friend of mine was asking my opinion on these zildjian crash cymbals.. so i head to the local music store and give them both a go.. unfortunately they weren't able to set even a simple kit for me to try them out with...

seems like the 'thin' is a brighter sounding cymbal with more timbre.. one seems to be able to harness good sound off it even with light playing... it's less durable i'm assuming, since it's much thinner; less forgiving towards sloppier playing haha..

the medium i'm *told* is more versatile... but to me sounds a little gong-like...

so here's my question... anyone with experience with these cymbals wanting to divulge some information/differences concerning them? thanks in advance folks!

Personally, unless I had good cymbal technique I'd stay the hell away from a thin A Custom. That's a crack waiting to happen if you nail it good on the bow.

In the future, i don't plan on buying anything other than thin crashes. The store down the street has an A paper thin...sounds killer.

the title sounds kinda stupid actually... haha

yeah, not being a drummer meself, the thin is quite a scary use... but it does sounds better imho...

what music do you play aqualung? can thin cymbals perform in most genres? i know, very opiniated questions (if there's such a word)...

Originally posted by justintee ok, i'm not a drummer.. sure i can play a few beats .. a friend of mine was asking my opinion on these zildjian crash cymbals.. so i head to the local music store and give them both a go.. unfortunately they weren't able to set even a simple kit for me to try them out with... seems like the 'thin' is a brighter sounding cymbal with more timbre.. one seems to be able to harness good sound off it even with light playing... it's less durable i'm assuming, since it's much thinner; less forgiving towards sloppier playing haha.. the medium i'm *told* is more versatile... but to me sounds a little gong-like... so here's my question... anyone with experience with these cymbals wanting to divulge some information/differences concerning them? thanks in advance folks!

Thin crashes are more responsive...you can hit it like a feather and still get a good sound out of it. Heavier crashes are less responsive, and if you hit them like a feather, you just hear a weird metal clang sound with some slight wash. you have to hit them harder to get that good crash/wash.

I dunno....i've played thin crashes and didn't feel scared...and i hit pretty good too, not a feathery jazz dude. A thin cymbal can be good in any genre. An 18" thin crash would have a great spread, heavy crashes kind sound like they just goo woosh in one direction, the thin ones spread out nicely everywhere....a good loud shimmer.

Aqua, you just have to get some good medium crashes. They are responsive like thin crashes, and explode like the heavier ones [not like the cheaper heavies]. You'd love mine.

thanks for the advice and comments.. keep 'em coming!

i was definately leaning towards the thin 18", but if the medium thin, with extra durability (i assume), yet good response, it's a good choice.

of course it's hard to decide without trying it with a full kit...

Yeah, i can't speak for ALL medium crashes. I tried some A custom fast crashes and i absolutely loved them. Next crash i buy will be one.

Hey Aqua, whatya think about Z Custom Crashes? I grabbed one yesterday at GC, and I really like the way it blends with the A Custom.

Whats your take on it?

I don't mind Z customs...my z mega bell ride wasn't able to grow with my tastes as i got older...but i tried a regular z ride and it wasn't half bad, i'll try it out again next time i'm there. But Z's are hella thick, and monotone. If you want it to sing, you have to hit it pretty hard, and when it does sing, it's one loud crash sound...they don't have a wide pallete. But if that one sound it makes is good to your ears...then {censored} it....play it proudly.

Also, the audience is the only one who'll hear the true tone. Judging by the recent review i read, Z's sound best when they're played live in a mix. So pick up those noise cancelling headphones, the ones that make everything sound pre-eq'd. The reviewer said he used those, and that's when they sounded best....an eq'd or live situation.

Cymbals break because they get bashed on as generic accents. You gotta make musical decisions, even with crashes. No different than the guitarist having to play the right chord.

If you're just starting out, go with the med-thin. They are more forgiving as you are learning. Thinner cymbals are easier to break until you know how to play more.

Is much like a starter guitarist would break the thinner strings until he learned how to pick and fret better.

the medium-thin will cut through more with the drums without being overbearing. The thinner ones will "shimmer" more over the top. It also depends on the music you play, how you hit and the sounds you want.

If you must be sure, be sure and play with a set before you buy. Let someone else play as you step back and listen.

Med-thin are still responsive enough and will last longer with most beginners until they find the sound they want. Hope this helps

thanks for the input. helpful indeed; cheers!

bump just in case