Printable View
I play 13" Quick Beats, A Custom, K/Z combo.
I used to play 14" but after playing 13" Hi Hats for so long, the 14" feels big, and ringy. I know that they aren't but they feel that way.
I also have a pair of 12" which are cool, but I only use them in the studio and for certain situations.
I got a pair of 13" K/Z hats in the late 80's that I've used ever since. I've gotten so used to their sound and feel that, nowadays, regular-weight hats sound and feel kind of wimpy.
Having said that, I've been thinking about going back to 14" hats with a more standard-weight bottom cymbal. I was thinking something along the lines of an A Custom Mastersound bottom with either an A Custom top, or a K or K Custom top.
I have also been considering getting one of the new Z Custom bottoms for mine, assuming its a thinner cymbal than the old Z Dyno Beat.
I've tried some new Sabian HHX hats in stores and they really sound great, too.
I want to get that "sloshing" foot technique that Tony Williams and Steve Smith use, but it doesn't work so well with such a heavy bottom cymbal.
I was thinking about getting the K Session hats and maybe using a mastersound bottom (since the bottom of the Session hats are lighter than the top) That way I get a tighter sound than the 14 Avedis Mastersounds I use now. I used to play 13 inch new beats but I sold those years ago.... Man I should hav3e held on to them...... Any using the Steve Gadd Session hats?
I play 14" Quick Beats from the late 70s and are really heavy and have that great tight/bright sound that cuts through anything. I also play 14" K Custom Darks that I REALLY love because they are SO expressive. Also 13" K's are nice and not too loud.
The one thing that I really look for is finding the right hihats to match the snare in both texture and color. This makes a HUGE difference to me, especially when playing Porcaro or Garibaldi type ghost notes. So depending on the snare, I select which hats work best.
But that's just me.
I think the only thing that can answer you is your ears. You can see that everyone uses different hats. If you want your own sound, then that depends on whatever you like the sound of, regardless of what anyone else recommends or uses. That's my 2 cents. [img]smile.gif[/img]
Hear hear!! Well said Rudy... and it's two PENCE - you're English, remember?!?!?! [img]wink.gif[/img]
Is that what is happening to me? I see this forum as a pro-level forum and I have really benefited from all the advice. Has my playing gotten to a point where I need to find my own sound for hi-hats? I like the way my Mastersounds sound when "sopping" them or playing them open.
Do you think it's possible to find a pair of hats that fit every situation I play? I play gospel, rock, jazz, funk, R&B, top 40 and swing..... Oh yeah they have to sound great live and in the studio..........
My main hats are:
14" Paiste 602 Sound Edge-these have a bright and not very loud stepped sound. very bright attack when closed. sounds like Stewart Copeland's hats on Red Rain from Peter Gabriel's So.
12' Zildjian Special Recording-same sound as the Paiste but higher pitched and "tighter". I swap out the bottom cymbal for a 12" splash on acoustic jazz gigs for a low volume stepped sound.
14" K Istanbul top/ 14" Paiste Taditional thin crash bottom- typical bop sound, very dark and low pitched. warm and low volume stepped sound.
Interesting item...would you bid on them? Another drummer from another forum is putting them up
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=3717538631
Pocket, to my knowledge Jeff never used RUDE cymbals. His earlier sessions including the first TOTO tours, he used old Zildjians.