To change the palette or not to change the pallet?

For any of you who know me you know that I am very specific when it comes to my cymbal pallet.  Over the years I have tested a number of cymbals in various playing situations to develop my own unique cymbal sound.  In these trial and error scenarios I have stuck by the Zildjian brand.  After all I was handed my first set of cymbals from my father, who was also o a big Zildjian fan.  To this day I still use those vintage 1960’s era hi-hats on the road and in the studio.

On a recent contract my ride cymbal developed a nasty overtone out of the blue.  The technicians thought it was the stand, but they were wrong.  After talking with a Zildjian representative I found out that the molecular composition of the cymbal had changed and that nasty 4K overtone was there to stay.  The only way to kill it was by placing gaffers tape at strategic locations on the instrument.  This killed the bounce and made playing jazz, swing, and certain world rhythms a difficult task.  It also got me questioning if it was time to change out my brass for a new brand.

I have been researching and testing a number of other cymbal manufacturers and have narrowed my choice down to either Sabian or Meinl. This change will cost me thousands, as I will now need to reinvent my cymbal palette.

All of this raises the question.  Is it worth it?  Should I stick with Zildjian and just change out the ride and risk another dead cymbal that is out of my control or switch to a knew unknown brand that may present their own problems?

Cymbals and drums are the tools of today’s modern drummer.  Much like a drill for a carpenter they can make your work much better and efficient.  Unlike a carpenter they require you to adjust and possibly reinvent your sound with a single change, which can affect your personal brand.  So how do you do it?

I follow a specific cymbal selection pattern.  First and foremost I develop a foundation sound with my ride and hi-hats and build up from there.  With that foundation developed, I usually go with a darker sound.  I then add my crashes, usually a bit brighter cymbal sound.  This helps define them in the sound spectrum, much like engineers do with EQ settings.  Once these colors are in place I add effects cymbals such as splashes and Chinas.  Once complete I have created a new cymbal pallet and defined my new sound.  It is fun to try, but expensive and time consuming.  In the end it can be very rewarding.

If you have any suggestions let me know what I should try as the cymbal hunt is on folks.