Zildjian K Custom Hybrid Cymbals

From £235 Zildjian’s thoroughly modern K Custom Hybrid
range gets some new additions. Adam Jones investigates
PRICES
13" K Custom Trash
splash: £235
15" K Custom Trash
crash: £291
21" K Custom Hybrid
ride: £464
CAST OR
PRESSED
Cast
ALLOY USED
Zildjian Bronze (B20)
FINISH
Buffed and natural
HAND OR
MACHINE
HAMMERED
Machine
COUNTRY OF
MANUFACTURE
USA
DIAMETERS
AVAILABLE
13", 15", 21"
MODELS
AVAILABLE
Trash splash, Trash
crash, ride
SUITABLE FOR
Rock, metal, pop,
industrial, jazz,
anything amplified
and/or vaguely leftfield
CONTACT
Yamaha Music (UK) Ltd
Sherbourne Drive
Tilbrook
Milton Keynes
MK7 8BL
Telephone
01908 366700
www.zildjian.com
ZILDJIAN K CUSTOM
HYBRID CYMBALS
RECOMMENDS
AUGUST 2009 RHYTHM 97
EXCLUSIVE
Z
ildjian seldom releases signature
cymbals (the A Armand series being
a rare exception), but it frequently
collaborates with drummers to
create new designs. The K Custom Hybrid
range is a good example of such a project.
Inspired by Japanese fusion master and
long-standing Zildjian endorsee, Akira Jimbo,
it was fi rst unveiled in 2006. In 2008, the
range was enlarged with fi ve new additions
and this year sees three more cymbals
joining the ranks.
Build
K Custom Hybrids feature two opposing
fi nishes on each cymbal: the bell and the
inner half of the bow are unlathed and highly
polished while the outer half is regularly
lathed. In common with many of the existing
K Custom Hybrids, the latest trio are all
odd-number diameters.
The 21" ride is a larger version of the
established 20" ride, and the 13" Trash splash
and 15" Trash crash are all-new designs.
strong peal. Crashing the ride is simple and it
opens with a bright, shimmering note that
takes some time to decay.
The two Trash models offer similar
responses to one another, being separated in
pitch more than anything else. The 15" Trash
crash is a fraction darker than the splash, but
they both deliver high-octane trashy attack.
Response is instant and high frequencies
dominate. I preferred the splash for the way it
seemed to slice through the air, but the crash’s
bigger size arguably makes it better suited to
louder environments.
Verdict
From the outset, the K Custom Hybrid range
was conceived as an unambiguously modern
set of cymbals and these new models slot in
seamlessly among the existing ones. In sizing,
looks and sounds they’re thoroughly
contemporary and probably point to a future
of ever more intricate and involved cymbals.
The ride displays a wide degree of versatility,
while the Trash splash and Trash crash models
would make useful additions as effects
cymbals to any set-up.
Rating ✪✪✪✪✪
While the ride is a regularly shaped cymbal,
the two smaller Trash models veer off into
more radical design territory. Square bells
(meaning no curve; just a straight line from
the centre hole to the bow) are mirrored by
sharply turned down outer edges. At the point
where the edges turn southwards, there are
several bands of small but intense hammer
marks. These details have been incorporated
for their propensity to induce trashiness.
Hands on
At over 3kg, the 21" ride is quite a lot of
cymbal. It feels surprisingly thin to handle,
though. The lathed area gives a clean, slightly
woody-sounding ping over a complementary
wash. Crossing over onto the polished area
brings an instant change in character, with the
stick sound morphing into something
altogether tighter and more pronounced. A
metallic edge adds focus, helping the cymbal
project further without a dramatic increase in
volume. By the time the bell is reached, there’s
virtually no wash remaining – just a clear,
THE TRASH SPLASH
has a radical design that
delivers an energetic sound
HYBRID RIDE
is at 21" a larger version of
the established 20" model
RHY166.gear_zildjian 97 19/6/09 7:44:31 am