Zildjian K Custom Hybrid Cymbals
GEARREVIEWS
102 RHYTHM SUMMER 2006
cymbals. Crashing
the 17" produced a
rather soft and warm
sound, almost as if striking
with a felt beater. But the 19"
was toppier and more aggressive. I
was at a loss to explain this until I noticed
that the 17" has a rather small bell in
proportion to its overall diameter,
while the 19" has a large bell, similar in
proportion to the ride’s bell. This brings
home how shape and fi nish defi nitely
alter the sound character of a cymbal. A
bigger bell makes the cymbal louder and
more strident, while, according to Zildjian,
the unlathed section helps control the
wash and sustain. So, crash either
cymbal near the edge for a dark, warm
and sustained whoosh, then smash
either cymbal with the shoulder of the
stick on the brilliant central surface to
get a harder, shorter explosion.
In contrast to the big crashes, the
two splashes have bells the same size,
which means the bell on the 9" takes up
signifi cantly more of the cymbal’s total
area than on the 11". In fact, with the 9"
there’s the bell and the lathed, outer
band with no room for the brilliant area
in between. The result? Well – surprise,
surprise – the 9" sounds half bell and half
splash. Catch the outer edge lightly and
you’re rewarded with a pleasantly soft
splash. Strike it harder and the bell takes
over – and as the bell is relatively large for
the size of the cymbal, the overall volume
is impressive for such a small splash.
KEY FEATURES
T
his attractive looking set of
K Customs is the result of a
collaboration between Zildjian
and celebrated Japanese drummer,
Akira Jimbo. The unusual look is due to
each cymbal having two distinct playing
surfaces, hence the name Hybrid. The
outer area has traditionally fi nished K-
style lathing, while the inner area and bell
has a smoothly polished brilliant fi nish.
The two bands meet half way across
the radius of each cymbal. So, for
example, on the 20" ride the demarcation
line is at about 5". The cymbals are
medium weight and have light
hammering, though not on the bells. The
effect the dual surface has is to offer two
different sound dimensions depending
on where and how the cymbal is played.
Dual ride
The 20" ride combines the defi ned stick
response and strong bell sound of the K
Custom ride (which has the brilliant,
unlathed fi nish all over) with the crash-
ability and increased spread of a thinner,
lathed cymbal. The idea is that the lathed
outer section produces a softer and
darker sound while the inner smooth
section and the
bell produce harder
and brighter tones.
Of course, this
happens with any
cymbal to some
extent, since the
note becomes
shorter and higher-
pitched as you
approach the bell.
But with this hybrid
design the distinction is
more pronounced. There is
a defi nite change of timbre as
you cross the line between the
two surfaces.
While playing near the edge you can
crash and ride in traditional K manner –
you can whip up plenty of wash while
retaining a clear stick response. Then
immediately you cross the border into the
central area you get a pingier, harder stick
defi nition, well before you reach the bell.
It’s certainly different…
Both the 17" and 19" crashes have a
full, warm and almost orchestral tone,
but the fi rst thing that struck me was the
apparent difference between the two
Zildjian
K Custom Hybrid
Cymbals
From £150 | Akira Jimbo inspired these latest K Customs.
Geoff Nicholls ponders whether the dual surface works…
ESSENTIALS
PRICES
K Custom Hybrid
17" crash £321
19" crash £362
20" ride £389
19" china £362
9" splash £150
11" splash £180
13¼" hi-hats £451
CONTACT
Yamaha Kemble
Music UK Ltd
Sherbourne Drive
Tilbrook
Milton Keynes
MK7 8BL
Tel ephon e
01908 366700
Website
www.zildjian.com
The Hybrid dual surface
combines normal K-style
lathing on the outside with a
polished, un-lathed brilliant
inside surface and bell.
K Custom Hybrid cymbals
are a ‘contemporary
expression’ of the warm
and dark K sound, with drier
but still complex tones.
The effect the dual surface
has is to offer two different
sound dimensions that
depend on where and how
the cymbal is played.
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