Zildjian apparel and other gifts
Stylish Zildjian apparel, including hats, t-shirts, drummer gloves, Zildjian bags, Zildjian bar stools, Zildjian glasses and more…What more could the drummer who uses Zildjian cymbals ask for?

Rating:
Zildjian makes high quality goods no matter it be a hand hammered cymbal or a slick messenger bag…They make it possible for the Zildjian drummer to show their drumming pride.

Here’s a great little piece of trivia taken from Wikipedia: The word cymbal comes from the Latin root cymbalum, which comes from the Greek word kumbalom: small bowl.

Cymbals are made up of a few parts: The bell, dome, or cup is the raised part in the middle of the cymbal where the cymbal attaches to a stand or hand straps (for marching and symphonic percussionists.) The bell makes “pinging” pitch and is a higher tone than the rest of the cymbal. The bow comprises the rest of the cymbal. There are two different striking areas on cymbals: The ride and crash areas. On cymbals, the ride area is a thicker section that’s closer to the bell and the crash area is the thinner tapering section near the edge.

Drum Kit cymbals:
Drum sets usually include crash cymbals, ride cymbals, and a pair of hi-hat cymbals. Often drummers will also include china cymbals, splash cymbals, and ice bell cymbals.

Crash cymbals:
Crash cymbals are usually lighter in weight to make a high pitched, short sustained “crashing” sound.

Ride cymbals:
Ride cymbals are normally the largest cymbals on the set. These cymbals are used as time keepers on eight notes or a syncopated fashion in Jazz.

Hi-hat cymbals:
Hi-hat cymbals are time keeper cymbals as well and include two cymbals stacked on top of each other on a stand controlled by a foot pedal so the cymbals can be brought together to play a tight “chick” sound or or played open to create a more “trashy” open sound.

China cymbals:
China cymbals look like upside down cymbals when mounted. The edge of the cymbals are turned upward. These cymbals give a very harsh trashy crashing sound when hit.

Splash cymbals:
Splash cymbals come in small diameters and give a very short sustained crash when hit, like the sound of someone “splashing” in the water.

Ice bell cymbals:
Ice bell cymbals sound like metal bells when hit. They are primarily accent cymbals. They’re shape consists of a dome with a raised lip on the edge.

Materials and creation of cymbals:

Cymbals are made up of different alloys which are shaped into blanks, then hand hammered, followed by a lathing process and finally a polishing process (on some cymbals). Cymbals are created many different ways by their various manufactures which include: Zildjian cymbals, Sabian cymbals, Paist cymbals, Meinl cymbals and Bosphorus cymbals. These cymbal creation techniques have usually been handed down through generations and are closely guarded trade secrets. Top quality “cast” cymbals are normally made from bell bronze and “sheet” cymbals (a lot of modern made cymbals) are normally made from malleable alloys.

Cymbals are just as unique as the drum sets they sit on. Much craftsmanship goes into the creation of making good cymbals. The various shapes and sizes of cymbals makes the choice of cymbal selection numerous and plentiful.

A few good references:

More Cymbal facts

Wikipedia – Cymbals
Wikipedia – Cymbal making

Cymbal Manufacturers:

Zildjian Cymbals
Sabian Cymbals
Paiste Cymbals
Meinl Cymbals
Istanbul Cymbals
Bosphorus Cymbals
Saluda Cymbals
TRX Cymbals
Alchemy Cymbals
Soultone Cymbals
Turkish Cymbals
Serpent Cymbals
Stagg Cymbals
Amedia Cymbals

Places to buy Cymbals:

American Musical Supply
Instrumentpro.com
GuitarCenter.com
MusiciansFriend.com
Musician’s Hut
Music123.com
Woodwind & Brasswind
zZounds.com

Prodrumreviews.com is drum review site for drummers of all skill levels and interests. Check out reviews on cymbals that include some of the top names in the industry.

Ludwig Accent 5-Piece Drum Kit

Includes a free throne

Ludwig Accent 5-Piece Combo Drum Set
Famous Ludwig quality and select wood shells including a matching wood snare drum. The drum shells feature wrapped finishes. 22″ x 16″ bass, 12″ x 10″ and 13″ x 11″ toms, 16″ x 16″ floor tom, and a 6-1/2″ x 14″ snare. Hardware includes LA214FP bass pedal, snare stand, and straight cymbal and hi-hat stands. Includes throne.

Ludwig Accent 5-Piece Drum Kit Features:

* Famous Ludwig quality
* Select wood shells
* Matching wood snare
* Wrapped finishes
* 22″ x 16″ bass
* 12″ x 10″ and 13″ x 11″ toms
* 16″ x 16″ floor tom
* 6-1/2″ x 14″ snare
* Bass pedal
* Snare stand
* Straight cymbal and hi-hat stands
* Free throne

This is a drum set that’ll serve you well for many years.

Rating:
Here’s a Ludwig Accent 5 piece set that is just a great, all-around entry-level kit. Ludwig has been around for a long time and they make quality kits. Hardware is good and it holds up to some abuse. Great sound capabilities–Get some new heads after beating the stock ones around a bit to really make it open up. The price point on this drum set is amazing.

Zildjian ZBT 3 Starter Bonus Cymbal Pack with Free 14″ Crash

This Zildjian ZBT 3 Cymbal Pack includes an 18" crash ride and a pair of 13" hi-hats plus a free 14" crash. Sound grooves and round hammer strikes in a simple circular pattern on the top surface of ZBT cymbals magnify the basic sound of the distinctive ZBT alloy. ZBT Series Hi-Hats produce a sharp and focused sound with an excellent, bright chick sound. The free 14" crash has a brilliant finish and a crash sound with easy playability-the perfect first crash cymbal.The bright, intense, high-pitched sound of the Zildjian ZBT series cymbals cut through the mix. The sheet origin and lathing techniques create high-volume projection that speaks quickly and brightly when struck then decays rapidly. Since ZBT cymbals are pressed and lathed from sheets of uniform, high-quality bronze alloy, they are remarkably consistent. The highly polished, brilliant finish looks fresh and offers excellent, clean stick articulation with controlled overtones. ZBT cymbals take Zildjian Bronze Technology up a notch with advanced hammering and lathing, and enhanced sound for versatility, musicality, and professional performance.

Rating:
These cymbals make for a good beginner set up with a cheap price tag, but don’t expect top quality sound. They’re mostly a transitional cymbal set up for the absolute beginning drummer. I would probably go for the Sabian B8 set up before this one. It’s going to cost more, of course, but would be worth it for a longer term investment. On the other hand, if money is really tight, this would probably be the way to go.

Zildjian Drum Stick Bag

Nylon stick bag with pocket for drum keys and other small accessories. Hanging/carry strap. Zildjian logo.

Rating:
I have used this bag for over 20 years…That’s how old this style is. This is one of the cheapest stick bags out there, but in my opinion, one of the best. It will hold a ton of sticks, mallets, brushes, drum keys, etc. in it. It’s super durable. They don’t seem to wear out! What’s cool is the strings enable you to tie the drumstick bag onto a floor tom for example and have the bag wide open for easy access to the sticks. I love this bag…it’s iconic in the drum stick bag world.