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I'm a relatively new drummer (<2 yrs as a hobby), but I'm not impressed with Zildjian so far. The cymbals have never sounded good to me - sounds "dirty" - and they feel fragile like they'd break easily. Guitar Center highly recommended their drumsticks, but after using them, I found they break easily and don't feel "right" (not sure how to pinpoint the exact issue) compared to Vic Firth sticks I have (which are excellent).

I'm not sure if this is an atypical experience with the brand or not.

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You have to consider that when you are a new drummer you won't have good control of your power. So you will tend to hit things a lot harder just to keep up. This means you will break sticks and cymbals more often.

I have been playing for 10+ years that was a huge problem for me, but eventually your mind will adapt to dynamic nature of keeping time. I feel most people think keeping time as a singular action, but its mostly managing dynamics and spacing of music. Cymbals are fundamental to accomplish that.

I will say that I personally prefer Sabian since I am a rock/metal drummer. But Zildjian cymbals are thinner and softer they will have less volume but a brighter and more lush sound. Most of their products are designed for softer Jazz and Pop playing. If you want something in between Paiste and Meinl try to fill that gap.

I actually don't hit too hard since I started on a Roland e-drum set and if you hit too hard on those, you risk breaking the pads, so I think I developed better stick control from that. On my acoustic set, I've only ever broken the Zildjian sticks and some cheapo Amazon brand ones. The Vic Firth have held up for over 2 years.

I also use the Sabian AAX line and it works great. I like to play along with rock, hip-hop, and pop. I found the Sabian's to be a good middle ground for now.

Judging by the feedback I'm getting in other comments, I guess the Zildjians are not any less reliable than the Sabians (and I understand the Sabians are derived from Zildjian anyway?). I'll have to give them another go at some point.

Except if it's ZBT like someone else said you should not be breaking cymbals that frequently, or even at all (hot debate in the drum community).

One good way to hit cymbals properly, especially crashes, is to have them not totally horizontal and making a "woosh" movement rather than a straight attack.

Another secret about drums in general is that, counterintuitively, hitting them hard often choke the sound rather than making it louder (all about projection).

And it's the best instrument there is ;)

sticks are super personal and the breakage you'll find has a lot to do with things like thickness but also the wood, Vic Firth are hickory sticks which last a lot longer than a maple stick for example. (it also depends on how you are hitting things, what volume level, where you're hitting the stick, etc). but if a stick doesn't feel "right" that's not usually a stick quality issue it's just a weight balance that isn't your fit.

that said I've not seen too many people using zildjian drumsticks, vic firth, pro mark tend to be the two big names.

the cymbal thing is a whole different ballgame. if you're whacking the cymbals really hard and you're looking for a clean sound, you'd want to get thicker cymbals with less hammering that are more oriented towards hard rock playing. because yes if you have a pricey zildjian crash and you're slamming it all the time, it will crack eventually (sooner for a thinner cymbal) and that is not too abnormal of an incident. you might get more bang for your buck with a Paiste Rude cymbal.

Zildjian cymbals are not any more prone to breaking than other manufacturers'. Whether they sound good to you is another story. :) It's hard to make that judgment about a product line so big and varied anyway.

These days I'm playing Sabians, mostly AAX. Not out of brand loyalty, just cause they all sound pretty good for what I do (loud, fast rock). But I've had a handful of Zildjians that I really enjoyed (wish I still had the 24" A Ping Ride that I broke in high school), some Paistes, a Meinl here, a Byzance there...

What cymbal line have you used?

The "ZBT" cymbals I started on were not great (cheap, meant for beginners), but over time I've switched to the "A" series which sound comparatively great.

The "K" dry sound is even more impressive, albeit with an accompanying price tag.

My kit is all K special dry customs and I love them. I haven't cracked or damaged them in 5+ years.

In my experience, pro marks last a long time. Personally, I really liked the Matt Halpern signature sticks (feels like a 2B but plays like a 5B). At the end of the day, it's how you hit the cymbals. If you hit with a sweeping motion away from the blade of the cymbal, then your sticks will last a lot longer and your cymbals will be less prone to cracking as well.

If you're interested in more unique sounds from cymbals, Meinl makes some great stuff.

Interesting. I'm a pretty bad drummer due to difficulty keeping time (pretty damn important for a drummer :-D), but I love to play, and I've always loved Zildjian. Until the last few years I wasn't really able to afford them so frequently bought them used, but the crash especially just has a great sound to me. I am a big rock and metal type of person so that's probably a big factor.

as a recording studio engineer and drummer, a secret about Zildjians is that while they may not sound the best in the room, their recorded sound still has something special that others don't. whether it's the right sound for the song is a different question, but when you need it, you'll be hard pressed to find it with another company.

P-bass spirit.

This is something I've found new drummers struggle with. They get a kit and cymbals, even nice ones, and they are dissatisfied that the live drums in the room don't sound as "good" as what they hear on the albums they're used to.

Recorded drums sound very different from live drums. It's just something you get used to after a while, but for years as a young drummer it really bothered me until I finally mic'd my kit and was like "oooohhhhh".

Great point. That's one of the many reasons I recommend earplugs or muffs, especially to new drummers. Even cheap foam earplugs cut out lots of midrange frequencies and can make your drums sound more like a record.

What line of cymbals? A? K? Something else? Zildjian make quality stuff but maybe you'd prefer either a different line of theirs or another brand entirely like Meinl or Sabian. You never break as many sticks and cymbals than when you're relatively new to playing, also.

> Vic Firth

Fun fact, Vic Firth nowadays is part of Zildjian.

additional fun fact, they used to make pepper shakers and rolling pins, too. if you've got a mill, why not?

Reminds me of Peugeot. Cars and pepper grinders.

And bicycles.

My mom worked for Shamrock Foods and was at a restaurant supply show and ended up meeting, of all people, Vic Firth, selling pepper grinders. She knew I owned Vic Firth sticks and he generously signed a pack of sticks for her to give to me. Said he was absolutely delightful. (This was probably ~15 or so years ago.)

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