Zildjian K Custom Dark Ride 20''

I bought this cymbal at Explorer's precussion. I paid about $200 for it during a cymbal sale.

I was looking for a drier, jazzier ride and came across this one. It's definitely a dry cymbal, and it's pretty dark, but it still has a lot of stick definition, making it fairly versatile. It has the perfect amount of overtones; it doesn't overwhelm or die out. The bell cuts nicely, and it produces a beautiful, musical crash like no other. It sounds great in jazz and quieter settings, but still holds up pretty well for heavier music.

This cymbal is probably a little too dark to be an all-out rock and roll ride, but if you're into a dry, dark sounding cymbal, it sounds really cool. This cymbal probably wouldn't work for a real hard hitter or total rock drummer, but after all, it's a k custom.

Like all zildjians, stick marks show up on the cymbal's surface, but that can be expected. I haven't had this cymbal for long, but it shows no signs of damage and is holding up well. Unless I intentionally beat the crap out of it and neglected it for a very long time, I don't think it would ever break or anything.

This is a beautiful sounding cymbal, and can be used in a variety of music settings. If you want a darker, drier, versatile sound, you should definitely check this one out.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I absolutely love this ride. It has such a great sound and fits well into every style I have tried it in. I use to have a Zildjan ZXT ride of some sort and purchased this one in a cymbal package deal to replace the weak ZXT. I am not a pro drummer really, but I play drums well and often in my studio. When I swapped out the rides, I realized I didn't use the ride as much before because of how weak the ZXT sounded (very brittle and "tiny" sounding). That has all changed since I bought this one. I own the 20" ride but it sounds like a 3 foot ride in my opinion. Lay down a jazzy track with this ride and you will see why it is so popular with drummers. Much like most High end Zildjan gear, it sits very well in the mix. The highs are crisp but definitely not brittle or overly bright and the mid/lows are perfect. I use to notice in recordings with that it got difficult to hear the actual stick strikes when I was really jamming on my old ride and making big swells. With the dark ride, you hear everything. The other awesome part about this ride is the Bell. It is AMAZING! It outshines all the other cymbals I own in terms of the bell shot. Much like my custom A crash, I love using this cymbal with mallets. But, this has a downside. When I use the mallets, I will get this very low volume crackle kind of sound. I have been trying to isolate this bad sound to see if it is coming from anywhere else to no avail yet. If it turns out to not be the cymbal, then this is the greatest cymbal I have ever owned.
I am very happy with the $120 I paid as this goes for over $250 on the web. With the exception of the crackle when I use mallets, this things sound quality is unbeatable. Yes, I highly recommend this cymbal and would replace it right away if it was lost.

This is a cymbal that has been used in the studio that I work at very much. It's a great ride cymbal, 20" and its a part of the K Custom series which means that you know it is a good cymbal. It has a very unique quality. It's pretty dark but it still has a lot character and zest. I would certainly say that this is a better sounding cymbal for mellower rock bands, but I think it would be acceptable for jazz and blues, funk and similar genres as well. Basically anything that requires a ton of groove out of the ride, this just sounds better than a Dry Ride. It doesn't shimmer as loudly as the other dry rides, and it has more personality as a subtler cymbal. I feel its a more appropriate cymbal for different genres. As a multi-instrumentalist and aspiring engineer, I feel as though it competes less viciously with the frequencies of a distorted guitar, which gives it a great contrast while recording. The cymbal is pretty expensive, as the K Custom series is one of the better cymbal series out there. But trust me, you will possibly tire of a lesser cymbal much earlier than this one. I think that the Dark Ride will totally be worth any realistic price you pay for it, especially if you can get a used one in half-decent shape. The sound quality is unmatchable, I think that it is one of my favorite sounding rides right now. My boss and head engineer would probably agree. I have tried some of the other K Custom series in order to compare them to each other. I haven't really found a better cymbal series in general, but I truly prefer some to the others, and this one is one of those that I really dig. I would highly recommend this to anyone with the patience to save up for it.

I have been using the Zildjian K Custom Dark Ride for about 5 months now, and it has been and shall always be my main ride cymbal. It has a dark melodic wash with a piercing bell. The overtones of the 20” are less suffocating as the 22”. The 20” is the perfect blend of melodic overtones and dark ping. This ride is not what you are looking for if you want a pingy ride. This ride sounds sophisticated with a unique blend of overtones no other cymbal manufacturer can make. It is truly beautiful, with the hammering and the traditional finish. It adds an archaic look to the set., plus it has the K on it.

The dark ride by Zildjian has been my dream ride forever, and then I finally saved up enough money to buy it, and I have absolutely no regrets. This ride is superior to its Paiste and Sabian counterparts, as this has a smooth action and an overall dark tone, where as the other have too much ping or overtone. My favorite part about this ride is the bow to bell sound transition. It has distinctive sound and overtone qualities in the each part of the bow and bell. I use this ride in both a female fronted metal band and a Jazz band,and both love the tone and response of this ride.

This ride is a little bit pricey, but is worth every single penny out of the pocket. I would do some research and make sure the ride is good for you, as that is one of the key components of a drum set. I love this ride, but it is not for everyone. If I had the choice, I would definitely go back and buy this, and I would probably have not wasted so much money while saving up so I could get it that much sooner.