SeriesZildjian ZBT

i got this for my premier drum kit some four years ago. I parted with my drums since and kept the cymballs. Now where do i start, oh yes, some four years ago i was a bit oblivious to the sound of cymballs. I bought them because of the name thats all. and yes i did like them then.....but not now. Jesus christ my wrists will break if i write everthing thats wrong with them. to start off with they are the colour of shit that is made of bronze, they have gone green and coroded around the edge where you mute the cymballs. apparently the bronze colour of the symball is actually a laqur coa. they suck major bush wang shite and briny fghfrghnfghj This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I needed another set of hats to play on my double bass kit so I chose to buy the Zildjians. l Iiked the price and Zildjians great reputation a quality cymbal makers. I puchased them at musiciansfriend.com for 89.00 The only thing I liked was the finish. They are very handsome cymbals, but this was decieving... I initially played a pair of 14" Sabian B8s. They were cheaper than Zildjian and sounded great. The zildians were flimsy and soft. They weren't as crisp as the Sabians. Within the first 1/2 hour of playing the ZBTs I noticed small dents on the edges of the top hi hat that my stick was hitting. This was unacceptable. Soft, unusually bendable. Great looking finish. A horrible cymbal - bottom line--. Don't buy this. If you need a cheap pair of hats fo with the Sabian B8s. They are cheaper and will last an eternity longer than the ZBTs. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

This zildjian set is a good bang for you buck. I think that zildjian has always had good products, but over the last few years I have noticed a lot has changed in regards to production and models offered by the company. This is not such a bad thing, because today’s musician wants today’s sound first and foremost. My set features a 16" ZBT crash, 20" ZBT ride, 16" China cymbal, 14" ZBT hi-hats, and a free 18" crash. I use this set for rock music primarily, and have noticed how the cymbals cut through the mix of other instruments nicely in a live setting. The importance of long decay for crash cymbals in rock music means I demand the best from my cymbals. These perform perfectly everything I could ask and more. The 20” ride has a medium tone but a high pitch which i really enjoy in a ride, reminiscent of Ringo Starr stuff on the Beatles catalogue. The high-hats are the perfect size at 14” and actually have a nice beveled edge that does not destroy my sticks after a night of playing. I dropped the 16” china once from a height of 5 feet or so, and it was undamaged, and sounds fine to this day. I believe this is a testimony to good production on Zildjian’s part, and I will continue to trust them with my purchases. I could see myself using these for metal, all the way to jazz stuff if needed. I think the perfect use is rock stuff, be it progressive with long extended hits, or hard metal hulk crashes, and quick sounds required for thrash. All in all, I think this set is a great deal, and while it seems pretty standard, it sounds amazing, and I will continue to use and recommend these to all my friends and family for years to come. Also they can take a beating and still retain new like sound.

Zildjian's ZBT Crash 16" is a pretty standard sized crash cymbal for your drum kit. It's definitely on the lower end of things as far as crash cymbals from Zildjian go, as they have cymbals for players on all levels and all budgets. I recently played a drum set at a friend's house who had a kit with mostly ZBT cymbals, including this 16" crash. While I've certainly recorded with a ton of better crash cymbals before, the ZBT 16" Crash isn't terrible for the price. It's about as cheap as you'll find a decent crash cymbal, and while you can always get better cymbals, I think that if you go any lower than this that you're going to be getting something pretty poor. At least with the Zildjian's ZBT Crash 16", it sounds like a crash cymbal and would be suited just fine for practicing and even for shows. I wouldn't record with it unless it's all you got as it's simply not up to snuff for making any sort of professional drum set recording. Having said this, it's perfect for new drummers and even a bit more experienced ones who are looking for a decent enough crash cymbal to work with without having to spend much money at all. It's not dirt cheap new, but if you were to get one used it probably would be. I wouldn't recommend the Zildjian's ZBT Crash 16" for any professional drummers or even more experienced drummers, but for those are just breaking into the world of drum sets and crash cymbals, it's going to do a good job at a cheap price. Again, you can go cheaper, but anything cheaper is most likely going to be pretty poor sounding. I wouldn't over or underestimate it, as it is what it is - a decent starter to intermediate crash cymbal...

The Zildjian ZBT Ride 20" cymbal is a simple ride cymbal for use with a full drum set. A few months ago I did a recording session with a friend of mine who is a drummer and has this cymbal. I'm not a drummer by trade myself, but I'm an engineer who has recorded all sorts of different drums and cymbals and like to think I know the difference between a good one and a great one. While I don't know if I'd say that this is a great ride cymbal, it's certainly a good one. It's really bright sounding, which can be a good or bad thing depending on the situation you're using it in. We were recording some songs for a pop/rock band, so this cymbal did the trick just fine. It's not the best overall ride cymbal that I've used and recorded with before, but it's also certainly not the worst. It's great for getting that high pitched bell sound in there, which may or may not work for you. The cymbal seems to be made well and all that, but since I'm not a drummer I'm definitely not an expert when it comes to the make up of cymbals. I believe that the cymbal comes in other sizes, but 20" seems to be the perfect size for a cymbal of this kind. I wouldn't say that the Zildjian ZBT Ride 20" is a professional cymbal, but rather it's somewhere in between. It's definitely adequate for playing live shows as long as you're not a professional playing every night. Having said this, the cymbal is definitely best suited for the drummer who is somewhat experienced looking for a solid ride cymbal that won't break the bank. Basically, I'd say it's a fine cymbal for use for anyone other than a professional...

Zildjian zbt's are ok as a starter cymbal pack. These sound a lot better than the stock cymbals that came with my first drum kit, but not by much. These are cheap, and have pretty great value. This is their best attribute. Any drummer who wants to seriously gig or record also has to realize that he/she will probably want to get rid of these after a short period of time. That is why the low price is good, they can be used as a springboard. As far as the sound goes, I have never been impressed. The crash is ok, very loud but lacking in any desirable character. It has a reasonably fast decay and any noise remaining after a few seconds is undesirable ringing. It does not respond well to light strokes, so it has to be struck hard to sound decent. The ride is absolutely disgusting. Even through hard rock, it sound bad. The ugly overtones and ringing is rough on the eardrums and the surface sounds way to stiff. Even when playing with wood sticks it sounds like plastic tips are being used. The saving grace of the ride is the bell, which actually sounds ok. The hi hats are the highlight of the pack. They are the most important cymbal for beginners so this is refreshing. They have pretty good volume, stick definition, and chick. They mix with music pretty well, and I have actually seen them in use more than any other zbt's. I don't mean to be to harsh on an entry level cymbal set. They are a good value for what they are. For a price like this, I am a bigger fan of Sabian b8's, which have a much better ride and crash sound. Honestly, I would avoid entry level cymbals alltogether if possible and just save for good ones. I did, and i thanked myself later. The mere fact that these are in a box is suspect, because unless they can be played extensively before purchase I wouldn't suggest buying any cymbal without hearing it. This pack is mediocre.