Many of my favorite cymbals have cracks. Saying you avoid cymbals with cracks is like some guy who is shown a '64 Fender Precision bass and doesn't like it because the finish is worn. The reason the finish is worn is because it's a great bass that sucked someone into playing it for years. Same for cymbals with cracks.

I have cymbals that I repaired cracks on 35 years ago that haven't cracked further since. When I met Steve Gadd his set had several cymbals that were cracked to %$%#!

So for me cymbals with some cracks are a chance to get something cheap. I have a 50's K that is heavily cracked that a friend bought me at a swap meet for one dollar. It sounds better than any $250 music store junk.

I always buy used cymbals and am drawn towards cracked cymbals because I know I can fix most of them, they tend to be cracked because they were good cymbals that people wanted to play, and I can get them for pennies on the dollar for what the cost new.

Besides, most cymbals don't sound right for 20 years.

Good advice above! The ZBT series is entry level...props to you for wanting better! When I started buying cymbals, Zildjian was still far and away the benchmark.(Early 70's). So much has changed, and there are many more great cymbal makers! Here goes:

1) Know the sounds you like for crash,ride,hats,etc...

2) Yes, buy used. A well-made cymbal will last forever unless dropped. And you'll pay a fraction of retail.

3) Pay no attention to endorsements and ads! - If you're in school,ask your band director for ideas.

Good Luck!

I can't speak to that. Never heard one.

I played it for about half an hour tonight and I really, REALLY like that Mid-East 16" Classic crash! What a great cymbal and an absolute steal at $65!

I'm with SkyDog when it comes to buying used. It's not too hard to look at feedback on Ebay & ask a few questions. Also, if it looks fairly new, it probably is gonna be okay. I'd ask the seller if he/she has any history on it or knows how it has been treated. Feedback says a lot.

You can get real bargains if you are patient. Only thing about buying online is that you seldom can hear them. Each cymbal is different and you can buy some real stinkers, but you can sell them if you don't like the sound.

I have a Paiste 502 ride (a fairly cheap cymbal) that I got on Ebay for $15 + shipping. People have looked at my kit & said: "Huh, looks like you bought the best, then ran out of money when you bought the ride"

Truth is, it sounds perfect for what I play. I'm not going to buy a K just so I can look like I have the best.

It is absolutely my favorite ride I've ever had. I've been looking for a hi-end Zildjian as a spare for it, but haven't found one that sounds close enough to it to put out the big bucks for. Meaning that it isn't necessarily "better sounding" than a given hi-end Zildjian....it just has a tone/sustain etc. that suits me so well.

Good luck in you search.

Cheers, Dave

It's really all about what makes you happy. My son and I have well over 20 ride cymbals and most of them are really great. However, the single best one, by far, is a newer new stamp Istanbul K from around 1970 or so. It cost $1500, which is a nice piece of change, but its so good that IMHO it was a bargain even at that price. The sticking, the sustain, the bell...perfect! Its become my son's favorite recording and giging cymbal.

If we could find a $65 or $15 cymbal that sounds as good, or gives us as much pleasure to play, I'd buy it in a heartbeat. However, I've been listening to cymbals for 50 years, and my son for about 12, and based on our individual experience and expectations for a great cymbal, lower end models or bargain cymbal brands do not meet our requirements.

I am a re-seller for Mid-East mfg. The mid-east brand are quality cymbals, but the Istanbul made line has been discontinued, so it is difficult to impossible to find some of the models they originally had. I ordered several of them when they came out and found the lighter models to be very nice, and the regular "rides" to be too heavy. The 20" "crash ride" was my favorite model, but they are sold out. They are generally brightish sounding cymbals for being made in Istanbul, not smoky dark jazzy sounds.

I presume these cymbals, like Dream and Wiuhan, are made in China, correct? While the Chinese made cymbals are not generally my cup of tea, I have heard and played several Wuhans that sounded pretty nice several years back. While I wouldn't trade my Old k's, Bosphorous', or old A's for them, IMHO at their price point they were significantly better sounding than any American made B8 cymbals from Z or Sabian. I would suspect that Dream, and perhaps Mid East also could best the B8 sheet stuff.

No. The mid-east istanbul line were made in Istanbul Turkey, not Istanbul China (if there is such a place).

Sorry. Misunderstood. When you referred to the Istanbul made line, I wrongfully assumed it was a Chinese manufactured line made in the Istanbul or Turkish "style". Chinese made Wuhan cymbals have different lines. Some are meant to more closely emulate the Turkish cymbal style. I should have read your post more closely.