Like Mel Lewis said, all your cymbals should be good for either.

Many people (not me) and Zildjian included would called 1950 grams thin.

I think 1950 was meant as the year, not the weight.

yes, 1950 was the year,

Sweet man! I am afraid to hit my ride as a crash. I can just see it cracking on the spot haha

I'd absolutely agree. Of course, every single drummer on this forum has their own playing style and plays different kinds of music but I'm generally a light player and like to play with bands where I don't have to bash. Nothing wrong with bashing but my bashing days are over. So I'm in no real danger of cracking cymbals. I hardly ever crash on a 16", but instead usually lightly graze or sideswipe a thinner 60's ride. I love that sound. It's more subtle.

I will tell you what I believe to be a real secret- for better drumming on all music (except punk rock or thrash metal!)

Here it is - you know those smaller cymbals so many of us use to crash?- the "shorter/brighter/faster" they are the more likely/often we are to hit them- the more likely you are to break and punctuate the time feeling that way. Hitting crashes is a lazy way to puntcuate the music-

Because they take up the sound spectrum of other melodic instruments they can really clutter and interfere with a really refined punctuation and support of the time. I find that using two rides and hats as a set up really makes me focus on punctuating the time using the pocket instrument- snare/bass/hats or snare/bass/ride instead of that habit so many have of ending every musical sentence with a "crash!" or a "splash!"

By punctuating the time without the inevitable crash or splash- I have to be more creative and allows my bandmates to be more so too. Using a large cymbal as a crash, -then when you finally do hit it, it really says alot!

Have you ever chosen a song to play live using no cymbals or only one? Try it as a test and see how it changes your phrashing- you might really like it. Over crashing is like over eating- in the end it`s not so good.

*** Recently I challenged myself to play a long solo live using only 2 drums on the kit- I can playing anything as long as it was on those two drums and I couldn`t switch hands - left hand was on snare and right hand on the rack tom (bass drum and foot hats pedal I used also)- it was a challenge and it got real funky- the audience told me they liked it.

So I am agreeing that rides make great crashes and they can challenge us to limit our crashing and bashing to stay with-in the sound bubble of the band-sound.

Your ride must be amazing- in particular Buddy Riches 50s/60s A Zildjian Rides - that I see on the videos- they come to mind as sparkling and dynamic crashes.

I have a real devil of a ride/crash- a 20" Meinl Dragon with 6 rivets from the

mid 80s- I love the hiss in that thing.

[IMG]http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn87/Osakabop/P1010002-1.jpg[/IMG]

Best of luck

I use my Istanbul Mehmet 17" Sultan Crash as a ride when playing with our school orchestra, wich is more accurately weird band... we play funk version of latin chants, rock variation of Handel, or just this funny funky-jazz things. Things is, we got acoustic instruments-clarinet, piano, violin, and even the electric ones have quite small speakers. And on top of that, we often play in old churches. So I had to learn to play reeeeal quiet. This 17" works great for both crashing and riding in this situation.

When playing ska with Moury z Roury, I usually just crash it.

Why am I always opposite everyone else? LOL I often use my crash as a ride.

I play open hand and my right hand is very often busy on my snare so I ride my crash. I use a late '60's "Rock Crash" and I find it works great as a ride if I'm easy on it.

And, naturally, it makes a great crash as well.

To me cymbals that are only good for one thing aren't very good. I have a 22" ultra heavy AZ tank that most people here would hate. I love it because for chick ballads it's, to me, ultimate. But it's a one trick pony so I never have it set up with my kit except to lay down tracks where I need it. If a cymbal is up there all the time it's got to be able to do everything.

My main 2 cymbals are a 16" and a 17 1/2" mid 50's K's. You can do anything on them. I like smaller cymbals with big drums like they used in the 1940's, it gives you a drum heavy sound.