The problem (and I use 'problem' for lack of a better word) is that all of the cymbals were labeled by a guy holding it up, taking a couple of whacks at it, and then saying, "Yep, that's a ........" One day it could be a crash, the next a light ride. I'd say whack 'em yourself as a ride and as a crash. If you like the way it sounds, buy it and use it that way. Drummers have been known to use Rides as crashes and vice versa. I have a couple of Rock crashes that are heavier than a couple of friends rides. Tommy Aldridge was one to use K rides as crashes. If it sounds good, who cares what it was labeled as....

All of that is very true.

As far as a vintage stand point are the liter cymbals more valuable?

What is considered to be lite? Under 2000 grams?

Thanks for the reply.

Since there's no ink, you don't have to worry about pigeon-holing it as either a crash or ride. Use them how you want (hopefully as both). If there are 3 of them, and some of them have the grommet in the hole, then they *might* have been used as orchestral cymbals--2 crash cymbals and 1 suspended cymbal. Just my first thoughts. People use the grommets usually AFTER keyholing has started to take place, in my experience.

Just because there's no ink doesn't mean that someone didn't clean off the ink right when they got them. There are some cymbalists that do that.

$80 per cymbal, and there's absolutely no cracks/keyholing/etc...??? That's a good deal anyways! Buy them as soon as you can. If you don't end up liking them, you could always sell them on craigslist for $100...

Good idea and thank you.

...however, be warned: I haven't met an 18" vintage A I haven't liked. :)

Just be sure to double and triple check each of them for cracking/keyholing--ESPECIALLY under the grommet. Hope you snag 'em, and if you do, post pictures of the stamp and we can help you identify the approximate years...

The one with the grommet has a piece of the grommet missing so I was able to spin the grommet around to make sure there was no key holing of the cymbal itself.

If I get the cymbals I will surely post picks for dating.

Thanks again.

The whole business of labelling a cymbal a crash or ride was total b.s..

I have a 16" AZ that said "crash" and it ends up being ok for a ride.

All this labeling silliness didn't come on until the 70's (I don't think they had it in the 60's but maybe somebody can tell me for sure) so for whatever reason drummers were able to figure it out for the first several decades.

It's almost insulting for a company to tell a drummer what a cymbal is, and all of my good cymbals can be used for anything.

As far as light being worth more. That's a popular thing in the last few years, way back nobody I knew heard of it. I bought a 22" AZ that's so heavy it's ridiculous - it sounds like hitting a 10" pipe. All the boppers would laugh at it but for a pop ballad the thing is perfect for the choruses.

My first impression of "one of the 18's has a grommet" was that that one was a marching band hand cymbal.

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18" light (crash or washy jazzy ride) = 1100g-1300g

18" medium (crash or multi-purpose ride) = 1300-1600g

18" heavy (rock ride) = 1700g +

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Is there a web page somewhere with that data on it? I realize that of course it's a generalization and not cold fact. What I'm wondering is what the numbers like that would be for a 22" to know where mine stands.