Never played Wuhans, but I have heard that their larger cymbals sound pretty decent, the smaller sizes don't sound as good. I've heard the same comments about Dream cymbals, but again I've only tapped on them at the drum shop and never put them to use. I personally use Bosphorus and couldn't be any happier with them, though they can be pretty pricey which I think you are trying to get away from. What kind of budget are you working with?

All companies make at least a couple of good cymbals. I generally have the best luck with Istanbul, Zildjian, Bosphorus. BUT, I recently stmblud across these Dream cymbals. I have a Bliss series 22" crash ride that rules AND it was only 170 brand new!!

thanx for the suggestions.

just looked at the dream cymbals website.

they look very nice.

and sound like they could have the sound i'm after.

dark, washy, yet powerful enough to cut through.

will definately look into them more.

are they easy enough to buy in the uk?

the price looks just about right too.

holiday first, then i can start saving.

gotta look after the family first, then i can get my treats.

Jump For Joy

If you go the wuhan route, you will need to go try a large number of them to pick the one's you'll like, you mentioned price wise dream cymbals are high dollar. look at the sabian, and paiste line both have suburb cymbals!!!

I take it from your post that you're trying to save money. If that's the case:

Check out the following cymbals -

Dream

There are several lines. I pick mine from the virtualcymbals.com site. I can see and hear each one and pick the exact cymbal that delights my ears and eyes. The guy is pretty cool about helping you out.

Sabian SR2

Make sure you hand select these. Some are dogs, but some are very nice. I suggest you visit the mycymbal.com site and view the actual cymbal being played. Some of them are very cool.

Wuhan original Western style (not the S series)

These are very cool cymbals. I have liked pretty much all that I've owned. I LOVED the 18. It was a wonderful crash/ride. The hats were sweet and the 12 made an excellent splash with body. The 19 and 20 are sweet. You really can't go wrong with these. As always, check them prior to purchase. Make sure you like the sound and check for uneven weight. Some of these are really off and cause the cymbal to sit in one spot...forever. That limits the playing surface.

Stagg

There are TEN lines of cymbals from this company. They are not all created equal. Don't be misled by the "cheap" talk. Some of these are very cool. I've owned (and still own) quite a few of them. They make some intense cymbals, depending on your style of music. Check out THIS site to get an idea of the variety. I like the Classic Jazz Ride (21) among others. I still use a pair of the 14's for hats. They are thin and very responsive. Quite nice.

Also, on ebay, there is a cheap line of cymbals from China that are beginning to make an appearance. They have a trashy quality and are CHEAP - 49 bucks for an 18.

Istanbul and Anatolian offer high quality turkish cymbals for very good price.

If you're looking for a new sound, some lines from Meinl are very interesting, IMHO (unusual alloys and models).

I recently purchased a 20" ride/crash, a 16" crash, a 18"crash, and 13" hats at forks drum closet in Nashville for $400. They actually came with a bag.

All but the 18 are Dream Bliss Series and the 18 is a Dream Contact series. I went with intentions of buying a 20" flat K Con and left paying less for all than for that one.

They sound amazing! The caveat is that you do have to do some trial and error on them though while your in the the shop or look online and listen to them before purchasing. Dream has made some real turds too......

Just my :2Cents:

Vanilla