Released at the 2017 Winter NAMM Show, Zildjian has once again pulled out the stops with their latest line – the K Custom Special Dry Series. In recent years Meinl and Sabian have dominated the dry cymbal market, with the Extra Dry range and the Big and Ugly line respectively taking the drumming world by storm. About time then that the biggest cymbal manufacturer in the world joins in on the current hype.
This is not the first time that Zildjian have released this line, as their PR crew will be quick to make sure you know; ‘K Custom Special Dry are the original dry cymbal’, and whilst they may be, we have been long anticipating this release.
These cymbals are dry but they do not lack in stick definition, the rides are medium thin so they will respond quickly but have enough weight that when you hit the bell, the whole cymbal responds. They have some crashability with a very fast decay as well meaning they will sit nicely in the mix. This is also true of the crashes; they give you a fast attack, opening up very quickly due to their thin weight whilst decaying quickly as they are only partially lathed.
Zildjian has also added an FX hi-hat top which is currently going for £229.50 for the 14” version. This is great news for budget-conscious drummers who will not need to buy a whole new hi-hat to add a new set of hats to their collection. Having said that, it would be great to have one of these on an X-Hat for some earthy, dark, time-keeping.
If you are after funky and explosive yet musical and articulate, this is what you want. Unique voices which are seriously studio-friendly. The Trash Crashes will give you the high pitched cut that you need for accents, so you know you will not be lacking in cut if you need it. Finally, if you think these cymbals might lack what you need in terms of volume, think again – the crashes come in sizes of up to 22” so you will always have enough metal should you need it.