Who here HASNT owned a Wuhan china? Check out Stephen & I compare a cheap and expensive snare drum: th-cam.com/video/a1c22fQ1U3g/w-d-xo.html Keep in mind this is not meant to be a Wuhan vs Zildjian comparison. I just searched for the cheapest cymbal set I could find and that Wuhan set happened to be the cheapest. Wuhan does make higher quality cymbals than these, but of course they cost more.
I thought about getting one a while ago just to fill up some empty gaps in my kit, but decided to wait and get a sabian holy china instead. One of my better drumming decisions👍
Let me get this straight: You fly to Nashville Stay at my house Eat my food Hang at my studio And in return I get to play your Wuhan's??? This bromance is on thin ice David.
When I worked at a drum shop, I played every type of cymbal from every price range. I always encouraged customers into better cymbals because they’re so much more rewarding to play. Can’t fix lame cymbal sounds but you can make most value drums sound great with the right heads and tuning.
@@If6turnsouttobe9 It’s what I’ve done. A friend had a New Beat top I had to have and got it matched to my bottom heavy. To this day I have never had a combo like this. HH top may have been a fluke, but oh what a fluke.
I'm finally starting to see that after getting some high-grade crashes and seeing/feeling/hearing the difference. I'm finally convincing myself to spend some money on hi-hats
I started on B8s. Honestly budget cymbals are really good in today's time, especially if you are learning. Until you learn proper technique, you may be more prone to cracking cymbals. Better to Crack a B8 than an artisan
Neil Peart used a Wuhan 19" China and can be heard on the intro of Mystic Rhythms by Rush as the first cymbal you hear. The Paragon 19" China by Sabian is based on this particular model.
Indeed, he had several of them. That was when he played Zidjians. It didnt have a screen print logo on it. Chinas seem to be the one thing Western cymbal makers can't make well. That are usually too loud and too "kangy".
There's no better cymbals at that price point unless you get a crazy deal on some secondhand high-end pies. Dream and their Bliss series are excellent as well.
@@Rberg1105 It'd be nice if they hadn't gone slightly up in price point, they really used to be dirt cheap, but they're still an excellent value as long as you're cool with medium-thin weights.
Please note: No one has every walked out of a club or a concert and said "gee, that was a good concert, but the cymbals didn't sound so great " Again, as always, its is always about who is playing, not what brand instrument they use.
I usually totally agree with this logic- but I’m not sure I do here. I would say people only care if they are really loud. “Those cymbals sounded bad” probably would better translate to “I was getting blasted by cymbals all night and didn’t enjoy it”
You should've picked the Wuhan western cymbal pack to compare because it's only $300 and it sounds killer and also I think they're quite comparable to the Zildjians because they're B20
I was going to post this exact comment! I’m actually onto my second 17” crash from Wuhan because honestly you can’t beat its’ sound for the cost. I have it up against other crashes that are almost twice as expensive and it holds its’ own
Absolutely. I bought the Wuhan Western Cymbal pack through Cascio Music on Reverb and the hats & crash were exceptional; I've had A's that didn't sound as good and that's not hyperbole. The ride sounded good but it was heavier than I am used to and since I'd seen the Wuhan Western line had multiple versions of each cymbal I asked Cascio if I paid the shipping to send the ride back to them could they send a light or medium/light ride instead. They were really cool and said no problem, and the ride they sent was perfect. The best ride I ever had was a 20" K Custom Dark Ride that I stupidly sold and no, the Wuhan is not as good as that K but it's a great ride for recording. The 456 line set isn't bad either, I bought it off Amazon during a big sale. They're not the exact dual finish lathed/hammered model like these guys had but they are really good intermediate cymbals. Definitely better than the Sabian B8Plus's I learned on.
My thoughts exactly. I was thinking go with the (B20) Wuhan Traditionals. Brass vs high end B20??. I dunno, just doesn't make much sense to me, kinda disappointing. Oh, and his favorite sounding Wuhan cymbal was a B20 China, go figure
I LOVE WUHAN CYMBALS! I have 3 of them. My A custom zildjians and paistes lasted me 3 years. I have had the lovely and warm sounding Wuhan for 11 years now. Not a single crack, they font change color...they are PERFECT.
China's though right? These crashes and hats are awful. The ride is an okay crash cymbal. The China cymbal sounds good though. I have a 20" Wuhan china and it always ends up back on my kit. I love it.
@@arbogast4950 same thoughts for the cheap ones, the china sounds good and the ride makes a good crash cymbal, while the crash had some awful overtonen but decent initial sound when hit, their mic setup is good though maybe thats why the hats in my opinion sounded decent
@@arbogast4950 gonna echo what you just said about the china, I got a 22" stagg TCH (it's basically a rebranded wuhan) and genuinely failed to find a good enough china to replace it with. It just sounds too good to me, and it's quite sustainy (which I like) since it's so large. Only 'downside' is that you gotta watch your velocity when playing it, it's very loud. Absolutely outvolumes my AAX med crashes if I hit it hard. I can definitely find other great chinas but none of them sound as perfect as these wuhans to my ears, especially when recording. Of all the chinas I found the sabian paragon to be the most similar.
I agree. Of all of them, I thought the hihats were the most serviceable. For cheap cymbals, they sounded like you could get by with them. The ride left a lot to be desired.
Never thought I'd say it but the "Wuhan" Koi Dark China is my next wishlist cymbal. Aside from that dark, the rest of series look pretty darn good as well, maybe a follow-up to this video on the Koi series!
I've had a 12 inch Wuhan China cymbal on my kit for 20 years and it will stay on my kit till the day I die. I love that little thing. I actually like the trashy, gritty sound of it.
A blind test with the same drummer would be great. Varying levels of pressure and the location of hits adjust the sound a bit; quite a noticeable difference when it swapped on the crash ride from 5:58-6:15. Not a huge deal, but it'd help to keep the tests more controlled. Either way, thanks for the comparison.
100% fully agree with this.. play styles were completely different, and almost felt like they were trying to sway opinion one side or another when they were playing. I cannot for the life of me understand why the bell of the ride was compared when one of the two choices didn't have a bell to speak of.🤷♀
When my church switched from sabian Bates to a zildjian dark worship cymbal set (k custom hats, crashes, ride), my mind was blown at how easy the symbols opened up, and how good they sounded, both with a lower, more rich tone, but then also a more "exact" stick sound compared to the crappy brass cymbals.
It's a shame you didn't try some b20 Wuhans. I have a full set of the Traditional and S series and they're actually surprisingly good. I did buy them used though, so I tested them. I don't know how unlucky you could get by buying them online. But when you don't have a lot of money, they're life savers.
I got a 12" free from GC back in 2007, and modified the crap out of it. Drilled out six lines of three holes from center to lip, and took an old broken Zildjian A crash I had lying around, and cut six 1.5" fender washers from the bronze and added them between the rows of holes. It's super trashy, quick decaying, much like a cymbal stack. Then I also have an 18" Wuhan China in it's stock form. I've owned many chinas over the years, both quite expensive, and very inexpensive (Wuhans, lol), and still haven't found one I like better than my Wuhan. The totally affordable price is just the icing on the cake for me. I should also add, I've had my current 18" since about 2009, and am a pretty hard hitting metal drummer. I hear people talk about them breaking easily, but mine have held up just fine over time.
i've done the same thing to an old 12" as well. sounds just like stax. I actually prefer the sound of a 16 or 18" wuhan china over the more expensive stuff due to the wuhans typically having a much quicker decay than the high end chinas. That 6" splash on here doesn't sound bad at all though.
I agree with this comment! Ive had my wuhan b20s for over a year, and they are still going strong. Gig with them consistently. Crashes, hi hats, and splashes are all good. Not the ride though. And they are super cheap!
On my kit when I was still playing drums, I had a 19" and 12" Wuhan china, and EVERYONE couldn't get over how good the 19" sounded. There's a reason Neil Peart kept one on his kit for so long
I actually prefer Wuhan chinas over any other expensive brand. I like the trashiness too. But as far as other cymbals go, I usually stick with the classic Zildjian A series and A customs. They sound great while not being overly expensive like the constantinoples which sound like paper IMO.
When the Zildjian "China" was hit it reminded me immediately of Steve Miller's "Take the Monet and Run" intro.....if price is why you buy lesser quality cymbals, I suggest buying USED good cymbals, one at a time.......great video guys...thanks.
My biggest struggle back in the day was my hi hats. Started out with Ziljian ZBT 13". Then I got ZXT 14" thinking it would be a big upgrade, but I absolutely hated the sound of the ZXT hats (and the ride). After a while, I ended up getting Sabian AAX 14" hats and I haven't used anything since. I actually ended up switching ALL of my cymbals to AA, AAX and HHX over the years. I love the sound and look of the Sabian cymbals. They are well worth every penny.
Feels/sounds like the visual encyclopedia example of me sitting on every cymbal company's website listening to every single one of the sound clips for every single cymbal. Thanks
I like the sound of the Wuhans I own (12" china, 16" china, 16" crash) but can absolutely believe there are some real duds out there. At the bottom end of the market they call this variation "manufacturing inconsistency"; at the top end they say that each cymbal has "individual character". Same thing.
The cheap cymbals aren’t as good as the expensive ones, but the cheap ones sound a helluva lot better than what I have. I’d take them in a heart beat! Btw, subscribed! Great vids!
Totally disagree ... the cheap ones disappears in the mix and they have no resonance. Expensive ones have this washy full resonating sounds that gives presence and depth ....
@@xavkoston16 very true, but I preferred the short higher snap and less resonance from the cheaper ones with the music. I liked the expensive ones by themselves by far, but with the music I liked the short snappiness of the cheap ones.
I've been drumming for 3 months and I do have a Wuhan China! I didn't buy it purposely... It came bundled among some decent stuff. It's amazing that the Wuhan comments was so nailed on accurate!
to be honest: you hear every dollar! So much more richness & tone on the zildjian line - not comparable. There is a big gap between cheap and expensive cymbals, but there is not a big gap between cheap and expensive drum sets! you reviewed the amazon kit nearby and it was awesome!!! loved it!
Actually, my two favorite cymbal sounds were the Zildjian crash, and the Wuhan China, with the Wuhan being my favorite. Neil Peart used to use the Wuhan China before he switched to all Sabian, but that classic Wuhan trashy sound is still is one of my favorite cymbal sounds. 👍🏻
I hope this comment gets seen. The Koi series from the Cardinal Percussion relaunch of Wuhan are fantastic. While they are more expensive, they are still half as much as a set of K Cons. th-cam.com/video/qGOI9KG0cSI/w-d-xo.html
IMO, I actually liked the cheap ride over the expensive one. Crashed better and didn’t have a wash build up. I’ve had an 18” Wuhan china in my collection since I started playing in 1986. They’re just the drummer standard for trashy, affordable china’s. Great video. Love seeing you two collaborate.
There’s something about cymbals that make them more like buying a piece of art. It’s okay to buy cheap cymbals from time to time (especially splashes and small chinas) but with rides and crashes especially, also hats, you’ll eventually want something that really speaks to you.
Same. I have a couple of Stagg crashes and they both work well for me. They're not premium but sound exactly as I wanted. Helps that I could go into a store and try them first mind you.
I have a drumming friend on here that's starting his own company and has prototypes already. He's taking Zildjian L80 Low Volume Cymbal Set - 14/16/18 inch , and added dual zone triggers on them.
Oh man! The Wuhan hats were not terrible, but hearing multiple cymbals together and the difference is night and day. When you're a Jazzer (i.e. chronic ride user) and you have that special ride cymbal which gives you a face like you're sucking a lemon.... it's pure joy.
I've had a 20" Wuhan china for years, it sounds amazing and somehow hasn't broken - I've lost count of how many crashes & hi-hats i've gone through in the same period
Wuhans are the best chinas you can get, and have been for decades. They used to be kind of a secret and hard to find. I've got two sizes on my my kit, and they sound great, and have held up beautifully. Western cymbal makers seem to have a hard time making good chinas. Often they are way too loud and sound "kangy" or gong like. The Wuhans ard buttery and seem to match the volume of my other Sabians when hit with equal force. One tip to make them last forever, mount them on Aquarian cymbal springs (heavy for your large china, light for your small). It prevents them from flying around on the stand because some players like the sound of them loose and unchoked, or from being placed on the stand too tight. They allow the cymbal to move on the initial hit to prevent cracking, but also ring like it was loose, while keeping it in place for rapid re-hits.
The Wuhan splash also sounded pretty good. The hats weren't the worst, but the ride was just completely buried in the mix. Also, I've never owned a Wuhan. I think I'm the only one.
Great video, as always! In case you didn't know, Wuhan has a line of better B20 alloy cymbals. After watching Nick D'Vigirlio's demo, I bought a crash and 2 splash cymbals in that series. They've held up well for 5 years and still sound great. They are much better priced than same alloy from major cymbal manufacturers. Here's a great demo from Sweetwater: th-cam.com/video/86_Q9oWwokI/w-d-xo.html
Thing is, cheap instruments are mostly played by unexperienced musicians who cannot drwa the sound out of the cymbals and drums. Once you tune your drums right, get great mics and a player who can draw the sound from the cymbals and drums and use them right in the song they sound very decent. That's why people say about great players that they can make a trash can lid sound good.
It's a lipstick on a pig situation. You can make some cheap cymbals sound kind of okay if you know what you're doing, but you pretty much can't make them sound like nice cymbals.
This is evidenced by Lars Ulrich's work on St. Anger. Legend has it, he actually did use a trash can lid on that album. Not only that, but to show off his ectreme drumming cabalities he used the trah can lidd as snare drum!
@@perpetualgrimace agree but I would say most of us overestimate the sounds that we are making in the context of the music. The drums are so digitalized nowadays, so compresed etc and listeners just don't care whether you use an a custom crash or a cheap zbt crash. That's just my opinion though and I do have many beautiful sounding cymbals. Too bad my bandmates don't take notice or don't care f I use a K custom session ride or a flat ride or a 100$ Dream bliss ride...
@@firesafetymore I love the st Anger snare sound but I think the production and mix were a trainwreck. You can clearly hear the parts kf one song were recorded on different sets in a different studio etc..
@@shalaq Not true at all. No amount of compression can make a zbt sound good, in fact you'll wind up heavily EQing your overheads to work around it and the whole drum sound will suffer. Gotta get the right sounds at the source! It's true that listeners with untrained ears may not hear a huge difference, but that doesn't mean there isn't a huge difference. And for what it's worth, your dream bliss ride undoubtedly sounds miles better than the zbt crash/ride I started out with. Not all cheaper cymbals are equal!
Pretty straight foreward, when it comes to ride crash and hi hat u should get the high quality but effect must not be that expensive since its just an Cymbal u will use now and then to get that extra soundeffect
Years ago after not playing drums since high school (mid '80s), I acquired a cheap set with really cheap cymbals. They worked out okay because I never plan to play live. I also use silencers, so the sound doesn't matter. The cheap cymbals I use are referred to as "targets" in my house because I just need a cymbal where I want it when I want to hit it. 😉
When one says 'China cymbal' what they are saying is Wuhan cymbal. None of the more expensive cymbal lines get the Chinese cymbal right. (Some sound really good for what they are but none sound like the original.) This was a cool video, guys! A good collaboration! If you plan to do another, maybe you will try the B20 alloy Wuhan cymbals? Believe it or not, they do very well considering how inexpensive they are.
I always had A Zildjians on all of my kits over the years, and I always had at least 2 Wuhan china cymbals and took the time to put rivits in them, I just liked the way they sounded. 👍🥁👍
Been playing 20 years. Played Paiste, Sabian and Zildjian chinas over the years. Bought a Wuhan in a pinch before a tour and was surprised how much I preferred the sound over the other brands. Only thing I don’t like is the huge bell.
I experiment with my cymbals. Generally the higher end cymbals sound "better", but that is still relative to what particular sound you are looking for. I have a lot of higher end cymbals and they make up the majority of what I have. I also have a lot of cheaper cymbals, different lines of cymbals, etc. I will mix different hi-hats to achieve certain sounds or stack different cymbals. Often times some of the cheap cymbals will be exactly what I was looking for. I admit that I have way too many cymbals.......... wait, is that possible? I just keep buying them and now I have enough to open a small cymbal store. Cymbals are the endless way of modifying your kit and making it sound completely different even though you have the same drums! Don't be afraid to experiment and buy odd brand cymbals. Sometimes they pay off. Just know that it is always a gamble unless your actually listening to them in-person before buying.
Middle ground is best way. I just bought used Zildjians and since all people are scared of used cymblas they go for 50% off when you are dealing with normal people. Bought also some broken ones and learn how to repair them. They sound still good and go for scrapmetal prices.
Cymbals are the most pure instrument. The entire thing is just a piece of metal. With a drum, you could say maybe it’d sound better with different heads or more lugs or if it was made from maple instead of birch or whatever. With cymbals, the entire sound is just the one component. So of course it makes a huge difference between who made it, how it was made and what it is made out of.
That’s a useful comparison, but I’m sure I’ve heard cymbals less capable than the “cheap” ones shown here. Also, I did not see any comments pointing out what is the basic sonic difference between the two kinds: expensive cymbals produce louder higher frequencies, so that their sound is like that of a hi-fi vinyl recording versus the rather muddled -lo-fi- sound of the cheaper ones.
My first china was a 16" Wuhan china , paid 40€ new, it was AWESOME! the only cons of wuhan chinas is that they break easly, but they sound great. Now i have a 18" Oriental Zildjian and it's a beast of course, but wouldn't mind adding a 14" wuhan on the left side.
Just remember that how good a cymbal or drum sounds is subjective and that you're absolutely free to do whatever you'd like with whatever cymbals. Music is art, after all
Whoa I wasn’t expecting to like any of them, but I really loved the cheap set of hats (more than the expensive!) and the splash (equal to the expensive splash). They didn’t seem to project well, but the tone was actually nice and cut-through
Or: go all in with “midrange-priced” cymbals. I (nowadays) only use Pa Meinls classics customs dark & Paiste 900’s. Works great, and a crack won’t give you a nervous breakdown 🙏🏻🤩 Sample: th-cam.com/video/44zV72Wqex4/w-d-xo.html Edit: and to follow your example. Here’s also a heavier track ✌🏻 th-cam.com/users/shortsBBUn7_P4B-Y?feature=share
OMG Stephen, I bought a pair of 14" K Dark hats In Fayetteville, NC in 1994 and the set came with that Dyno Beat Z bottom with the diamond pattern, they still rock, that bottom hat is heavy as F, pardon my abbreviated French. Than you for all the drumming tips!
I personally can't afford a good set of Zildjian cymbals, so I went to a brand called Republic Cymbals. I absolutely love them! They soumd great and most importantly, they don't have the price tag that Zildjians do. I would recommend checking them out.
I’m just starting my endeavor with drumming as I’ve only been playing for 6 months. But I feel like all the cymbal packs that are available these days are the best bang for the buck. You can get really nice upper end cymbals that have great quality and sound and “only” spend $600-$1000. Spending $1800 on 4 cymbals to me is absolutely stupid unless your just that much a professional and need it lol.
The most important thing, of course, is the metal from which the plates are made yeah. And you can also turn the microphone to a cheap hat normally, as to an expensive one, and the overheads too. Adjust the volume balance, yeah ...
Many years ago I had intended on buying the set of Zildjian Scimtar cymbals (as that is what I could afford). However, I was fortunate enough to have access to some basic Meinl cymbals. So I put all my money on a 16" A Custom Crash. Over the following years I added to my cymbals and swapped out a few things. I will never regret buying good cymbals, my only reject now is I can't afford to get more !
One thing to add, is some cheap cymbals sound fine in the studio, but play them live and they don't have the dynamics that more expensive cymbals have. They won't sound good quiet and they often won't open up when hit harder.
Who here HASNT owned a Wuhan china?
Check out Stephen & I compare a cheap and expensive snare drum:
th-cam.com/video/a1c22fQ1U3g/w-d-xo.html
Keep in mind this is not meant to be a Wuhan vs Zildjian comparison. I just searched for the cheapest cymbal set I could find and that Wuhan set happened to be the cheapest. Wuhan does make higher quality cymbals than these, but of course they cost more.
I have a Wuhan handmade 12” China but it doesn’t fit in any of my stands
I thought about getting one a while ago just to fill up some empty gaps in my kit, but decided to wait and get a sabian holy china instead. One of my better drumming decisions👍
I don’t really have any cymbals
I have to wait until Christmas
I still own a 16n inch china, love it
Let me get this straight:
You fly to Nashville
Stay at my house
Eat my food
Hang at my studio
And in return I get to play your Wuhan's???
This bromance is on thin ice David.
Lol
You should be honored that my Wuhans were in your presence...
Its just to remind you of your roots, man!
😂
Hahahaha it ain't fair is it @DavidR ?
That comment about every drummer somehow owning a Wuhan China is so accurate 😂😂😂 great vid as always bro 💪
Yessir
only the best! if you want a china, you go for the china-est sounding china!
1 on the kit, 3 broken in the cymbal bag.
I want to like your comment but its at 69 likes...
hey zack
When I worked at a drum shop, I played every type of cymbal from every price range. I always encouraged customers into better cymbals because they’re so much more rewarding to play. Can’t fix lame cymbal sounds but you can make most value drums sound great with the right heads and tuning.
I'd rather save and add a good one to 4he other good one I have than go buy 5 or 6 trash just to have every size etc.
@@If6turnsouttobe9 It’s what I’ve done. A friend had a New Beat top I had to have and got it matched to my bottom heavy. To this day I have never had a combo like this. HH top may have been a fluke, but oh what a fluke.
@@mat4410 that's what I have 14" new beats, really like em.
I'm finally starting to see that after getting some high-grade crashes and seeing/feeling/hearing the difference. I'm finally convincing myself to spend some money on hi-hats
I started on B8s. Honestly budget cymbals are really good in today's time, especially if you are learning. Until you learn proper technique, you may be more prone to cracking cymbals. Better to Crack a B8 than an artisan
Neil Peart used a Wuhan 19" China and can be heard on the intro of Mystic Rhythms by Rush as the first cymbal you hear. The Paragon 19" China by Sabian is based on this particular model.
Yes it is, and it’s awesome…I have a 19” Paragon and it’s awesome, and yes, very similar to that old Wuhan sound!
I have the 20" Paragon which is very bright, but I also want the 19" as well!
I had no idea about that! The 19" Paragon was one of the first chinas I lusted after haha
Indeed, he had several of them. That was when he played Zidjians. It didnt have a screen print logo on it. Chinas seem to be the one thing Western cymbal makers can't make well. That are usually too loud and too "kangy".
@@codesent2125 The 20" is based off of a zildjian low china
You should do this with the Wuhan traditional series. They’re made of a proper b20 alloy. Very inexpensive, but considerably better than the 457s.
There's no better cymbals at that price point unless you get a crazy deal on some secondhand high-end pies. Dream and their Bliss series are excellent as well.
@@jamesmcmackin8773 agreed. They actually punch way above their price point IMO.
@@Rberg1105 It'd be nice if they hadn't gone slightly up in price point, they really used to be dirt cheap, but they're still an excellent value as long as you're cool with medium-thin weights.
@@jamesmcmackin8773
Real drummers carry their rigs while they play, and appreciate lightweight cymbals.
@@chalocolina3554 Ah yes the marching drumset, for all the real drummers
Please note: No one has every walked out of a club or a concert and said "gee, that was a good concert, but the cymbals didn't sound so great " Again, as always, its is always about who is playing, not what brand instrument they use.
Sure but imagine any jazz show with some clangy b8's, shit would sound sorry asf
I usually totally agree with this logic- but I’m not sure I do here.
I would say people only care if they are really loud. “Those cymbals sounded bad” probably would better translate to “I was getting blasted by cymbals all night and didn’t enjoy it”
You should've picked the Wuhan western cymbal pack to compare because it's only $300 and it sounds killer and also I think they're quite comparable to the Zildjians because they're B20
I was going to post this exact comment! I’m actually onto my second 17” crash from Wuhan because honestly you can’t beat its’ sound for the cost. I have it up against other crashes that are almost twice as expensive and it holds its’ own
Absolutely. I bought the Wuhan Western Cymbal pack through Cascio Music on Reverb and the hats & crash were exceptional; I've had A's that didn't sound as good and that's not hyperbole. The ride sounded good but it was heavier than I am used to and since I'd seen the Wuhan Western line had multiple versions of each cymbal I asked Cascio if I paid the shipping to send the ride back to them could they send a light or medium/light ride instead. They were really cool and said no problem, and the ride they sent was perfect. The best ride I ever had was a 20" K Custom Dark Ride that I stupidly sold and no, the Wuhan is not as good as that K but it's a great ride for recording. The 456 line set isn't bad either, I bought it off Amazon during a big sale. They're not the exact dual finish lathed/hammered model like these guys had but they are really good intermediate cymbals. Definitely better than the Sabian B8Plus's I learned on.
I concur with both these comments! They are really great cymbals! And they are so affordable!
Or Wuhan Koi series. Amazing stuff.
My thoughts exactly. I was thinking go with the (B20) Wuhan Traditionals. Brass vs high end B20??.
I dunno, just doesn't make much sense to me, kinda disappointing.
Oh, and his favorite sounding Wuhan cymbal was a B20 China, go figure
I LOVE WUHAN CYMBALS!
I have 3 of them.
My A custom zildjians and paistes lasted me 3 years. I have had the lovely and warm sounding Wuhan for 11 years now. Not a single crack, they font change color...they are PERFECT.
China's though right? These crashes and hats are awful. The ride is an okay crash cymbal. The China cymbal sounds good though. I have a 20" Wuhan china and it always ends up back on my kit. I love it.
@@arbogast4950 same thoughts for the cheap ones, the china sounds good and the ride makes a good crash cymbal, while the crash had some awful overtonen but decent initial sound when hit, their mic setup is good though maybe thats why the hats in my opinion sounded decent
@@arbogast4950 yo have you bought the All new Wuhan koi series cymbals ?
@@ArrowThrills no I haven't. Im content with my Aax and A customs..... for now anyway 🤣
@@arbogast4950 gonna echo what you just said about the china, I got a 22" stagg TCH (it's basically a rebranded wuhan) and genuinely failed to find a good enough china to replace it with. It just sounds too good to me, and it's quite sustainy (which I like) since it's so large.
Only 'downside' is that you gotta watch your velocity when playing it, it's very loud. Absolutely outvolumes my AAX med crashes if I hit it hard.
I can definitely find other great chinas but none of them sound as perfect as these wuhans to my ears, especially when recording. Of all the chinas I found the sabian paragon to be the most similar.
Actually, I was quite impressed by the HiHats. Sounds pretty decent.
I agree. Of all of them, I thought the hihats were the most serviceable. For cheap cymbals, they sounded like you could get by with them. The ride left a lot to be desired.
I agree, very bright!
Exactly what I heard there too. First thing I'd replace would be the ride.
Yep, the ride was barely there, the hats actually worked pretty well, the crashes were too thin, and the China was surprisingly nice!
I think if you buy any other set from wuhan that are not the rock series,they would be even better.
No, they really wouldn't
Wuhan New Traditional Brilliant Splashes are awesome!
@@weschilton Thick crash cymbals are generally terrible
I agree. I have a 16" and 18" Med-Thin crashes from Wuhan that I use for backups and they sound much better than the 547 rock series.
The traditional line is killer specially the 20” medium ride
I actually liked the 6" splash more than the 10" fast splash
Never thought I'd say it but the "Wuhan" Koi Dark China is my next wishlist cymbal.
Aside from that dark, the rest of series look pretty darn good as well, maybe a follow-up to this video on the Koi series!
I've had a 12 inch Wuhan China cymbal on my kit for 20 years and it will stay on my kit till the day I die. I love that little thing. I actually like the trashy, gritty sound of it.
A blind test with the same drummer would be great. Varying levels of pressure and the location of hits adjust the sound a bit; quite a noticeable difference when it swapped on the crash ride from 5:58-6:15. Not a huge deal, but it'd help to keep the tests more controlled.
Either way, thanks for the comparison.
100% fully agree with this.. play styles were completely different, and almost felt like they were trying to sway opinion one side or another when they were playing. I cannot for the life of me understand why the bell of the ride was compared when one of the two choices didn't have a bell to speak of.🤷♀
When my church switched from sabian Bates to a zildjian dark worship cymbal set (k custom hats, crashes, ride), my mind was blown at how easy the symbols opened up, and how good they sounded, both with a lower, more rich tone, but then also a more "exact" stick sound compared to the crappy brass cymbals.
It's a shame you didn't try some b20 Wuhans. I have a full set of the Traditional and S series and they're actually surprisingly good.
I did buy them used though, so I tested them. I don't know how unlucky you could get by buying them online.
But when you don't have a lot of money, they're life savers.
I got a 12" free from GC back in 2007, and modified the crap out of it. Drilled out six lines of three holes from center to lip, and took an old broken Zildjian A crash I had lying around, and cut six 1.5" fender washers from the bronze and added them between the rows of holes. It's super trashy, quick decaying, much like a cymbal stack. Then I also have an 18" Wuhan China in it's stock form. I've owned many chinas over the years, both quite expensive, and very inexpensive (Wuhans, lol), and still haven't found one I like better than my Wuhan. The totally affordable price is just the icing on the cake for me.
I should also add, I've had my current 18" since about 2009, and am a pretty hard hitting metal drummer. I hear people talk about them breaking easily, but mine have held up just fine over time.
Bro can you upload a video of you playing on those cymbals ? I would like to hear the sound of the cymbal stack
i've done the same thing to an old 12" as well. sounds just like stax. I actually prefer the sound of a 16 or 18" wuhan china over the more expensive stuff due to the wuhans typically having a much quicker decay than the high end chinas. That 6" splash on here doesn't sound bad at all though.
This comparison shouldve definitely been with the NT series. And Wuhan now has their flagship Koi series
Koi series I'd say is only marginally better than the NTs though.
Should have tried out the Wuhan Traditional b20 series. Cheap and great.
Those do sound nice! Ive had a few, but they dont last long... Figured Id give these a shot!
I agree with this comment! Ive had my wuhan b20s for over a year, and they are still going strong. Gig with them consistently. Crashes, hi hats, and splashes are all good. Not the ride though. And they are super cheap!
Yes!
My B20 Wuhans are up and running after around 100+ rock gigs and counting.
Wuhans won't break unless your technique sucks, David. Lmao
I’ve noticed some Persian rugs in your videos and they are very pretty. I also use a Persian rug for my drums.
On my kit when I was still playing drums, I had a 19" and 12" Wuhan china, and EVERYONE couldn't get over how good the 19" sounded. There's a reason Neil Peart kept one on his kit for so long
I actually prefer Wuhan chinas over any other expensive brand. I like the trashiness too. But as far as other cymbals go, I usually stick with the classic Zildjian A series and A customs. They sound great while not being overly expensive like the constantinoples which sound like paper IMO.
a video with stephen is finally not a 6 minute topic stretched into 22 minutes!
That expensive china cymbal sounds so good
"Scimitar struggle days" ...haha, I can relate.
I've recorded with Wuhan cymbals plenty of times, and they can work really well depending on the music, mix, and processing.
Its great seeing two you-tubers that idolize each other get together.
I feel like good production basically can make or break how something sounds!
When the Zildjian "China" was hit it reminded me immediately of Steve Miller's "Take the Monet and Run" intro.....if price is why you buy lesser quality cymbals, I suggest buying USED good cymbals, one at a time.......great video guys...thanks.
My biggest struggle back in the day was my hi hats. Started out with Ziljian ZBT 13". Then I got ZXT 14" thinking it would be a big upgrade, but I absolutely hated the sound of the ZXT hats (and the ride). After a while, I ended up getting Sabian AAX 14" hats and I haven't used anything since. I actually ended up switching ALL of my cymbals to AA, AAX and HHX over the years. I love the sound and look of the Sabian cymbals. They are well worth every penny.
Should have gone A Custom 🤷
Sabian are amazing
I think I went through that exact progression 😂
Paister 602
I got 14" new beats but I love Sabian.
That china (the cheap one) sounds good, great video!
Wish you did the same thing for both sides, little hard to tell exactly when the hits vary
Feels/sounds like the visual encyclopedia example of me sitting on every cymbal company's website listening to every single one of the sound clips for every single cymbal. Thanks
I like the sound of the Wuhans I own (12" china, 16" china, 16" crash) but can absolutely believe there are some real duds out there. At the bottom end of the market they call this variation "manufacturing inconsistency"; at the top end they say that each cymbal has "individual character". Same thing.
The cheap cymbals aren’t as good as the expensive ones, but the cheap ones sound a helluva lot better than what I have.
I’d take them in a heart beat!
Btw, subscribed! Great vids!
Love my Wuhan China - bought it over 10 yrs ago - still going strong.
I like the splash, the ride and the hihats of the cheap; the china and the crash of the expensives. Good middle ground on me ig
The cheap ones definitely sounded better with music, but the expensive ones were vastly better, especially with the heavier track
Totally disagree ... the cheap ones disappears in the mix and they have no resonance. Expensive ones have this washy full resonating sounds that gives presence and depth ....
@@xavkoston16 very true, but I preferred the short higher snap and less resonance from the cheaper ones with the music. I liked the expensive ones by themselves by far, but with the music I liked the short snappiness of the cheap ones.
I've been drumming for 3 months and I do have a Wuhan China! I didn't buy it purposely... It came bundled among some decent stuff. It's amazing that the Wuhan comments was so nailed on accurate!
Yes, yes I do. I have had that little Wuhan china cymbal since 1983. Picked it up a The Drum shop in Houston for a cool, $35!
to be honest: you hear every dollar! So much more richness & tone on the zildjian line - not comparable.
There is a big gap between cheap and expensive cymbals, but there is not a big gap between cheap and expensive drum sets! you reviewed the amazon kit nearby and it was awesome!!! loved it!
Well they played the worst sounding of all the Wuhan cymbals except for the China. They should have played the Western series those sound amazing.
Actually, my two favorite cymbal sounds were the Zildjian crash, and the Wuhan China, with the Wuhan being my favorite. Neil Peart used to use the Wuhan China before he switched to all Sabian, but that classic Wuhan trashy sound is still is one of my favorite cymbal sounds. 👍🏻
If the wohan koi cymbals would have been compared to the Zildjian ones, I'd pick Koi any day. They are INCREDIBLE for the price!
I hope this comment gets seen. The Koi series from the Cardinal Percussion relaunch of Wuhan are fantastic. While they are more expensive, they are still half as much as a set of K Cons. th-cam.com/video/qGOI9KG0cSI/w-d-xo.html
IMO, I actually liked the cheap ride over the expensive one. Crashed better and didn’t have a wash build up.
I’ve had an 18” Wuhan china in my collection since I started playing in 1986. They’re just the drummer standard for trashy, affordable china’s.
Great video. Love seeing you two collaborate.
There’s something about cymbals that make them more like buying a piece of art. It’s okay to buy cheap cymbals from time to time (especially splashes and small chinas) but with rides and crashes especially, also hats, you’ll eventually want something that really speaks to you.
Stagg cymbals are easily the best bang for your buck. The DH exo thin medium crash is unbelievably good. Got mine used for under $100
Agreed. I've got an old DH 22" rock ride I've had for around 11 years and it sounds perfect to this day
This comment stunned me, i know nothing about cymbals but i have this aexact one and enjoy it better than my cheap sabian
Same. I have a couple of Stagg crashes and they both work well for me. They're not premium but sound exactly as I wanted. Helps that I could go into a store and try them first mind you.
Looking back on things I think one of the best reward/motivators while learning to play drums is stepping up the quality of your gear.
Proud owner of an 18" Wuhan China with rivets. Sounds awesome after 14 years and still no cracks.
So glad you did this! I looked at those Wuhan 457’s and wondered how they were
Just got the wuhan 6" splash and I really love it
I have a drumming friend on here that's starting his own company and has prototypes already. He's taking Zildjian L80 Low Volume Cymbal Set - 14/16/18 inch , and added dual zone triggers on them.
Oh man! The Wuhan hats were not terrible, but hearing multiple cymbals together and the difference is night and day.
When you're a Jazzer (i.e. chronic ride user) and you have that special ride cymbal which gives you a face like you're sucking a lemon.... it's pure joy.
I've had a 20" Wuhan china for years, it sounds amazing and somehow hasn't broken - I've lost count of how many crashes & hi-hats i've gone through in the same period
Tell me you don't jam to Meshuggah without telling me you don't jam to Meshuggah
Lol
Well the comparison is quite hard when the sizes and style of the cymbals are different.
The cut to the image of the meinl dual KILLED me
Is it me, or those cheap cymbals bring more for the value rather than the expensive set?
I think it’s great to see couples making videos together. Keep up the great work guys!
Wuhans are the best chinas you can get, and have been for decades. They used to be kind of a secret and hard to find. I've got two sizes on my my kit, and they sound great, and have held up beautifully. Western cymbal makers seem to have a hard time making good chinas. Often they are way too loud and sound "kangy" or gong like. The Wuhans ard buttery and seem to match the volume of my other Sabians when hit with equal force. One tip to make them last forever, mount them on Aquarian cymbal springs (heavy for your large china, light for your small). It prevents them from flying around on the stand because some players like the sound of them loose and unchoked, or from being placed on the stand too tight. They allow the cymbal to move on the initial hit to prevent cracking, but also ring like it was loose, while keeping it in place for rapid re-hits.
Nice drum sounds but have you ever try a stack cymbal with a 6 inch splash 8 inch along with a 12 inch china cymbal and all that stuff
DAVID I need to know if a dw five position buttplate will work on a Ludwig classic maple snare without having to drill holes?
The Wuhan splash also sounded pretty good. The hats weren't the worst, but the ride was just completely buried in the mix.
Also, I've never owned a Wuhan. I think I'm the only one.
Great video, as always!
In case you didn't know, Wuhan has a line of better B20 alloy cymbals. After watching Nick D'Vigirlio's demo, I bought a crash and 2 splash cymbals in that series. They've held up well for 5 years and still sound great. They are much better priced than same alloy from major cymbal manufacturers. Here's a great demo from Sweetwater:
th-cam.com/video/86_Q9oWwokI/w-d-xo.html
The best cymbals I ever played were vintage Ufips. They just sounded awsome!!
Thing is, cheap instruments are mostly played by unexperienced musicians who cannot drwa the sound out of the cymbals and drums. Once you tune your drums right, get great mics and a player who can draw the sound from the cymbals and drums and use them right in the song they sound very decent. That's why people say about great players that they can make a trash can lid sound good.
It's a lipstick on a pig situation. You can make some cheap cymbals sound kind of okay if you know what you're doing, but you pretty much can't make them sound like nice cymbals.
This is evidenced by Lars Ulrich's work on St. Anger. Legend has it, he actually did use a trash can lid on that album. Not only that, but to show off his ectreme drumming cabalities he used the trah can lidd as snare drum!
@@perpetualgrimace agree but I would say most of us overestimate the sounds that we are making in the context of the music. The drums are so digitalized nowadays, so compresed etc and listeners just don't care whether you use an a custom crash or a cheap zbt crash. That's just my opinion though and I do have many beautiful sounding cymbals. Too bad my bandmates don't take notice or don't care f I use a K custom session ride or a flat ride or a 100$ Dream bliss ride...
@@firesafetymore I love the st Anger snare sound but I think the production and mix were a trainwreck. You can clearly hear the parts kf one song were recorded on different sets in a different studio etc..
@@shalaq Not true at all. No amount of compression can make a zbt sound good, in fact you'll wind up heavily EQing your overheads to work around it and the whole drum sound will suffer. Gotta get the right sounds at the source! It's true that listeners with untrained ears may not hear a huge difference, but that doesn't mean there isn't a huge difference.
And for what it's worth, your dream bliss ride undoubtedly sounds miles better than the zbt crash/ride I started out with. Not all cheaper cymbals are equal!
The Wuhan China is the most recent addition to my kit actually! I got it in a bundle with a 10" splash and basically never use it
Honestly one thing I like about drums is they are very customizable and you can pick what you want and the sounds for things
So great watching these guys rockin all this cheap crap, but they still keep the attitudes as if their rockin the high quality schtuff. Hilarious!!!
The expensive ones just had MORE of everything.Lows highs,Grit,Wash,Sustainable volume. Thanks again
Hadn’t realised how short you were till you stood beside that guy !
Blessings, I really love when you guys come together for a video.
Awesome to hear! and more to come!
Pretty straight foreward, when it comes to ride crash and hi hat u should get the high quality but effect must not be that expensive since its just an Cymbal u will use now and then to get that extra soundeffect
Years ago after not playing drums since high school (mid '80s), I acquired a cheap set with really cheap cymbals. They worked out okay because I never plan to play live. I also use silencers, so the sound doesn't matter. The cheap cymbals I use are referred to as "targets" in my house because I just need a cymbal where I want it when I want to hit it. 😉
When one says 'China cymbal' what they are saying is Wuhan cymbal. None of the more expensive cymbal lines get the Chinese cymbal right. (Some sound really good for what they are but none sound like the original.) This was a cool video, guys! A good collaboration! If you plan to do another, maybe you will try the B20 alloy Wuhan cymbals? Believe it or not, they do very well considering how inexpensive they are.
I always had A Zildjians on all of my kits over the years, and I always had at least 2 Wuhan china cymbals and took the time to put rivits in them, I just liked the way they sounded. 👍🥁👍
THANK YOU for doing this video on Wuhan Crash cymbals. Can you please next do a video with Wuhan Traditional crash cymbals?
Been playing 20 years. Played Paiste, Sabian and Zildjian chinas over the years. Bought a Wuhan in a pinch before a tour and was surprised how much I preferred the sound over the other brands. Only thing I don’t like is the huge bell.
I've been rocking a set of B20 wuhan hats for yearsssss now. They're a bit on the quiet side but I love the washy tone from them.
I experiment with my cymbals. Generally the higher end cymbals sound "better", but that is still relative to what particular sound you are looking for. I have a lot of higher end cymbals and they make up the majority of what I have. I also have a lot of cheaper cymbals, different lines of cymbals, etc. I will mix different hi-hats to achieve certain sounds or stack different cymbals.
Often times some of the cheap cymbals will be exactly what I was looking for.
I admit that I have way too many cymbals.......... wait, is that possible? I just keep buying them and now I have enough to open a small cymbal store. Cymbals are the endless way of modifying your kit and making it sound completely different even though you have the same drums!
Don't be afraid to experiment and buy odd brand cymbals. Sometimes they pay off. Just know that it is always a gamble unless your actually listening to them in-person before buying.
Middle ground is best way. I just bought used Zildjians and since all people are scared of used cymblas they go for 50% off when you are dealing with normal people. Bought also some broken ones and learn how to repair them. They sound still good and go for scrapmetal prices.
Used is 1,000% the way to go when buying ANY gear!
Cymbals are the most pure instrument. The entire thing is just a piece of metal. With a drum, you could say maybe it’d sound better with different heads or more lugs or if it was made from maple instead of birch or whatever. With cymbals, the entire sound is just the one component. So of course it makes a huge difference between who made it, how it was made and what it is made out of.
That’s a useful comparison, but I’m sure I’ve heard cymbals less capable than the “cheap” ones shown here. Also, I did not see any comments pointing out what is the basic sonic difference between the two kinds: expensive cymbals produce louder higher frequencies, so that their sound is like that of a hi-fi vinyl recording versus the rather muddled -lo-fi- sound of the cheaper ones.
My first china was a 16" Wuhan china , paid 40€ new, it was AWESOME! the only cons of wuhan chinas is that they break easly, but they sound great. Now i have a 18" Oriental Zildjian and it's a beast of course, but wouldn't mind adding a 14" wuhan on the left side.
Mount them with an Aquarian cymbal spring. Cracking problem solved.
Just remember that how good a cymbal or drum sounds is subjective and that you're absolutely free to do whatever you'd like with whatever cymbals. Music is art, after all
Whoa I wasn’t expecting to like any of them, but I really loved the cheap set of hats (more than the expensive!) and the splash (equal to the expensive splash). They didn’t seem to project well, but the tone was actually nice and cut-through
Definitely agree. The cheap crash hurts my ears lol, but I dig the sound of the high hat and splash. Didn't expect that at all lol.
Kinda weird the k hats were smoother and brighter to me. The expensive stuff had more body and blended better imo. I did like the cheap splash though.
Love that snare sound ..that’s what I need !
Or: go all in with “midrange-priced” cymbals. I (nowadays) only use Pa Meinls classics customs dark & Paiste 900’s. Works great, and a crack won’t give you a nervous breakdown 🙏🏻🤩
Sample: th-cam.com/video/44zV72Wqex4/w-d-xo.html
Edit: and to follow your example. Here’s also a heavier track ✌🏻
th-cam.com/users/shortsBBUn7_P4B-Y?feature=share
Just wanted to mention the absolutely killer snare sound... Thanks guys.
Those cheap ones are a lot better than what was available in 78 when I just had to have 2002's.
OMG Stephen, I bought a pair of 14" K Dark hats In Fayetteville, NC in 1994 and the set came with that Dyno Beat Z bottom with the diamond pattern, they still rock, that bottom hat is heavy as F, pardon my abbreviated French. Than you for all the drumming tips!
I personally can't afford a good set of Zildjian cymbals, so I went to a brand called Republic Cymbals. I absolutely love them! They soumd great and most importantly, they don't have the price tag that Zildjians do. I would recommend checking them out.
I’m just starting my endeavor with drumming as I’ve only been playing for 6 months. But I feel like all the cymbal packs that are available these days are the best bang for the buck. You can get really nice upper end cymbals that have great quality and sound and “only” spend $600-$1000. Spending $1800 on 4 cymbals to me is absolutely stupid unless your just that much a professional and need it lol.
The most important thing, of course, is the metal from which the plates are made yeah. And you can also turn the microphone to a cheap hat normally, as to an expensive one, and the overheads too. Adjust the volume balance, yeah ...
I love when these guys are together
I've had an oriental for over 20 year's, one of my favorites 💎🇦🇺
Many years ago I had intended on buying the set of Zildjian Scimtar cymbals (as that is what I could afford). However, I was fortunate enough to have access to some basic Meinl cymbals. So I put all my money on a 16" A Custom Crash. Over the following years I added to my cymbals and swapped out a few things. I will never regret buying good cymbals, my only reject now is I can't afford to get more !
One thing to add, is some cheap cymbals sound fine in the studio, but play them live and they don't have the dynamics that more expensive cymbals have. They won't sound good quiet and they often won't open up when hit harder.
Also, Josh Steffen used Wuhan's a good bit and makes them sound really good
What I get from this sweet comparison:
Cheap cymbals like these would be passable in most situations at any bar gig.
Bro, I've been wailing on TWO Wuhan chinas for the last 10 years!! I still have them! They're honestly my favorite sounding chinas, no lie.