Do you play in a rock band? If so, chances are you need the correct ride cymbal to keep up with those guitar amps. You’ll want enough ping to be articulate, a bell that will pierce through a Marshall stack, and a crash that drives home a crescendo. At Drum Center of Portsmouth, we specialize in rocking out. We’ve put together a short list of 5 fantastic ride cymbals that we think will take your rock to the next level!
Our top picks:
- Best ride cymbal with consistent sound: Zildjian K Custom Hybrid Ride Cymbal 21"
- Best ride cymbal for rock music: Paiste Signature Reflector Bell Ride Cymbal 22"
- Best for any volume and style: Sabian HH Raw Bell Dry Ride Cymbal 21"
- Best ride cymbal with strong articulation: Meinl Classics Custom Dark Ride 22”
- Best-priced: Istanbul Agop Xist Brilliant Raw Ride Cymbal 22"
1. Zildjian K Custom Hybrid Ride Cymbal 21"
This innovative ride blends the articulate stick response and clear bell sound of the K Custom ride with the crash-ability and wash of a thinner, lathed cymbal. The lathed outer section gives you softer, darker sound while the inner area and the bell produce pronounced, brighter tones.
2. Paiste Signature Reflector Bell Ride Cymbal 22"
Without sounding bias, the Paiste Signature Reflector Bell Ride is probably our favorite rock ride. Ever. It does everything you want a rock ride cymbal to do. Perfect ping, a monsterous bell, and thin enough to produce a musical, yet powerful crash. While the price tag is a little heavy, this may be the only ride you’ll ever need, and in our opinion worth it.
3. Sabian HH Raw Bell Dry Ride Cymbal 21"
With a dark, unlathed raw bell delivering clear, cutting strokes, and ride area putting out crisp responses with the perfect amount of spread, the Sabian 21" HH Raw Bell Dry Ride is designed to deliver at any volume, in any style of music. Sabian introduces HH Remastered - with more hammering, more complexity, and more tone. As a result, HH Rides sound more traditional and complex. Much like a remastered classic album is taken from the great to the sublime, HH Remastered adds complexity and tone to each cymbal, delivering unmatched sonic texture across the entire line.
4. Meinl Classics Custom Dark Ride 22”
This 22" Meinl Classics Custom Dark Ride cymbal is crafted from B10 bronze alloy, and features a unique twist on the traditional design of these cymbals. A special finishing process gives this ride an abundance of complex, dark and warm overtones with as ton of glassy ping. The Classics Custom Dark Ride combines bright attack with an earthy sustain, and a clear cutting bell that will be heard through any mix. You can use this beefy ride for absolutely any style of music that requires strong articulation. We proudly carry Meinl cymbals at the Drum Center of Portsmouth.
5. Istanbul Agop Xist Brilliant Raw Ride Cymbal 22"
When most people think of Istanbul Agop Ride Cymbals, they think big, papery, dark cymbals that are ideal for low volume applications. While that is the case most of the time, the Xist Brilliant Raw Ride Cymbal is one Agop that you can be comfortable rocking out with. By combining more modern production techniques with traditional cymbal making processes, Istanbul is able to offer professional quality at a price that is accessible to drummers at any level. If you are looking for a distinctive ping, you need to put this one on your list!
There you go. Five rock rides that we can confidently recommend to any drummer looking to project clear, musical tone. At Drum Center of Portsmouth, we can also help get you fitted with one hundred other ride cymbals that might be just right for your musical situation. Call us at (603) 319-8109, and talk to a real drummer today!