That is my main HH size... I have 4 pairs... Very thin. The pitch is low and way more supportive to the music, as opposed to loud and cutting.

When I ordered my Rogers set in 1961, I bought a new set of A. Zildjian hi hat cymbals to go with the drums. I have played with these same cymbals ever since then. They are 15" in diameter. The top and bottom cymbals are identical. I think that they were classified back then as medium weight. They seem fairly heavy to me now. I think that 15" hi hats were the norm for pro drummers back then. I would be interested in trying some vintage thinner 16" hats.

I have a 1958 Zildjian Setup Of The Stars book,and I think I counted 16 people listed used 15" hats,and I'll have to count how many used 16" hats,but I think it was 5 or 6!

Buddy was the only one using 12" hats at the time.......just had to be different,didn't he?D' Drummer

I don't think I saw one using 13" hats in there..........

I've seen Steve Jordan using 16" hats on occasion,as well as Doug "Cosmo" Clifford of CCR fame.I always liked the sound of Cosmo's hats.

Steve B

16" hats have come in and out of vogue for as long as there have been hi hats!!! That being said, they are a bit on the rare side compared to 13, 14 or 15" models. Every 16" pair I have seen (I have only seen a few pair, mind) were a bit more on the light-weight side.

I am really surprised that they haven't come back into fashion.

Bigger hats are prefered when recording. They sit in the mix a bit easier.

I used to own a pair of Zildjian 16" high hats and sold them in and around 1993. As well as I remember, I believe they were labeled Newbeats also.

Do I wish I had them back? Not really.

I even use 17" sometimes.... so does steve jordan.

16, 17" cymbals get used...

16's and 17's are kinda rare for hi hats...

That doesn't mean that those cymbals are not someone's voice...