ive done it plenty. for me, probably a late 50's or 60's avedis zildjian 18. ive also got a couple of thin 20's in the same that would fit the bill. the 18 needs a good large bell in my opinion.

mike

In order to advise you, we would need to know more about the arsenal from which you'd be choosing.

If I had to—and boy am I glad I don't—my choice from my setup would be either an 18" K crash or a 19" Turkish K thin.

I'm not sure if the 18 is a thin or medium thin: the previous owner removed the K logo, then apparently thought better of it and repainted it. Looks bad, sounds great, or I would never have bought it.

The 19 is something I acquired for $15 in 1984. The previous owner didn't like it as his primary rock ride and gave me a deal because he felt bad about cracking one of my crashes about five years earlier. It felt right at the time, but suffice it to say that neither of us knew what that cymbal was even though it was quite obviously from the '50s.

I'd use the 18 for amplified rock, the 19 for blues or a quieter gig. I once used the 19 all by itself (no drums) for an avant-garde performance.

I could get by musically with less, but from the showmanship aspect (which, for me, is part of the deal in rock), more is more.

What style of music are we talking here... jazz, rock, big band? Are you looking for stictly vintage cymbal recommendations?

Great thread, btw... very interested to read responses as they come in.

-murph

I've done this too many times to recall.

I like a larger (no smaller than an 18 ... a 20ish is great) cymbal for the job. It can ride nicely and has a sweet soft crash or a serious statement crash if need be. I've owned and currently own quite a few cymbals that fit this bill.

There is no one brand that will do this. Every cymbal manufacturer born has come up with at least one cymbal that would qualify.

I found my self in position were i had to make up a small kit with little to chose from , i went with a 18" med sabian aa as the ride and crash. And i was not dissapointed all , the sabian 18" med aa is a real work horse that will fit many situation.

If not Vintage how about these choices...

Paiste Giant Beat 20" Multi

Zildjian K 20" Crash/Ride

Use -your- favorite cymbal! Man, I can't tell you how many gigs I've played using just a snare, bass, hi-hats and 1 cymbal. I prefer a 'medium weight' cymbal for this set-up because it can serve double duty as a crash when I need to lay into it.

The truth is; if you can't say what you have to say with a snare, kick & hats/ride... adding other drums or brass to the kit isn't going to help you anyway.

John