My cymbal selling regrets are far greater than my snare drum selling regrets.

OK the suspense already...Which one is it? ..band3

Cymbals and Snares. There's 2 nightmares right there.

Ok I've found it over the years much much harder to find cymbals than snares. There are never enough cymbals in any music or drum shop the world over. I now have a deal with a major Cym company that has made it super easy and I love them for it.

With snares I've followed the flow, learnt from reputation and despite making purchases of faith over the net, have bagged some good ones that have stood up to the test. eg 60's Ludwig supra 400, downbeat and Acro. 70's Black Beauty. 50"s Radio King. 70's Hayman. But snares can be manipulated much more with heads tuning and dampening than a clangy cymbal with that annoying note that seems to run through the decay.

I'd say Cymbals over snares, because apart from the generic A Custom/AAX lines, you lose "that" specific ride and it's gone forever. You lose that BB? Well get another 1 or 2 from ebay and you'll probably be fine.

I would have to say that if I was given a choice I would want a nice sounding Kick, snare, crash (19" or bigger) and hats...this is all I need to really enjoy playing drums.

Both......especially after I purchased a set of brand new Paiste 2002 cymbals. In all my years of playing I have never owned or played with a better set of cymbals. I couldn't play without them.

For me my cymbals, 'cause no 2 sound a like.

That said I have a meager collection of snares, all with different shells, dia, etc, etc that all sound different.

I'm with you Shawn. When I was just starting out 46 years ago, my first percussion teacher told me "Depending on the heads, snares, muffling, and tuning, you can make a snare drum sound like anything you want, but you can't change the sound of your cymbals".

Mike

Easy. Snare drum. I own no vintage cymbals (yet.)

That is a very tough one.

Although my "vintage-ish" cymbals are only from the 80's I have a couple that I'm partial too.

My 14" AA flat hats, 21" heavy rock ride, 18" brilliant finish roctagon(out of production) and fast china. Very distinct cymbals with lots of sounds in em.

These are easily AS valuable to me as any of my snares.

Really versatile cymbals are like really versatile snares

Mind you, I don't own a BB from the 30's, or an RK or Dyna or a big ole bronze HLD.

I mite be singin a different song if that was the case.

Cymbals ... by a long shot.

Very few things will destroy a song quicker than some weak sounding crashes or a clangy ride.