Zildjian has plenty to unveil at the NAMM show this year, starting with four new genre-based cymbal sets for Rock, Country, Worship and Gospel, as well as three new stick models and the new K Custom Special Dry collection.
The Zildjian Rock Pack is a collection of iconic A Zildjian cymbals; each bright, crisp, and full bodied cymbal was hand selected to deliver the look, sound and feel that rock drummers need to cut through and project across the stage or in the studio, says Zildjian.
The Zildjian Country Pack features the legendary K Zildjian cymbals that capture the tone, volume and sustain for Country music. Each cymbal is dry, dark and expressive, and the larger sizes deliver volume and projection. This pack was inspired by top country drummers like Kent Slucher (Luke Bryan), Chris Fryar (Zac Brown Band), and Sean Fuller (Florida Georgia Line).
The Zildjian Worship Pack is a warm and complex collection that features the K Custom range, which are powerful, vibrant, dark and yet gentle; they capture the spirit of Worship music and work in harmony with other instruments.
The rhythmic tones and strong vocals of Gospel music need a bright, cutting cymbal sound that is both shimmering and able to be heard. The Zildjian Gospel Pack features a handpicked selection of Zildjian A Custom cymbals with the brightness and sweetness that Gospel music demands.
Zildjian has also announced three new drum stick models. Zildjian says the Josh Dun Artist Series stick: ‘…is built to stand up to the aggressive grooves that Josh uses to power the hot genre-blender duo, Twenty One Pilots. It features a beefed up 5A shaft with extra length for more reach and effortless velocity. Its medium taper keeps everything in balance and the oval tip creates a surface area ideal for punchy drums and bright cymbals. On this eye catching red stick is a reproduction of Josh’s signature and Twenty One Pilots’ Skeleton Clique “Alien Josh” logo’.
At the age of nine, Thomas Pridgen won the Guitar Centre Drum-Off and became the youngest musician to receive a four-year scholarship to Berklee College of Music six years later. The Thomas Pridgen Artist Series stick lives up to the uniqueness of the man himself and is bold and aggressive by design. Its extra length, combined with a short taper, pushes more weight to the front of the stick, allowing the diameter to stay in the sweet spot between the 5A and 5B. A large oval tip translates all that power into fat sound on the drums and plenty of volume from the cymbals.
The new 9 Gauge stick provides an exciting center point to the Gauge series. Clocking in at .563 – the world’s most widely played stick diameter – the 9 Gauge sits in an ideal comfort zone for most drummers and is an extremely well-balanced stick. It features Zildjian’s new Fusion tip shape, which combines elements of an acorn and a round tip for bright, focused cymbal sounds.
The Avedis Zildjian Company is also introducing the new K Custom Special Dry collection. This new cymbal voice is an extension of the K Custom family of cymbals, remastered for today’s modern musical styles. ‘These raw and earthy cymbals deliver a dry, funky sound with lots of dirt for a unique expression of personality. An innovative three step hammering process, distinctive shape and extra thin weight give the cymbals a fast attack, while shutting down quickly with just enough sustain.
‘The dry and dirty sound is something we have been looking to expand upon since the original introduction of the Special Dry models over a decade ago. However, we wanted to ensure the remastered collection featured the right sizes, styles and sounds to truly stand out across the industry,’ said Paul Francis, Zildjian’s Director of R&D.
There are 15 models available in this collection, from 10” Splashes to 23” Rides. Some highlights of this collection are the larger size Crashes (up to 22”) which allow drummers to experience louder volume with trashy overtones. A dynamic 14” FX HiHat Top (sold only as a top) with a unique hole pattern emulates a “filtered” sound coveted by many of todays’ drummers and music producers. The Trash Crashes and Trash China create a unique white noise sound that projects through any live performance, making them the perfect cymbals for accents.
Info: www.zildjian.com