A drum set without cymbals is like a car without wheels!
When drummers talk about a five-piece drum set, they’re referring to a set with five drums. The cymbals are not included.
The basic cymbal setup usually consists of a pair of 14” hi-hats, a 20” ride cymbal and a 16” or 18” crash cymbal. The hi-hat has two cymbals that you play with your foot or with your sticks. You use it for timekeeping, playing one or more notes to the beat. A ride cymbal is used for the same purpose. The crash cymbal provides extra colour and musical accents.
Many drummers have two or more crash cymbals in various sizes. A splash cymbal is a very small and thin crash cymbal. China cymbals add raw, exotic sounds to your drum set.
Ride cymbals typically come in sizes from 20” to 24”. Crashes range from 14” to 20”, hi-hats are most often sold in 13”, 14” and 15”. Splashes are available from 6” to 12” and China type cymbals from 8” tot 20”. The Chinas also include the original Chinese cymbals, with a cup that served as a handle to hold the cymbals.
Stagg also makes small, heavy bell cymbals, tamtams (16”-40”) and wind gongs, for really special oriental effects.
The sound of a cymbal is influenced by the material and by the size, the thickness, the exact shape of the disc. The way it’s made plays a role as well. Hammering and lathing are really important, for example! Cymbals have three main playing areas: the bell, the body and the edge.
If you have two otherwise identical cymbals, one a bit heavier than the other, the heavier cymbal will sound a bit brighter, higher and more focused. It also takes more energy to make it fully respond: A heavy crash cymbal needs quite a heavy blow to really ‘crash’. A larger cymbal sounds a bit lower and longer than a smaller, but otherwise similar cymbal. So for example, if you’re playing loud, amplified music, your best bet will be to get a bit heavier, larger cymbals. Stagg makes special cymbal series for different styles of music.
SH Series
The Stagg SH series are made with a single, light hammering treatment and traditional lathing, creating really affordable cymbals that yet can be used in a wide variety of musical styles. Are you looking for a brighter sound? Then check out our DH series, sporting a more elaborate manufacturing process.
Genghis Series
The hand-hammered Genghis cymbals are truly professional cymbals with fascinating dark, warm sounds, created by highly skilled craftsmen. The series encompasses the full bodied, dynamic Classic cymbals, the dark Dual cymbals, and the sweet and shimmering Exo models.
Myras Series
Are you a heavy hitter? Check out the explosive MYRA series.
Senza Series
The SENZA series cymbals, on the other hand, offer sweet, bright tones that work well with most contemporary music styles.
EX Series
In addition to these professional cymbal series, made of B20 bronze, we proudly present you the EX Series, made of B8 Bronze. Stagg also provides great sounding cymbals for beginning drummers with limited budgets, such as the CX Student Sets, and the AX Innovation Sets.
If you want to practice without annoying your neighbours or wearing ear protection all the time, please check out our SX low-volume cymbals. The many holes in these cymbals effectively reduce their volume, yet they feel and respond the same as traditional cymbals.
