Zildjian ZBT 4-Piece Cymbal Set

Average Cymbals for the price...but I wouldnt buy them.

I am using a ride, 16 rock crash and rock hats. The rock hats are actually pretty decent: loud, cutting., nice "chic" sound and great open sound. The only reason I have these is that I was poor and needed some pies asap! I would and am going to be selling my 16 rock crash and ride to make way for my new A customs!
All in all these cymbals are pretty good considering the price.and they are Zildjians!

I bought a set of Zildjian ZBTs in January 2006. Priced at about $200 you cant say they aren't worth the price. I am an active musician/music teacher and I use these on my teaching kit and on a few live shows. They are very shinny so they look really good on stage, but unlike the competetors, these actually have some tonal qualities, they project well, and they can tack the beating from those inexperianced drummers. These cymbals are a great set, but i would not recomend mixing them with "higher end " peices. Great for beginners and intermediates alike.

I have the ZBT pro 20" ride. I dont like It. I replaced it when I got Sabian B8s. I tried the ZBT Hi Hats and I would rather have kept my stock Pearl hats.

My friend had a whole set of these. His crash did crack I believe. I have the ride and it indeed does ring very long and at a wierd pitch. And I have te 10" Splash which seems to bend and warp very easily. But I do like the china cymbal =P. That hats are unbearable.

Save yourself a little dissapointment, get Sabian B8s. If you are a die hard Zildjian fan, then what can I say? Go get 'em but I strongly recommend Sabian B8s for beginners

I have a whole set of ZBTs on my kit. I got the 20" ride, 16" crash, and 14" hats in the package with the cymbal bag just about 2 years ago. I since added an 18" rock crash and a 10" splash. I have an 18" china which has a nice, very trashy sound, but i dont have a stand to mount it. anyway, the ride is actually ok. it pings well if you have sticks that dont have chips in them! and it has a decent bell. it does ring pretty long, but of course you can control that with your fingers. the rock crash i actually like really well. if you hit it softly, it sounds pretty bad. but the harder you hit it-not to mention just thrashing it around, it has INCREDIBLE projection and volume, but it's a sharp, high pitched sound. the 16" crash is crap. plain and simple. there are no songs that match it's pitch. it's horrible. lol. but generally, in an audience, who's giong to know or care? the splash is good-well, it's ok. by itself it's not. but in the music, it's a nice filler. the Hats are nice as well depending on what you are playing. decent "chick" sound. nice, loud, cutting open sound. they are actually one of my favorites in the set.

for beginners, excellent choice. i mean, they beat that stock crap some sets come with. I hvaen't heard the Sabian B8s, so you dont have to take my word for it when i say the Ziljian ZBTs are an excellent beginner choice.

These cymbals are definitly for beginners who dont want to spend too much money on new cymbals..just yet. but they definite deliver some excellent sound. my ride hasnt cracked yet or shown much damage at all even after all its use and my 18" Crash sounds excellent!

Really save yourself some trouble and don't get ZBTs, B8s or anything else like that. just save up some (they have these things called jobs nowadays) and buy yourself some good cymbals. go into wherever you buy cymbals, play them all and pick the ones you like best. there's no other way to do it.

As you progress as an artist you'll learn that cymbal sounds are as unique as a fingerprints. Even the same 18" A custom will sound a tad different in their attack, sustain and tonal quality from another 18" A Custom. But even with that said their is a significant difference from the ZBT line to the A Custom or K/Z line. The quality and craftsmanship that goes into A/K/Z cymbals cannot be compared to these lower end "pressed" type cymbals. The metals, tonal groves, bells, ect... all go through a much different process to produce a higher quality cymbal.

They would work well on a practice kit or for the beginner that has a limited cash flow but should not be considered for a stage or recording session. If you do I'm afraid you and your audience will be greatly disappointed. I to started with extremely poor cymbals early in my drumming career but can say honestly that I saved more money and time by buying the best cymbals I could with the money I had. Slowly replacing every cymbal in my collection with high quality pieces. It took many years but some of the cymbals I play with are well over ten years old and getting better with age.

These guys that are saying the B8's are better, ok they may be, for a low end cymbal. But compare the B8's to the Hand Hammer series and you'll see how bad they sound also. An entry level cymbal is an entry level cymbal.

I don't mean to get on a soap box for my first post on these forums but if I can help someone with this it's worth it. Take some time, do your research and buy quality cymbals that can last you a life time. Also don't forget that many drummers will buy high end cymbals and then sell them later looking for a different sound. And there is nothing wrong with that. Their loss can be your gain. Many of my cymbals are used, especially my K's and I got them well below half price new. I personally think you would be better off searching for some used quality cymbals if your strapped for cash versus buying low end new cymbals that you will most likely end up junking in the coming years looking for that fat sound in your crash or the ping in your ride versus the sound of trash cans slamming into a tin roof.

So the moral of the story.....buy quality cymbals........If you have to start with these then so be it, just have a plan to replace them before you get serious.

Beginner=Ok
Novice to Pro= Bad (not to mention you'll be laughed at )

JBJ