Trash a cymbal or two.
Or "Who says two wrongs don't make a right!?"
This idea came to me while I was watching some drummer on You Tube. He had a really effective Trash Cymbal sound coming from a couple of cymbals on the same holder. I've seen this a dozen times but it suddenly struck me that I could do that with a couple of cymbals that have been bothering me for ages.
I've got a Zildjian Ping Cymbal and an old 50's Sizzle Cymbal that I took the rivets out of because they weren't doing anything but annoy me! The Ping is an interesting old thing that my dad used to use. I gigged with it for a while and it was fine for loud songs but just not sweet enough for quiet, gentle playing. I lived with it for a long time but always wanted to replace it, and did, eventually, when I had the money. Then it lay under a table for years.
I took it out again last week to see if it had improved.
You see, I used to have similar reservations about my heavy rock hi-hats but, in their case, my opinion changed completely and I love them now. But the Ping was still not right and I put it away again.
The Sizzle was another problem - useful but not quite there. I tried putting tape on it and it made an ok China type thing but......
Then I saw the You Tube thing and it clicked. Never thought of it before - bit slow, I suppose! Put the cymbals together and see what happens. Simple solutions are often effective.
I tried it and it's a brilliant trick. Just put the cymbals on the same holder and off you go.
You'll probably have to find some smaller felt washers so both fit on the same fitting, but there's always a way.
Funny thing was it sounded quite good with each of them on top - a weird ride with the Ping on top and a really good Trashy, Pangy thing with the old Sizzle on top. I chose the Trash Pang and it's alright! Better than the individuals ever were.
Simple. Obvious. Genius. If you've got a couple of spares, you have to try it !