Top 7 Best Ride Cymbals For Jazz (2020 Review)

In this guide you’ll learn the following:

  • What Are Ride Cymbals For Jazz?
  • What Should I Look Out For In Ride Cymbals For Jazz?

And much more!

Below is a quick list of all my best cymbals. Keep scrolling to learn more about my best buying tips and tricks for finding the perfect Jazz ride. 

Top 7 Best Ride Cymbals For Jazz (2020 Review)
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Zildjian K Custom 20″ Dark Ride Cymbal
  • Great stick definition
  • Warm and complex sound
  • Versatile
  • Great stick definition
  • Warm and complex sound
  • Versatile
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Meinl Cymbals Byzance 21″ Extra Dry Transition Ride
  • Rich complex sound
  • Very versatile
  • Looks great
  • Rich complex sound
  • Very versatile
  • Looks great
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Meinl 20″ Ride Cymbal – HCS Traditional Finish
  • Highly affordable
  • Thin
  • Good stick definition
  • Highly affordable
  • Thin
  • Good stick definition
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Dream Vintage Bliss 22-Inch Crash/Ride Cymbal
  • More affordable than equivalents
  • Rich, dark complex sound
  • Buttery feel
  • More affordable than equivalents
  • Rich, dark complex sound
  • Buttery feel
View on Amazon

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Meinl Cymbals Byzance 20-Inch Jazz Club Flat Ride Cymbal with Rivets
  • Great stick definition
  • Unique sound
  • Rivets
  • Great stick definition
  • Unique sound
  • Rivets
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Sabian 20″ SBr Ride Cymbal
  • Highly affordable
  • Good stick definition
  • Versatile
  • Highly affordable
  • Good stick definition
  • Versatile
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Zildjian L80 Low Volume 20″ Ride Cymbal
  • Extremely quiet
  • Great for practice
  • Feels like the real thing
  • Extremely quiet
  • Great for practice
  • Feels like the real thing
View on Amazon

My Overall #1 Rated Pick

Updated 7/27/2020

Zildjian have been a staple cymbal choice for jazz drummers for decades.

And rightly so as they have some of the most beautifully complex, lush and expressive cymbals available on the market today.

The K Custom Dark Ride is no exception. It has great stick definition, accompanied by a warm wash that’s finished off with a crash sound that is to die for. 

If you’re looking for a cymbal that will take your Jazz drumming to next sonic heights, then you can’t go far wrong with the K Custom Dark Ride.

What Are Ride Cymbals For Jazz?

Simply put a ride cymbal for Jazz is no different in its overall makeup to a ride cymbal for any other style of music.

Cymbal choice is incredibly personal from drummer to drummer, and there are no set ‘rules’ when it comes to picking out your favorite ride. 

However, there are some characteristics of some ride cymbals that seem to suit the tonality and sonic qualities of Jazz music. 

Let’s have a look at what makes a great Jazz ride cymbal.

Read More >> What Are The Top Professional Drum Sets Out There?

What Should I Look Out For In Ride Cymbals For Jazz?

Unlike the high volume situations of rock and metal, Jazz tends to be quieter and more ‘expressive’ in the ways the cymbals are played.

Therefore Jazz rides tend to be darker in tone, meaning that they have a much less bright and ‘zingy’ sound, which is often slightly trashier and more complex in nature. 

You’ll notice most Jazz rides have a very dull, sometimes almost earthy looking finish. This is what gives them their dark tone.

Unlike a lot of cymbals for rock, which have a brilliant finish that accent high frequencies to cut through walls of loud guitars.

The ride cymbal is the core of a jazz drummer set up, providing the majority of their sound...so the cymbal choice is paramount as it will shape the whole sound of the drummer.

Some like brighter cymbals, some like completely dead, dry sounding discs that have very little to no sustain...its all about what pleases your ears. 

Read More >> What Are The Ultimate Drum Cymbals For Every Occasion?

Wash

The resonant undercurrent of sound produced by the cymbal when playing it or crashing 

To help you with your own hunt for the perfect cymbal, here’s a quick breakdown of some of the key phrases used to describe the different sonic qualities of cymbals:

Dark

The opposite of ‘bright’. Dark cymbals tend to be slightly lower-pitched, often slightly trashy.

Traditional Finish

Opposite to brilliant finish. This means that the cymbal is often unlathed, or lightly lathed to create a dull matte-like finish.

This makes the cymbal sound warmer and less bright. 

Stick Definition

The amount of clarity individual stick tip strikes have when played halfway up the cymbal.

Did you know: Early American jazz drummers are often credited with inventing the modern drum set as we know it. They would often experiment with drum placements to help them create jazz sounds.

Our Reviews Of The Best Ride Cymbals For Jazz

Zildjian is infamous in the world of jazz cymbals. Their rides can be heard on pretty much all the classic jazz recordings from the 1930’s all the way to the present day.

Take a search for auctions of vintage Zildjian Kerope rides and you’ll see that they are some of the most sought after jazz cymbals ever made (and are priced to reflect it!). 

The K Custom line aims to expand that classic K (Kerope) sound, offering more sonic options and textures. 

The K Custom Dark ride is just a beautiful cymbal. It has a very satisfying articulate yet warm stick sound, perfect for driving jazz-based patterns, and underpinning the whole sound is a lush wash that never seems to get out of hand.

Crash the edge and you’re rewarded with a rich yet slightly trashy crash sound that is incredibly pleasing and fantastic for hitting those big accents, or dropping bombs in your uptempo jazz tunes!

With Zildjian you know you’re getting quality and this K Custom ride is no exception. 

Pros

  • Great stick definition
  • Warm and complex sound
  • Versatile 

Cons

  • Higher price point

Meinl is another company that has a proven track record of consistently making great-sounding, high-quality cymbals.

Not only that, but they also spend a lot of time creating new sounds and pushing the boundaries of what a cymbal can do.

The Byzance Transition ride was developed in conjunction with renowned drummer/educator Mike Johnston. 

It gets its name for its ability to ‘transition’ between a typical ride sound to a crash sound seamlessly, making it an incredibly versatile and expressive cymbal.

The way it manages this duality of sound is by having a heavily lathed, brilliant underside accompanied by a dark, earthy unlathed top side.

The bright underside gives the cymbal it’s crashy ‘shimmer’, whilst the unfinished top dries up the overall sound, controlling the wash and allowing for more precise stick definition.

This cymbal is a dark, slightly trashy, crashable beauty and is perfect for pretty much any jazz situation.

Whether you’re driving a huge big band or playing with a trio in a small club, it will deliver.  

Pros

  • Rich warm sound
  • Very versatile
  • Looks great

Cons

  • Pricey

Surprise surprise, another Meinl on the list! Compared to the transition ride above, the HCS series of cymbals is aimed at the entry-level market.

Providing expressive and usable cymbal sounds for drummers on a budget.

Looking for good sounding yet cheap cymbals can be a challenging process, especially if you play jazz which requires darker, more complex sounds (which don’t come cheap).

However, the HCS ride manages pretty well to be a versatile and usable cymbal in the Jazz realm.

It’s brighter than other ‘jazz-oriented’ cymbals, however, it’s on the thinner side, which means it opens up a little quicker than other cymbals in the same price bracket.

If you’re a jazz drummer (or any drummer for that matter!) and looking for your first ride or an upgrade from your kits stock cymbals, then the Meinl HCS ride is an excellent choice.

Pros

  • Highly affordable
  • Thin
  • Good stick definition

Cons

  • Bright sounding

Dream cymbals are relative newcomers to the cymbal game.

However, they have been consistently coming out with fantastic, expressive hand hammered cymbals at pretty great prices.

The Bliss series has its focus on complex, dark, and slightly trashy sounding cymbals that are excellent for Jazz settings (as well as other styles too).

This vintage crash/ride has a very broad and slightly less defined stick definition than similar cymbals, accompanied by a very dark and rich sounding wash.

It’s larger 22” size, gives it a lovely forgiving buttery feel, and is at home as a crash or ride, making it very versatile.

Not everyone will be a fan of the trashier elements of its sound, but you’re getting a lot of cymbal for your money and overall it’s a beautifully expressive cymbal. 

Pros

  • More affordable than equivalents
  • Rich, dark sound
  • Buttery feel

Cons

  • Some may not like trashiness

This Byzance flat ride from Meinl is a very unique cymbal, for the drummer looking for something a little different than your traditional ride. 

It’s a flat ride meaning that it is one continuous disc without a bell. The cymbal also comes with four rivets attached at equal distances around its bow, giving a long sizzle on every strike.

These design features create a cymbal that has a pretty short sustain with lovely pronounced stick definition. It has a lower pitch than most other rides and coupled with the rivets it has a very satisfyingly warm sizzle and wash that underpins jazz ride patterns beautifully. 

It may not be the most versatile ride cymbal but would be fantastic as a second ‘left-side’ ride to give you more sonic options when it comes to comping and moving through different sections of a tune. 

As you’d expect with all Meinl Byzance cymbals, it is incredibly well made as well as feeling and sounding great to play. Meinl really does make some of the best jazz cymbals around. 

Pros

  • Great stick definition
  • Unique sound
  • Rivets

Cons

  • Not the most versatile
  • Too dry sounding for some

The Sabian SBr series are aimed at beginner drummers looking for a decent cymbal at an incredibly affordable price.

This ride is in the same category as the Meinl HCS ride reviewed above.

It’s a cheaper made cymbal pressed out of a sheet of brass, with a modest lathing pattern.

As an entry into cymbals, it really does what it says on the tin, it has good stick definition and like most entry-level cymbals, has a brighter, less complex tone compared to more expensive B20 bronze alternatives. 

As budget cymbals go it’s definitely up there with the best, the only downside is some harsh ‘zingy’ undertones...but it’s to be expected at this price point. Another great option for the drummer on a budget. 

Pros

  • Highly affordable
  • Good stick definition
  • Versatile

Cons

  • Some harsh overtones
  • A little clangy if crashed

As we all know, drum kits are loud...which means getting enough time to practice on a real acoustic kit without driving your neighbors mad can be very difficult!

Jazz drumming relies heavily on having a solid and reliable ride pattern and sound.

Which often means playing the same sequence of notes over and over again to get it right.

Zildjian have come up with the L80 low volume cymbals to help drummers with noise restrictions still get responsive and realistic feeling cymbals to practice on.

The L80 ride is an excellent tool to shed those crazy uptempo jazz ride patterns without becoming the enemy of the neighborhood.

The cymbal itself has hundreds of tiny holes drilled into it which significantly reduces volume without sacrificing its structural integrity. So you probably wouldn’t use this ride for a gig, but for quiet rehearsals in your bedroom or solo practice its fantastic.

Pros

  • Extremely quiet
  • Great for practice
  • Feels like the real thing

Cons

  • Smaller than full size

Final Thoughts On Ride Cymbals For Jazz

Remember that finding the perfect Jazz ride is an incredibly personal journey. It takes trying multiple cymbals until you find the one that really sets your ears on fire. 

These cymbals are a great start for anyone looking to get a Jazz ride, however, be sure to check out some other great options from Turkish companies like Istanbul Agop and Istanbul Mehmet as well as Paiste and Sabian Artisans...there are just so many great cymbals out there. 

Just follow the advice on the type of cymbals that are great for Jazz and you won’t go far wrong!

Russell Keeble

Russell Keeble

Russell is the Lead Drums insider here at YourMusicInsider. He has been a professional drummer, producer and audio engineer for over 10 years. He has worked extensively in the music industry in London UK, and from his own dedicated recording studio has tracked drums for a huge range of artists worldwide.

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Russell Keeble

Russell Keeble

Russell is the Lead Drums insider here at YourMusicInsider. He has been a professional drummer, producer and audio engineer for over 10 years. He has worked extensively in the music industry in London UK, and from his own dedicated recording studio has tracked drums for a huge range of artists worldwide.

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