Z Custom 18" China Boy
Group: Chinas
Type: China/China Boy
Size: 18 Inch
Series: Z Custom
Weight: 1190g (2nd Generation), 1313g (2024 Serial Number), 1345g (2024 Serial Number)
Years of production: 1994 - 2009; 2024 - Present
Sound file: Z Custom 18" China
Z Custom 18" China
Zildjian's Description: <<< - >>>
Review: "What we have with the Z Custom China Boys is a compromise between sound and function. To get the authentic trashiness of a China cymbal, that cymbal needs to be quite thin. But an authentic, thin China cymbal wouldn't last three beats at the impact level the Z Custom series is designed to withstand. So the Z Custom China Boys offer a good, China-like character—providing vivid contrast to the sounds of the regular cymbals. Of the two available sizes, the 18" is most likely to serve in the traditional China-cymbal capacity. It's just thin and small enough to be explosive and fast in response.
The 20", on the other hand, requires some serious attention in order to produce any sort of legitimate crash response. The 20" cymbal did, however, offer an interesting alternative potential. Owing to its size and thickness, it worked extremely well as a trashy, jazzy ride cymbal! It put me in mind of the old Swish Knocker referred to by drummers of the '50s. And for fusion drummers who sometimes attack their Chinas on ride patterns, this cymbal would offer a bit more in the way of controlled stick definition while still retaining that unique "China" quality.
Review written by Rick Van Horn "Product Close-Up - Zildjian Z Custom Cymbals" (Modern Drummer, Nov. 1994, p. 43)
Review: (This is for the re-designed (2nd Generation) Z Custom cymbals) "This medium-thin model isn't quite as trashy as I would prefer in a China cymbal. But remember, this is a line that prides itself on cutting power and highs. You get some of the wash that you want from a China, but the stress here is on volume. So the Z Custom China is a compromise between musical and piercing."
Review written by Chap Ostrander ("Product Close-Up - New Zildjian Cymbals", Modern Drummer, February 2001, p. 49)
Artist/song where it can be heard: Ginger Fish
