Z Custom 22" Ride
Group: Ride
Type: Ride
Size: 22 Inch
Series: Z Custom
Weight: 3355g, 3510g (2024 Serial Number), 3934g (First Generation)
Years of production: 1994 - 2009; 2024 - Present
Sound file: Z Custom 22" Ride (3rd Generation)
Zildjian's Description: <<< - >>>
Review: "There are two Z Custom rides: a 20" and a 22". Both are termed by Zildjian as "medium-weight" cymbals, and both feature large bells. These rides were designed to provide "clean, clear stick sound" with characteristics between an A Zildjian Rock Ride and a Z Series Light Power Ride. They are also said to produce "good overtones." That last quality can be a double-edged sword in a ride cymbal; "good overtones" can also be interpreted as "build-up" or even "gong-iness." What I discovered in our two test cymbals was that the 20" did, indeed, provide a clean, clear stick sound, without a lot of build-up. It was a cutting ride sound, with a moderate amount of sibilant "shimmer" but otherwise a fairly dry attack. The higher-pitched 22" model, on the other hand, produced a fairly pronounced build-up along with the stick attack—to the point of what some drummers call a "roar." This can be good or bad, depending on what you want from a ride cymbal. But it certainly was not a dry, precise sound.
The bells of both cymbals produced very loud, piercing tones.They would easily serve to cut through the sound of amplified guitars. Additionally, the bells are quite large—offering easy targets for drummers who like to play "from the shoulder." "
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) "In keeping with the qualities of the Z Custom line, these are bright ride cymbals. Their weight gives them great stick definition. While playing ride patterns I found that an underlying spread built up, but it stayed under control and didn't interfere with the distinctiveness of the ride pattern. The 20" was higher in pitch than the 22", and the bell sound on both was clear and strong—as long as the bell was played strongly with the shoulder of the stick. Using the tip of a stick wasn't quite as satisfying."
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
