Review: Zildjian L80 18” China Cymbal

Added to the house kit, there is of course no way of knowing whether this cymbal is, as claimed, ‘80 per cent quieter’, but we guess that’s a fair estimate. No matter how hard you hit, the volume stays way down. It’s very ‘trashy’ and produces that classic China sound, while the feel is pretty much that of a conventional cymbal.

We found it worked especially well in a practice setting, particularly alongside an electronic kit where cymbal feel has always been an issue. During a session at a small venue gig it worked perfectly as a low-volume standard crash.

Priced at just £129 online, this 18” China is hardly expensive, though could still be considered as a luxury by some. For a practice set up, though, we can’t recommend this china, and its L80 stablemates, strongly enough. David Gallant

Further information www.zildjian.com