My first encounter with a splash cymbal was almost two decades ago. I don’t know if you remember the band Staind. Well, I was really into them and their drummer would show off with it. I became obsessed. All of a sudden, I started noticing splash cymbals everywhere.
When I finally got one, it broadened my catalog of moves by a few pages. Plus, I could play like my idols.
I mean, let’s be honest, most drum kits sound pretty similar. Cymbals are what make your kit unique and give it flavor. There are several types of cymbals, each with their own defining qualities.
One of these types is the splash cymbal, a small effects cymbal that adds a bunch of depth to your drum sound making your personality as a musician shine through odd patterns and smooth transitions.
Top 3 - Splash Cymbals
Splash cymbals come in all shapes and sizes, just like drummers (lol). Each with their own unique qualities on offer, just like drummers!
I’ve been hunting for a splash lately and been around trying a bunch. I wrote this piece to bring you the good news: you can get some highly priced splashes, but also some affordable ones that will produce a pretty good sound.
A splash cymbal can really add that extra spice to the style of music that you are playing. It’s about time you let your imagination fly higher. So, with that in mind, I put together a list of the best splash cymbals for different styles of music.
1. Zildjian 10” K Custom Dark Splash
In case you’re not aware of Zildjian’s cymbal lines, K Custom is about as high as you can go. Applying that to a company this big and it means this splash could easily be hit by Staind’s real drummer on stage for thousands of screaming fans.
Yes, K Custom is la créme de le créme of cymbals, therefore, it’s the line where the company invests the most. It shows in many ways, but let’s start from the beginning.
As soon as I sat down and played a beat including the splash I realized the Zildjian 10” K Custom Dark has a fast decay and extreme clarity. I mean, it’s a K Custom, so it has a dark tone, meaning the pitch of the cymbal is relatively low. Nevertheless, it excels at walking the fine line between being lost in the mix and overshadowing the rest of the kit. The low pitch makes the cymbal blend well into the mix with other cymbals, being present while not being overbearing.
It’s made of cast bronze from a single molten piece using Zildjian’s formula, which is 80% copper, 20% tin, and traces of silver. In other words, it’s really durable and will surely sound better with age.
The dark tone makes this splash good for jazz. In a jazz setup, the cymbals should blend well into each other, and darker cymbals fit that vibe. Thin cymbals also work well in jazz, and the Zildjian 10” K Custom Dark is one of the thinnest splash cymbals out there.
Zildjian K Customs are premium cymbals, so this splash is on the pricier side. That said, if it’s the kind of sound you were looking for, your budget allows it, and you take proper care of it, this might be the last splash cymbal you ever buy.
2. Sabian 10” AAX Air Splash
Let me tell you right off the bat that I loved this splash. It’s so fast and bright that it can cut through anything. It’s one of those cymbals you might only use a limited number of times during a performance, but those times will surely be memorable.
In a way, this is like the china of splashes. Let me tell you why.
The Sabian AAX Air splash is very thin and bright. It is quick with very little sustain. Its brightness makes it high pitched and it will cut through a mix for an emphasizing effect.
It is made from B20 bronze metal, which is what gives it the bright sound. It has symmetrical holes around it, making the sound slightly trashy. Don’t think trashy is a negative term. When it comes to cymbals, trashy is great for effects! That’s the best way to describe it, this is an FX splash.
It can be great if you want to create tension or need an ultra-fast and bright crashing sound for a transition but don’t expect lush and long musical decay. It sounds closer to a mini china than a small crash.
The brightness and trashiness of the AAX Air splash makes it fit well in high intensity styles of music like metal, rock, and gospel. For example, Ray Luzier from Korn uses two of these things, and Korn is a pretty famous rock band. If you, like me, lived through those glorious years of Staind, Incubus and the Nu Metal bunch, you’ll know how hard they hit.
The only downside is that the Sabian AAX cymbals tend to be a bit expensive. I mean, it’s a top brand and it’s a great splash, but it might be too much to spend for a few effects during the set.
3. Zildjian 10” I Series Splash
The Zildjian I Series are Zildjian’s most affordable cymbals. You’ll see them a lot as a bundle with entry-level drum kits. They take a lot of Zildjian’s high design qualities and present them in a cymbal that any beginner can use.
The I Series is the entry door to Zildjian’s vast catalog. They won’t break the bank and deliver the legendary sound you’ve heard in so many records throughout your life.
Speaking of sound, the 10” I Series splash is made of aggressive B8 bronze. The mix of 92% copper and 8% tin ensures it delivers a bright, cutting attack for a big presence on stage and a focused response. It is good for accenting and ornamenting smooth transitions because it’s present and cutting, but not overwhelmingly loud.
It has a very bright tone and quick decay, making it good for rock music. I mean, if you use it for some slow, soulful stuff, you might find the sustain is almost non-existent, and it can be a bummer. However, you definitely get what you pay for, and the 10” I Series splash doesn’t sound as good as higher priced splashes. Compared to others in the same brand, I would say it’s not as complex and natural as a K and not as bold and bright as an A Custom.
The splash is quite thick, so it can take a beating. Believe me, I sat down and beat the living soul out of that thing and it kept going without a scratch.
Compared to the other lines of the Zildjian family, I Series cymbals are pretty cheap, so they’re a good option to experiment with stacks. You’ll get a solid thick splash to add bulk to a stack, without spending too much money.
Also, if it’s your first splash and you want to give it a try with a good-sounding one that won’t break the bank, this is a terrific choice.
4. Meinl 8” Classics Custom Dark Splash
Meinl’s Classics Custom Dark series of cymbals undergo a special finishing process, making them look dark and sound bright and quick. Can you make drumming any cooler? Yeah, make black, flashy cymbals! Well, that’s exactly where this cymbal series gets its name from.
In case you’re wondering, they also sound quite dark and have deep traces of hammering, which adds an explosive reaction to the sound.
Moving beyond color and sound, it’s noticeable at first hit that this splash was designed with heavy-hitters in mind. Yes, this 8” splash is loud and works perfectly for high dynamics. For example, it cuts through a mix of distorted guitars and powerful vocals.
I have mainly seen metal drummers use this splash, obviously due to how loud it is and its bright qualities. It's made from B12 bronze, meaning it is highly durable. So, this cymbal is ready to be involved in some blast beats.
That said, there are some ghostly overtones to everything you play that are cool too. If you’re playing it with a big rig, the rest of the drums will eat it away, but the complex, musical decay this cymbal offers is really something.
It doesn’t respond too well to subtle playing, meaning it won’t fit too well in a softer setup. Also, it might be a little too loud for jazz, but it’s still a very interesting option when you need something between the hats and the 14” crash in a transition.
Finally, with that price tag, it’s a no-brainer; you have to try one out.
5. Wuhan 10” Splash
Wuhan is a cymbal company from China that is known for making affordable cymbals that compete with the low-tier cymbals of the main cymbal companies. This 10” Wuhan splash is a direct competitor to the cheaper splashes that I have mentioned on this list. What’s the catch? Well, it gets the job done for half the price.
Now, to be fair, we should compare it to other splashes in its price range. When doing that, the Wuhan 10” is undoubtedly the best sounding one. Its crisp, quick accents make for a great effect in your cymbal setup.
The Wuhan 10” splash is versatile and will work well in most styles of music. It responds well to subtle playing and will project loudly when hit hard.
What I do have to say here is that this splash is a very trashy sounding cymbal. In my opinion, the company went for a regular splash with fast but musical decay. What they came up with was something completely different, a splash that can be great for effects and that disappears almost immediately.
The one thing you need to be warned about is that it has a high-pitched overtone that might be awful on its own but that gets easily lost in the mix.
You won’t get a better cymbal for the price. However, the Wuhan 10” does tend to crack sooner than most cymbals. Wuhan cymbals also tend to be unreliable in their sound. You could get two 10” Wuhan splashes, and they would both sound different to each other. This means you should play a couple and take home the best-sounding one.
In my opinion, if you’re a beginner or want to try out a splash for the first time, then this is a great option. For seasoned players, this is closer to a trashy, effects-oriented splash than to a classic splash sound.
6. Zildjian 10” A Custom Splash
Zildjian A Customs are classic and reliable cymbals that have been around for a while. They were designed with the help of Vinnie Colaiuta, who is arguably one of the most famous drummers out there.
They are a modernization of the classic Avedis line. The search of the company and the musician was for clarity and brightness. Let me tell you that this splash is transparent as glass. It has one of the brightest sounds in this list, and has sort of a refined stream of floating overtones.
It’s like someone dialed the bright knob up on a K Custom.
The 10” A Custom splash delivers a colorful, short crash sound that adds a musical tone to your cymbal setup. As soon as I sat and tried some slow, cool, vibey rhythm patterns, this splash blended perfectly with my playing. It was as if I had had it for ages next to my hi-hat.
It was designed to sit somewhere in between bright and dark, making it blend well into most situations. The modern sound makes this splash a first choice for many top drummers in all styles of music. I mean, I pushed it a lot going all over the place. From intricate double-kick drum patterns to soft, mellow banging at a low tempo, this thing did it all.
The 10” A custom is paper-thin, making it easy to create stacks with. The modern tone will blend really well into most stack configurations.
This is a great intermediate-to-professional splash that sits well in most scenarios you can come across in life. Plus, if you like the sound this very well may be the last splash you’ll ever buy. Give it a try, after all, what are the odds something coming from Colaiutta and Zildjian sounds bad?
Cymbal Properties
The way cymbals are made dramatically affects how they sound. Let me give you a few rules of thumb I learned on this long path that got me here.
Rule Number 1 - If a cymbal is thick, it will generally have a brighter sound. Bright cymbals have a high pitch. If a cymbal is thin, it will generally have a darker sound. Dark cymbals have a low pitch.
For example, applying that to a brand like Zildjian, while K cymbals are thin and dark, the Z series is thicker and way brighter. The first is awesome for mellow jazz and complex patterns and the second will cut through dense guitars and heavy instrumentation.
Rule Number 2 - Some cymbals will have holes in them. The holes make the cymbal sound trashy, which basically means it sustains even less and has a loose, uncontrolled sound. Therefore, if you’re looking for a traditional cymbal tone, look elsewhere.
Rule Number 3 - Dry cymbals will have a shorter decay and a generally darker tone. They are amazing to make every stick stand out but won’t do the washing well (because they’re dry, right? lol). For styles requiring a lot of precision, they’re it. When you need to go big, they’re not the right choice.
Splash Cymbal Size
Splash cymbals range from 6” to 14”. The smaller the splash, the higher the pitch, and the bigger the splash, the lower the pitch. The sustain will also get longer as the size gets bigger.
Just try a few and trust your ears. Let me tell you a secret, though; you can have more than one.
Cymbals for Certain Styles
Certain properties of cymbals fit well in different styles of music. Cymbals that are dark and thin will work well for jazz, since they blend better into the mix.
Cymbals that are bright and thick will work well for rock and metal, since they are loud and will cut through the mix.
Stacking
Stacking is when you take cymbals and stack them on top of each other to make an effects cymbal. It’s become a big trend in modern drumming. Having a stack in your setup just gives you that extra sound option that’s a bit rougher than the hi-hat, but also doesn’t have much sustain. Most stacks use splash cymbals, since it’s easy to fit them together with larger crash cymbals.
Piggybacking
Piggybacking is when you mount a splash on top of a crash cymbal, with the splash turned upside down. This allows you to use one cymbal stand for two cymbals. This is a useful trick in some situations, but it does prevent you from being able to play the bell of the crash cymbal.
Some thinner splashes might also be more inclined to break, since they weren’t designed to be played like that. So, I’d suggest just getting an extra cymbal arm that mounts to the stand if space isn’t an issue.
Final Word
Stacking and piggybacking mean that you don’t need to get separate cymbal stands for splash cymbals. They won’t take up more space, and they will add a new range of sounds to your setup.
Splash cymbals are small, have several uses, and are great fun to play. If you don’t have one, it would be a good investment to get one, or two, or three.
You always know which is the first, but never which will be the last.
Happy (fast and bright) drumming!
