K Zildjian 22" Light Ride

Group: Rides
Type: Light Ride
Size: 22 Inch
Series: K Zildjian
Weight: 2336g (2011 Serial Number), 2374g, 2381g, 2400g (2023 Serial Number), 2403g, 2425g, 2428g, 2428g (2021 Serial Number), 2437g, 2454g, 2462g, 2468g, 2469g, 2478g (2024 Serial Number), 2488g, 2515g, 2519g, 2520g, 2522g, 2523g, 2540g, 2556g, 2551g, 2572g (2014 Serial Number)
Median Weight: 2469g (n=24)
Years of production: 2008¹ - Present
Sound file: K Zildjian 22" Light Ride
K Zildjian 22" Light Ride
K Zildjian 22" Light Ride
K Zildjian 22" Light Ride
K Zildjian 22" Light Ride
K Zildjian 22" Light Ride
K Zildjian 22" Light Ride
K Zildjian 22" Light Ride
K Zildjian 22" Light Ride
K Zildjian 22" Light Ride
Zildjian's Description: <<< - >>>
Review: "I’ll always remember legendary jazz drummer Mel Lewis telling me that a ride cymbal should form a “cushion” for a band’s sound. Mel’s cymbals created a blanket of sound that helped smooth out the time of whatever group he was playing with, whether it was a trio or a big band.

Mel advised me to look for older cymbals if I wanted to get his sound. It wasn’t the age, he said. It was the fact that older cymbals were thinner. And thinner cymbals tended to produce fatter, warmer tones.

I imagine Mel would be happy to see that lighter, thinner cymbals— like the K 22" Light ride —are being produced again. According to Zildjian, this model has the same smoky sound and stick definition as the previously introduced 24" Light Ride but is more controllable.

I’ll agree with that claim, adding that the pitch of this cymbal is a bit more mainstream than that of the 24"model. The 22" Light ride still has a lower pitch than an average medium ride. So it isn’t designed to cut through a band. Its rich sound will form that cushion that Mel liked, with the addition of a dry stick articulation.

The bell of the 22" K Light ride is fairly small for a cymbal this size. And although the bell sound is reasonably clear, it doesn’t produce the bright, cutting tone you’d usually want for Latin patterns.

Overall, this cymbal is about blend more than projection. I didn’t find it any more difficult to control in an acoustic situation than a typical 20" ride. It’s certainly capable of more power if you lay into it, but when played with a medium or lightweight jazz model stick, it produces a good blend of overtones and stick definition."

Review written by Rick Mattingly ("Zildjian - Big-Time Additions To The K Line", Modern Drummer, July 2008, p.38)

Artist/song where it can be heard: Ronnie Vanucci, Brooks Wackerman

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Source:
¹ Zildjian Price List and Product Index 2008