tony check out your other post.

but as for hi hats check out zildjian z custom

Old Zildjian A's...Soft and sweet.... Try to find a pair thats got a lot of 'green' on em. Pawn shops are good for this.

A Zildjian Quick-beats

I second the old A Zildjians! I've been using a pair of A Zidjian Quick-Beat hats for...well, a long time now! I never clean the damn things, and they keep sounding better and better. They are the ones where the bottom cymbal has the center hole to sit on the stand, then four other holes arranged around that. I call them my White Castle hi-hats, cause, you know, the White Castle burgers have the five little holes in them...

I agree with Davedog, except that with heavier hitters, the old Zildjians are too loud because they were thicker back then. If you finesse them, though, you can't do better.

For heavy hitters, I *really* like the stage hats, strange that you should mention them. I've had great results with them, although I should say that the pair the last guy used were pretty dirty, which controls the high-end like Davedog said. (All the jazz guys I've known buy cymbals and bury them in the yard for a year.)

~id