Musician Forum - Band Discussion Board - BandMix

anybody know some tricks to prevent cymbals from cracking or getting worse?

I have found that getting a new cymbal works the best, but if you just don't want to part with her, check very closely as to where the crack is headed (use a magnifying glass), and drill a hole in front of where the crack is headed. It works sometimes, sometimes the crack microscopically has advanced much farther then you can see. Besides when the cymbal cracks it mutes out the tone of that area of the cymbal, and unless your looking for that trash can lid sound, it will only piss you off every time you hit it. So its best to replace it. MW

Check your technique. If you are breaking a lot of cymbals and heads you are holding stick too tight. Go Moeller method. Check out youtube.com for more info. When you play your sticks should be very loose in your hands, almost falling out. The looser the better and the better the sound of your drums and the less effort.

You can't fix or stop a crack in a cymbal. What you can do is pick up another one and improve your stroke. The proper stroke on a cymbal is a swipe motion not head on. Good luck. :D

shadows=fall wrote:anybody know some tricks to prevent cymbals from cracking or getting worse?

try stricking them as if you are touching somethig hot not hitting them this will allso sound better hope this helps

I've taken cracked cymbals to a metalworker here in town who can cut the crack out with a high pressure water jet. It cuts without heating the metal so the change in sound is affected only by the amount of material being cut out. If you catch the crack early the amount of material and the change in sound is negligible. I have an 18" Ziljian A Custom crash that I bought (dirt cheap) cracked & had the crack cut out. It sounds great and cost me less than $40 all told. I just took a cracked 18" Paiste Sig Series (also bought dirt cheap)to them to cut to 16" to see how the sound changes, and I'm having a cracked set of Sabian 14" Hi Hats cut to 10 and 12" splashes.

Some guy once told me to drill small holes at both ends of the crack... if you can see the ends. Supposedly this will stop the crack from getting worse. I don't necessarily believe this will work as it's just creating two bigger weak spots in the cymbal, but since your asking...

Guess you could always keep on drilling and put in a few rivets. Would turn a crappy sounding cracked cymbal into a better sounding riveted cymbal.

Cheers!

Drill a hole at the end where the crack has stopped but not too large of a hole. This prevents it from going any further. Currently I'm playing one like this and there has been no change in the sound of the cymbal and the crack hasn't changed either. I know many drummers that have done this until the cymbal can be replaced and have never had a problem. If my day job stops laying off all the time I should be able to get mine replaced soon too. Best of luck!

biggest trick is not to break them . it's tough but i learned the trick. set your cymbals uo with a slant towrds you and towrds the bass drum . this will make the crash on the left slnt to you and to the right and on the cymbal on the right slant it to you and to the left. this basically makes evry hit a glance instead of a hit that compresses the cymbal into itself. that is what makes it crack. if you set it up make sure you are not hitting directly on the edge. try it you'll see no matter what you do you will follow through and only glance it ..don't be obscene about the angle just make it so it's not parallel to the ground and you can see th writing on the top of the cymbal( i'm short so that might not help if you sit above your cymbals. peace

I've done the drilling trick and it's good to get by until you can replace it. I had a 16" thin crash with two wicked cracks in it and it had a very dark, quiet sound. They're cool for special effects or sandwiched together, but not for much more.

Back in the day, I hit much harder and broke more cymbals. I think the advice about loose grip is very good. Also, keep the nut loose and use extra felts. Setting the cymbals lower and tilted like Da Skunk said works good too.

Then there's stick changes... I used to play 2B and have recently switched to 8D jazz. Now that I'm singing lead and playing simultaneously, the thinner, lighter sticks work much better. Also, haven't cracked a cymbal in quite a while. The volume isn't an issue since everything's mic'd up anyway. Now that I'm used to the 8Ds my 2Bs feel like baseball bats.

I've also noticed that although Zildjians sound best, they tend to be brittle. For this reason, I switched to Sabian early on. I'll probably pick up a couple more Zildjians for the jazz setup, but keep the Sabians for rock. As far as Paiste goes, I've had bad luck in the past, but that was probably my baseball bat technique.

I cracked a Zildizan 16" crash...it was pretty old so I decided to cut the crack out. I also smoothed the edges after cutting with a belt sander. I used aviation snips to cut the crack out of the cymbal. I wish I could post a photo.

I also cracked a Zildizan A custom and I sent it back to Zildizan...with a recipt for buying the same and it was not a year old. I also sent a photo of my entire kit with all 16 of my Zildizan cymbals...they sent me a free replacement.

Cymbals crack mostly because they are mistreated. Hit too hard too fast, snugged down too tight on the cymbal holder. Hit with too heavy of a stick. Struck on the edge or maybe the cymbal is set up in such a manner it can strike other drum set items like other cymbals, stands or drums when being played. All these are the most common mistakes made and the leading cause for cymbals to crack.

Setting them up at an angle so the tip of the stick strikes the cymbal will save many from cracking. The only cymbal you should hit with the sholder of a drum stick is MAYBE a ride cymbal near the bell, also a high hat CLOSED for some accents. All the rest of the contact with a drum stick on cymbals should be the tip of the stick in a glancing blow manner. The cymbal should sway...but not to the point where it becomes restricted.

2XKICDRUMMER

Dude, Ive been playing HARD for 35 years and NEVER cracked a cymbal. It's all about technigue.

I am 17 miles from Tulsa, SOUTH. I can machine any cymbal for $25. the work involves cutting, beveling to original edge and polish to a high lustre. Cymbals come out with a ruder and/or darker sound. Many progressive drummers prefer the dark sound. I also buy your cracked cymbals. please email me at [email protected]

lee daniel in Mounds, OK

I got a small electrical grinder and cut away the crack if it was near the side, smoothed it off and it worked ok for me.

Buying new stuff is ok if you have the cash. Mine looked pretty coll actually, I'm not one of those who can tell a brand from its sound.

Hope this helps?

shadows=fall wrote:anybody know some tricks to prevent cymbals from cracking or getting worse?

LOL '

Just like Mr.DrumPOP

Just said on here

all about Technigue

Only depends on how hard and soft that you would play

Me my cymbals are down low on my kit ?? about low chest high . I am short guy about 5'3 .I don't need them up high ?? I use to have them high up .Back in the day "" But now Better sound is lower ..That is way i can reach all of my cymbals with out streaching far away "
I neve every crack a one in my life ?? Not saying it could never be done "" Lot's of Pro's crack them >I know i seen them "