Thin crashes

[Mendozart]

I just picked up a couple of sweet cymbals for a good price. I got a 17" Zildjian K Dark thin crash in brilliant finish and a 16" Zildjian A thin crash in brilliant finish. I play a wide variety of music, but mostly rock/blues. I don't abuse cymbals, but I'm just wondering if I have to be careful as to how hard I hit thin crashes. I've never owned thin crashes and was just wondering. I really liked the sound of these. BTW, the other cymbals I'm using are 20" Zildjian A crash with rivets, 20" Paiste 2002 china, 22" Paiste 505 heavy ride, 12" Zildjian A splash, 8" Zildjian A splash, & 14" Zildjian New Beat hi-hats.

[ahum]

Try to hit them with more sweeping strokes, instead of just pounding the stick into them. If you're not a super hard hitter, you shouldn't have to worry.

[SLEEPY BRiGHT EYEZ]

I had a 16" Sabian B8 Thin Crash for about ten years that I seriously laid into and it never cracked. I do have a new thin crash though and I keep it angled (all my cymbals really) so that I'm hitting it on the bow and not the edge. I've been laying into it to an extent, but I have better technique now than what I employed on that B8. About four months, and my 16" Saluda Thin Crash is still just fine.

[bighaibigdrums]

Thin cymbals are HARDER to crack than thick ones.

[SLEEPY BRiGHT EYEZ]

Is that because they would bend instead?

[IDDrummer]

Thin cymbals are HARDER to crack than thick ones.

I've heard that theory, but I think you can fatigue the metal by bending it a lot, too. I think you can break any cymbal by striking it hard enough, long enough.

In any case, I've never cracked a cymbal heavier than a medium thin.

Haven't cracked any in recent years - if you don't "play through" the cymbals and really pound the crap out of them (technical term) they should last a long time, regardless of weight.

[Mendozart]

I've been playing 32 years and have never cracked a cymbal. It's just these are the first thin crashes I have ever owned. Thanks for the responses.

[SLEEPY BRiGHT EYEZ]

Haven't cracked any in recent years - if you don't "play through" the cymbals and really pound the crap out of them (technical term) they should last a long time, regardless of weight.

Aha! Love the technical term. I've only cracked one cymbal myself, and that was when I began drumming over ten years ago. Unfortunately I believe it was a vintage Zildjian 16" crash. If I remember correctly it was a medium to medium-thin crash. I had horrible technique back then and I... let me use the proper technical term... pounded the crap out of it. Ahahah...

Now when I hit my crashes I use a whipping motion. It seems they resonate better that way. It also allows me to jump to other parts of my kit quicker.

[d.c.drummer]

Its a complex equation with cymbal durability.

Weakness= Thinness, rigidness
Srength= Thickness, pliablility

You always find one of the weaknesses with a strength. That being said, thin cymbals as far as i know are pretty durable. I stupidly tried to crack my paper thin crash when i was 14 to get a new cymbal and the only thing that cracked was my will. I think your cymbals should be fine.

[Skitch]

I've been playing 32 years and have never cracked a cymbal. It's just these are the first thin crashes I have ever owned. Thanks for the responses.

Just a good sweeping motion (circular or arced) as suggested above.


Mike

http://www.mikemccraw.com
http://www.dominoretroplate.com

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[Skitch]

Just use a sweeping motion as suggested elsewhere in this thread!


Mike

http://www.mikemccraw.com
http://www.dominoretroplate.com

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=drummermikemccraw
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=78564594

[Cymbalrider]

Just do a couple rolls on it and see when it reaches its loudest point, after that, then you know how hard to get it to get different sounds.