Hi-Hat Clutch

[theuntitleddrummer]

How tight are the clutches supposed to be?
Can it damage the hi-hats?
When I play with hi-hats with loose clutch, it unscrews itself and falls apart.

[GRUNTERSDAD]

Are you speaking of the threaded piece above and below the top cymbal. How tight that is would be your preference. BUt it should not come loose. My Tama Roadpro has two threaded pieces on top. One is for locking the other in place once the adjustment is made. What brand are we talking about here. Look at this clutch. You can see the two thumb screws. One is for adjusting the distance the other keeps it there.

[theuntitleddrummer]

I like it tight but the real question is that does it damage high hats?

[GRUNTERSDAD]

If you have the felt in between it should minimize any problems, however hihats don't have plastic or rubber sleeves between the clutch and the cymbals.

[razorx]

I keep mine tight but not too tight. I managed to bend one of my high hats im not sure if it was because i was hitting them to hard of it i had them clamped down to tight or a combo of both.

[konaboy]

I keep mine tight but not too tight. I managed to bend one of my high hats im not sure if it was because i was hitting them to hard of it i had them clamped down to tight or a combo of both.

Probably a combination of both.

[razorx]

Probably a combination of both.

Lol My dad and i figured out that they were bent when i let him borrow them and he noticed that they sounded like total crap. He fixed them for me.....I think he stepped on the them to get the bend out. Haha.

[tbmills]

get one of these. you can keep it loose without worrying about it coming apart.

[Ekim]

DW makes clutches with the locking nut on the bottom too. But you can vary the tightness on the top hat too without loosening it. Very nice.

[timmdrum]

If you have the felt in between it should minimize any problems, however hihats don't have plastic or rubber sleeves between the clutch and the cymbals.

Mine does. :) I cut a small piece of coax cable sheath and placed it under the top felt, sticking out about 1/8". Been beating the daylights outta my New Beats since '91 and not a trace of keyholing.

[Deathmetalconga]

I like my top hat about as loose as a crash cymbal. You can tighten the top and bottom parts of the clutch so they will not loosen easily.

[Les Ismore]

Most locking clutches are 'wack'. You need to take a key to them and who needs the hassle? Waste of time.

The Pearl models wear-out (key holed) and the locking screw can easily drop out, its even easier to cross-thread upon re-entry. Tama's nylon nut is OK, but who really wants to spend 30 seconds turning a clutch nut on/off?

The ultimate clutch IMO is the Remo 'Quick-Lock', fast with a furious hold, it never loosens. It simply cannot come lose by design.

[theuntitleddrummer]

Well, I want mine tight.. But I just don't want to crack the hi-hats?
Will they crack if they are tight (no too tight)?
I don't want to crack my new Sabians when they come in.

[timmdrum]

Any cymbal tightened down too far and not allowed some movement is at higher risk of cracking, hi-hat or not. Letting the cymbal give from the impact is imperative.