Wing nut optional?

OrangeAgent27

Silver Member
Pretty basic question here and just as the title asks. Do you folks think that a wing nut is optional on the cymbal stand? I never use one but I just read that "too little tension with a wing nut can cause cracks on the outer edge of the cymbal". Is this true? Now, I don't use wing nuts because I play my cymbals flat and I play folk/acoustic/light rock. Thanks in advance!
 
I haven't heard that a loose wingnut causes problems, but cranking it down can put stress around the hole and change the sound when you play.

I've just begun using cymbal toppers, which allow you to slide the cymbal on - no wing nut. But it's strictly a convenience for me, not a question of cymbal care.

Bermuda
 
I don't use top felts. I use round plastic nuts instead of wing nuts just for the heck of it.
I really don't need any cymbal nuts at all.
Cymbal nuts would truly be optional for me if I wanted them to be.
I do use a top felt and a cymbal nut on my splash cymbal though.
That cymbal is light and it could fall from the stand.
 
I haven't heard that a loose wingnut causes problems, but cranking it down can put stress around the hole and change the sound when you play.

I've just begun using cymbal toppers, which allow you to slide the cymbal on - no wing nut. But it's strictly a convenience for me, not a question of cymbal care.

Bermuda

Like these:

DSCF0886.JPG

DSCF0887.JPG
 
I don't feel that those wingnuts are optional. I feel that they are mandatory, but for a safety reason. It is a good habit to protect your eyes from the sharp ends of cymbal stands, and when you consider how moving your drums means bending over to pick things up you can easily gank your eyes.

I try to replace the wingnuts immediately after I pull the cymbal off the stand just to make sure that sharp side is much less eye-pokey.

My .02
 
A 2.00 wing nut is a superfulous piece of nothing until you drop that 400.00 ride cymbal off the stand onto a concrete floor and it shatters.

You need something.
 
I don't feel that those wingnuts are optional. I feel that they are mandatory, but for a safety reason. It is a good habit to protect your eyes from the sharp ends of cymbal stands, and when you consider how moving your drums means bending over to pick things up you can easily gank your eyes.

I try to replace the wingnuts immediately after I pull the cymbal off the stand just to make sure that sharp side is much less eye-pokey.

My .02

......so that you can poke your eye with a wing nut? Nut! I'd say, be more careful.
 
Given your styles I doubt you'll crack a cymbal anyway. I'm playing a similar style and use wingnuts because it's the only way I won't lose them :)

I beg to differ, Polly, but the t-top/button top (see pic below) eliminates the wing nut. If you eliminate the wing nut, you won't loose them.
 
A 2.00 wing nut is a superfulous piece of nothing until you drop that 400.00 ride cymbal off the stand onto a concrete floor and it shatters.

You need something.

John,

If you have the t-top/button top you won't drop that $400 cymbal (again, see pic below). It won't come off till you take it off. And you can take it off and put it on much more quickly.
 
I haven't heard that a loose wingnut causes problems, but cranking it down can put stress around the hole and change the sound when you play.

I've just begun using cymbal toppers, which allow you to slide the cymbal on - no wing nut. But it's strictly a convenience for me, not a question of cymbal care.

Bermuda


Do those screw onto the threads or is that part of the actual stand? Where can one get those?
 
Do those screw onto the threads or is that part of the actual stand? Where can one get those?

I have them in two styles, flip top and button top. The button top comes in two sizes, 6mm & 8mm. Don't know about the flip top. They screw on to the threads on the cymbal tilter.

As to where you can purchase, I don't know. Maybe try GC. Someone on this forum may have a better idea.
 
Can't go wrong with the Pearl butterfly "wingnut". Really quick to get on and off, and there is a bonus - It doubles as a cymbal saver!
 
This is gonna sound kinda crazy but thats ok, I am crazy. :)

Every once in a while I go a little OCD and this topic will throw me right into a full on OCD panic.

I cant do cymbals on stands without some kind of wingnut or something on top of the stand.
It just looks unfinished or something!.

I just cant do it man!...Not me!...Cant do it!...Cant do it man!. ;)
 
All my pies are too big and heavy not to have them topped. Ever try controlling a 19 rock with no nut? Not fun at all.
 
The Silver cymbal topper in the first pic were sold by Zildjian years ago.
They are not available anymore. They were also I believe only 6mm.

Nothing is available like them EXCEPT the new Gibraltar Swing Nut (8mm).
They are pretty cool, but Gibraltar is not at this time offering them as a separate item.

The second pic I think is called a Cymbal Crown. Not sure if they are still available or not.
I saw them in shops years ago, but haven't in recent memory.

I used to not use wingnuts for convenience, and what I did was took some threaded sleeves (Gibraltar, Yamaha etc..) and cut the bottom piece off. I didn't use the whole sleeve, just enough to make it tall enough and cover the end of the threads on the stand a bit.

Finished off the "look" by not having threads showing too--which saves anguish from occurring in our OCD friends (I am NOT saying I'm not one of them haha!).
It lets you just lift off the cymbal (or put it on) without doing anything else.

Never poked my eye out using them, but you should see the other guy...
 
I use pretty big cymbals all around the kit, and I haven't used a wingnut or top felt in years. I use Gibraltar tall cymbal sleeve/cup washer combos with a bottom felt, and lay my 24", 21", and 19" cymbals on there and go for it. Never had a cymbal fall off yet.
 
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