Your WORST Cracked Cymbal

The only cymbals I have ever cracked were cheap and crappy sounding to begin with. Beginner cymbals. Cracked a B8 crash and a couple no-names when I started drumming back in the day.

Oh yeah, I also managed to crack a brand new Sabian Hand Hammered China. It cracked the day I got it. I sent it back, got a new one, had no problems since. They suspect it was a flaw in the metal.
 
Everyone who owns a wuhan china will crack it eventually. It's a fact of nature. They make them with really, really cheap metal. That's how they get that "great wuhan sound." They sound fantastic, and are well constructed, but made with cheap metal. That's why they're so inexpensive. I've gone through 3 Wuhan chinas, and that was even before I started playing even moderately hard.
 
Here's my solution. Cut 'em down and stack 'em

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My first set I got had a couple of really crappy cymbals with just a P stamped on them (they sounded like hitting a dinner plate) and I tried to break them when I got better, but had not luck.
Well, no luck until I introduced several bricks into our relationship.
The ride still never cracked, just bent, so I heated it up, flattened it out and used it as some trippy effect cymbal.
 
My 12" Wuhan china has multiple cracks now even it I took care of the crack by drilling hole at the end of the line, it couldn't help much, it's a Wuhan. That cymbal cost 25$ new...
 
My first set I got had a couple of really crappy cymbals with just a P stamped on them (they sounded like hitting a dinner plate) and I tried to break them when I got better, but had not luck.
Well, no luck until I introduced several bricks into our relationship.
The ride still never cracked, just bent, so I heated it up, flattened it out and used it as some trippy effect cymbal.

How exactly did you heat it up? In the oven...?
 
i havent cracked a cymbal yet i think i might have damaged my sbaian b8 hihats as they now sound aweful i htink the top 1s bell may have some minor cracks loosened it pu a bit and playing more open stuff to try and get an excuse for some aaxcelerators
 
WOOOOOAAAAHHHHH...how big was that originally?

My worst cracked cymbal...but I didn't crack it, my marching band's pit did last year, because they were stupid (and poor) enough not to have any felt, screw, or anything. They simply let it lie on metal ring.

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I'd say more stupid than poor haha

if they had enough money to get a pro-quality splash, they definetly could have spent a few bucks on felts and sleeves. they're certainly a hell of a lot cheaper than buying a new cymbal.

I mean, it's just sad! the poor cymbal never had a chance... :(


and I don't have a picture of it, but my worst cracked cymbal was a brass Zildjian Planet Z 18" crash/ride that came with my first kit... cracked all the way from the edge to the bell... and I even tried the drill a hole trick...
 
How exactly did you heat it up? In the oven...?

A torch.
Okay, a couple of torches.
The bassist, guitarist and I were all using a torch at the same time.
We used a 1" piece of plywood covered in wet leather and our 340 lbs.guitarist to flatten it when we got it all red and orange.
Most of the hair on our arms (and one eyebrow, silly bassist) got singed off by the experience, but it turned out pretty well.
 
This is in no way a lame thread, this is a very cool thread actually... Some pretty badly mangled cymbals...
 
THE #1 REASON WHY CYMBALS CRACK, even when you take care of them very well.
Temperature

Over the past couple of years i had been breaking cymbals quicker than they should and i couldnt figure out why. I keep nylons and felts on at aall times, I dont hit hard and I keep my cymbals low. One day I was practicing with some of my budies in the winter in my garrage and left my kit there over night not thinking about it. (Keep in mind I am not a very hard hitter and I keep my cymbals low) The next day I brought my cymbals back upstairs to my room, leaving them on the stand (bad idea) thinking it was a short trip. On my way up I barley touched my brand new Paiste Giant Beat crash up on the corner of my wall. Normaly i wouldnt have looked but i had a bad feeling about it. Sure enough there was a tiny crack right where It hit the wall. After talking to some locals at guitar center I found out cold weather is the worst thing for a cymbal because it becomes harder and when you hit the edge, even a little bit, you get a crack.
 
Wow...This thread got more publictity than I thought. And more positive responses too. I expected many drummers to start bashing me for taking care of my cymbal better.
I'm amazed at mddrumer's wuhan though. Couldn't stop laughing once I scrolled down to look at it. Best trashed cymbal on the thread!
Thanks again errbody.
 
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