2 questions about cymbals....

sk8inmadkid

Junior Member
I've been thinking the past few days, whilst noticing how everyones set up varies with personal preference, What is the relation, if any, between cymbal angle and breaking cymbals?

I have my cymbals almost parallel with the floor, its just how I like them, I find if I'm constantly crashing, and its any more tilted towards me I can't get enough strike on the cymbal if that makes sense, but if I hit it hard enough, it swings back up so on the next beat the cymbal is on its way up and I'm striking down, I'm just really worried about breaking them! Has anyone else found a correlation between angle and breaking rates? Or is it just down to technique? I don't want to tighten the wingnuts too much either as it dampens the cymbals and obviously makes it more susceptible to breaking. Sorry If this has been answered before, I've done a bit of searching in the forum but nothing quite answered my question :)

Also - cymbal logos, Mine are all still there apart from a Sabian AAX Stage ride I just picked up for £60 - immaculate condition thats obviously been well looked after as it looks brand new, the finish is so damn brilliant, but the logos have started fading, I know this happens with cleaning, but is there any companies out there that re-paint or re-do these logos again that anyones aware of?

Many thanks in advance guys, Jon
 
Sabian sells a kit to redo the "Sabian" on your cymbals. I could not care less about that. On my crashes the words are almost gone, and it is OK with me. I love Sabian, but I do not endorse them. Peace and goodwill.
 
If you’re worried about breaking crashes (a legitimate concern), just try spreading the punishment around more. That is, instead beating the crap out of 1 crash repeatedly, try not to hit the same one twice in a row. (Of course, I’m assuming you’ve got more than 1 crash in your setup.)

Less angle on a crash = less likely to break it (because the cymbal post thingy will allow maximum range of motion when it’s set up so that the cymbal is more or less flat).
 
If your cymbals are level with the floor,and you're just laying straight into them,its not a matter of IF they will crack,as a matter of when.

I would tilt them slightly toward you,and hit with a GLANCING blow,not straight in.Playing hard and straight in may look cool,but unless you have considerable disposable income,and just like using a bad technique,then change how you play then now.

Keep the wingnuts loose.And yes.....this question has been answered here ad nausium.Sabian has a program where they will clean and re-ink your cymbal.You just have to ship it to them.Go the their web page for more info,and next time,use the search funtion at the top right of the page.

Steve B
 
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If your cymbals are level with the floor,and you're just laying straight into them,its not a matter of IF they will crack,as a matter of when.

I would tilt them slightly toward you,and hit with a GLANCING blow,not straight in.Playing hard and straight in may look cool,but unless you have considerable disposable income,and just like using a bad technique,then change how you play then now.

Keep the wingnuts loose.And yes.....this question has been answered here ad nausium.Sabian has a program where they will clean and re-ink your cymbal.You just have to ship it to them.Go the their web page for more info,and next time,use the search funtion at the top right of the page.

Steve B


What do you mean by glancing blow? I've played drums for about 6 years now, never had any lessons or anything, all self taught and learnt to play by ear so thats why I was enquiring, but if the wingnuts are too loose the cymbals move far too much. I have a 16" XS20 Medium thin crash and an 18" AA medium thin crash, the XS hasn't got as much power and doesn't cut as much as the AA, that why I use the 16 for quieter hits or snare/crash accents, and have the 18 on my right hand side for the constant crashing side of things.

I did apologise beforehand and state I had used the search function and couldn't find anything to answer my question specifically, so I apologise if it has riled you as thats how you are coming across (my mistake if I'm wrong)


Many thanks for the answers guys
 
If you’re worried about breaking crashes (a legitimate concern), just try spreading the punishment around more. That is, instead beating the crap out of 1 crash repeatedly, try not to hit the same one twice in a row. (Of course, I’m assuming you’ve got more than 1 crash in your setup.)

Less angle on a crash = less likely to break it (because the cymbal post thingy will allow maximum range of motion when it’s set up so that the cymbal is more or less flat).

Thanks for your reply Anduin - I thought It was the opposite, the flatter they are the more likely they are to break, so thanks for clearing that up! I may just have to invest in another big crash that compliments my 18" AA medium thin so that I can crash between the 2, thanks buddy!
 
Let's look at the facts. You've played drums for 6 years. Have you broken any cymbals? If not, and you have been playing the same set, then I'd say you're hitting them OK. Glancing blow. I think of it as making a flattened "U" with my stick, striking the cymbal at the trough of the "U" with the shoulder of my stick.

I keep my cymbals parallel to the floor too. I like the have the edge available to me. Plus the cymbal sway is more predictable. My cymbals "blossom" very evenly when they are flat. I think it's best for the cymbal to keep them flat, that way all the gravitational forces are more or less equal. I think an angled cymbal puts more stress on the hole than a flat cymbal. I don't use wingnuts, I don't want anything inhibiting the natural sway of the cymbal. The way you hit the cymbal, and it's angle, definitely affect the lifespan. I keep mine flat and never broke one. But I use glancing blows. I totally abuse my 10" splash though on purpose. People love it when I mercilessly hit it like 25 times in a row, really hard, with alternating sticks, on endings. I'm actually trying to break it, but haven't done so yet.
 
What do you mean by glancing blow? I've played drums for about 6 years now, never had any lessons or anything, all self taught and learnt to play by ear so thats why I was enquiring, but if the wingnuts are too loose the cymbals move far too much. I have a 16" XS20 Medium thin crash and an 18" AA medium thin crash, the XS hasn't got as much power and doesn't cut as much as the AA, that why I use the 16 for quieter hits or snare/crash accents, and have the 18 on my right hand side for the constant crashing side of things.

I did apologise beforehand and state I had used the search function and couldn't find anything to answer my question specifically, so I apologise if it has riled you as thats how you are coming across (my mistake if I'm wrong)


Many thanks for the answers guys

Yes it IS your mistake.

You also posted on another thread that you break more cymbals that sticks.Dosen't that answer your own question?

Steve B
 
Yes it IS your mistake.

You also posted on another thread that you break more cymbals that sticks.Dosen't that answer your own question?

Steve B

I love how friendly you come across.


I have only ever broken 2 cymbals, a 17" Sabian AA Metal X crash that I bought with a 1 inch crack in it already, and it took 2 years for it to break further, and a 14" wuhan china which broke after 3 years. I have never broken sticks as I moved onto Aheads after about a month of drumming, so have never used wooden sticks - so never broken any. Good day to you sir.
 
Let's look at the facts. You've played drums for 6 years. Have you broken any cymbals? If not, and you have been playing the same set, then I'd say you're hitting them OK. Glancing blow. I think of it as making a flattened "U" with my stick, striking the cymbal at the trough of the "U" with the shoulder of my stick.

I keep my cymbals parallel to the floor too. I like the have the edge available to me. Plus the cymbal sway is more predictable. My cymbals "blossom" very evenly when they are flat. I think it's best for the cymbal to keep them flat, that way all the gravitational forces are more or less equal. I think an angled cymbal puts more stress on the hole than a flat cymbal. I don't use wingnuts, I don't want anything inhibiting the natural sway of the cymbal. The way you hit the cymbal, and it's angle, definitely affect the lifespan. I keep mine flat and never broke one. But I use glancing blows. I totally abuse my 10" splash though on purpose. People love it when I mercilessly hit it like 25 times in a row, really hard, with alternating sticks, on endings. I'm actually trying to break it, but haven't done so yet.

Thanks for the reply - do you find it makes a big difference with no wingnuts? Like immediately noticeable? As I just stated, i've only ever broken 2 which I think isn't too bad considering the circumstances! I wouldn't feel too safe with having no wingnuts as some of the harder hitting constant crashing would worry me, as to whether the cymbal would come off the stand?

Theoretically though, it would be harder to break smaller cymbals surely? I mean if you smash the hell out of a 22" thin crash for example there is more strike area with the stick and you can do more damage than say a 10" splash like yourself?
 
I love how friendly you come across.


I have only ever broken 2 cymbals, a 17" Sabian AA Metal X crash that I bought with a 1 inch crack in it already, and it took 2 years for it to break further, and a 14" wuhan china which broke after 3 years. I have never broken sticks as I moved onto Aheads after about a month of drumming, so have never used wooden sticks - so never broken any. Good day to you sir.

That's twice you read something that isn't there,and decided sarcasm is the way to go,when somone who you don't know at all,tried to help you.

You're welcome,and good day to you.

Steve B
 
My genuine apologies for reading your comments wrong Tamadrm, I think its a lot harder to judge how things are being said over the internet - so I do apologise!

Also, I was reading ahead sticks are really bad for cymbals, especially the thinner cymbals out there, anyone had any personal experience with this? Last thing I want is wrong angle, wrong hitting technique and wrong sticks aswel!

Thanks so far guys
 
Glancing blow via Paiste

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