Marks on cymbals.

[decadeA]

hello, quick question, what kind of marks are these on cymbals? I have owned many B8 cymbals, Paiste PST7, PST8, 900, B8X, but after buying some zildjian As they have some ‘stains’ on them. What type are they and can they be removed? If not then it’s fine, just I don’t like the look of them. It’s only on the hi hat (so far).

 

[gdmoore28]

I know what you are talking about. I've no idea what causes those "stain" spots to appear, but they are not uncommon on B20 cymbals.

How to remove them? I use Bar Keepers Friend. Clean the entire cymbal first, then go back over the spots as many times as needed. NOTE: clean only with the lathing lines, not acoss. Rinse well, then dry. Any abrasive marks left by the BKF will quickly go away.

GeeDeeEmm

 

[IBitePrettyHard]

If the stain doesn't come up with soap and water, it's probably tarnished in that specific spot.

I bought some Dream Bliss hi hats recently that appeared to have fingerprints on the inside of the cymbals. They didn't come off, and it's due to the moisture on the fingerprints causing those areas to tarnish quicker than the surrounding area.

I assume those spots in the pictures were due to a beverage or sweat falling on the cymbal, and since it wasn't cleaned off it caused the tarnish. That's my guess anyway. It's a little annoying but not the end of the world.

 

[johnwesley]

Rat pee does the same thing to cymbals. If it doesn't stink, chalk it up to ratina.

 

[EricT43]

I don't try cleaning traditional finish cymbals anymore, apart from wiping off stick marks with a cotton cloth. I've ended up making them look worse more than I've made them look better. Anything you use that will remove something like that will also polish the cymbal. If you only clean a spot, you'll be able to see where it was cleaned, because that spot will be shinier than the rest of the cymbal.

 

[opentune]

Leave your cymbals outside on the porch all night for the next year and those spots will soon be joined by many others, and meld together to make a wonderful authentic patina.

 

[KamaK]

@decadeA

Yet another cymbal cleaning thread. Very soon, this thread will be filled with horrible advice that will have you cause damage to your cymbal using acid, abrasives, toilet cleaners, and various edible condiments. Ignore all of it. Find the cymbal cleaning thread if you want to see the arguments.

 

[MntnMan62]

Don't worry about the spots. Leave them alone. Do not clean your cymbals. Those spots don't impact their sound in any way whatsoever. When playing gigs, no one will notice them. When you clean whatever has accumulated on your cymbals over time, you will definitely change the sound they produce. And you may not like how they sound after you clean them.

 

[Lee-Bro]

Don't worry about the spots. Leave them alone. Do not clean your cymbals. Those spots don't impact their sound in any way whatsoever. When playing gigs, no one will notice them. When you clean whatever has accumulated on your cymbals over time, you will definitely change the sound they produce. And you may not like how they sound after you clean them.

If you clean them, they'll sound the mostly the same as when you bought them and if you liked the way they sounded then, you should like the way they sound clean (again). Patina accumulates over time and the changes happen at a "fractional level" that you don't notice. The "shock" is when you have a clean cymbal that becomes heavily tarnished/dirty and then clean it. That's when it doesn't sound "like it use to."

 

[MntnMan62]

If you clean them, they'll sound the mostly the same as when you bought them and if you liked the way they sounded then, you should like the way they sound clean (again). Patina accumulates over time and the changes happen at a "fractional level" that you don't notice. The "shock" is when you have a clean cymbal that becomes heavily tarnished/dirty and then clean it. That's when it doesn't sound "like it use to."

it really depends upon the cymbal. Some cymbals can sound too bright and brash when new and as they mellow with years of dirt on them they can often sound better and better. My 20” mini cup zildjian ride will never be cleaned. Same with my Manny’s Zildjian hi hats. I’ve asked many other drummer friends if I should clean my cymbals and by far the reaction I get is that I’d be crazy if I did clean them. To each his own.