How to know if a cymbal is b-stock?

tj64648

Junior Member
I just recently heard from someone that there is b-stock cymbals which aren't quite up to par with the a-stock. He mentioned these can easily be sold on ebay. There's a pair of hats I'm looking at that is listed at a good price and am wondering if there is a way to to tell if it is b-stock or not. Maybe by it's serial? I messaged the guy but haven't gotten a response. Thanks.
 
Wow, never heard of that before. I'm going to call BS on that one.

The only thing I can think of that comes even close would be Sabian's SR2 cymbals, which are refurbished from cymbals from their existing lines. They are clearly marked SR2 so there's no smoke and mirrors on that, though, so it's not like B-stock Ludwig snares which can be spotted by the B/O badge having it serial number cut off.
 
+1 on that.BS.Someone is pulling your chain.Cymbals that don't pass inspection are just recycled and melted down,to make new cymbals.Guitar Center,and Sam Ash have scratch and dent sales once in a while,but the stuff being sold have been damaged in the store,floor models,or returns.Thats not the same thing.

Steve B
 
So b-stock cymbal thing is BS? I'm not surprised. Why? Well this happened a couple days ago...

I ended up finding a listing on craigs list for a pair a custom mastersound hi hats 14" @ $185. The guy mentioned they have no cracks/keyholing/ ect.. From the pictures they looked to be in really good condition.

So I head out to the guys house to check them out. He hands me the hi hats and then I start to inspect them. Over-all they looked good, except the inside edge of the cymbal had a black lining from playing. Mind you this guy told me these cymbals have "very low miles :)". Then I start to notice spots where the finish looks like it came off(these are brilliant finished hi hats). So this is where the BS begins. The guy starts to tell me the finish will come off after 100+ hours of playing. I thought to myself this guy told me these had "low miles". So I decided to try them out. I wasn't impressed with them. I kept looking at them and said the finish is defintiely came off in some spots. 2bcontinued...
 
(ps3 browser doesnt let me input that much text in each response)

I then trapped the guy with a question. I asked him how long he has owened these hi hats. He then told me he put about 20 or so hours into it. He paused after he said that. Probably 'cause he remembered from earlier that he told me the finish comes off after about 100+ hours of playing. I then told him I believe the finish comes off from using the wrong chemicals to clean the cymbals. He just kind of paused and looked at me and said nothing. So then he starts to talk about this b-stock deal. He explained the whole process where a guy at the shop would stand back while the other guy tapped the cymbal to see if the tone matched the a-stock hi hats. He warned me to watch out for them on ebay. So I asked him how do they even leave the factory? He said he didn't know lol. This guy kept rambling on. So I ended up telling the guy I didn't want the hi hats and left.
 
Bottom line. Any cymbal you buy off eBay/Craig's List .... consider it used. Low Mileage .... WTF .... we're talking cymbals, not cars. Oh yeah, these hats were "only" played by a "little old lady" on weekends. Sellers/salespeople/shops can and will tell "little white lies" .... to make a sale.​
New cymbals (?), that have been on a floor. Heck, those are used, too. Some cymbals might spend 6 months on the sales floor, with people "daily" smacking them. Hey, if you like the way they sound, and the price seems right .... buy it. Me, I've bought all my cymbals "used", for almost 20 years, now. Around 30, total. All great pies. All at a good/decent/fair price. No regrets.​
I've also passed on quite a few "deals" .... that weren't. Buyer beware.​
 
Most good companies have nothing to lose by taking suspect cymbals and remelting them. I doubt they are selling them as B stock or trying to pass them off as the real thing and someone else has decided they were B stock. Walk away.
 
Most good companies have nothing to lose by taking suspect cymbals and remelting them. I doubt they are selling them as B stock or trying to pass them off as the real thing and someone else has decided they were B stock. Walk away.

This is correct. Cymbals that don't make the cut are sent back for re-use of the alloy. They're not like sticks where you can't do much with a below standard product.
 
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