slowmotioncowboy Says Re: Breaking too many cymbals!

Submitted On: Monday, Jul 26, 2010 - 12:15 AM

Just don't hit so hard. When I play with earplugs in, i usually want to hear that loud cymbal sound, so i tend to hit harder. I don't know if that's just me or what?

wootonworks Says Re: Breaking too many cymbals!

Submitted On: Thursday, Mar 11, 2010 - 10:17 AM

i am also a heavy hitter, but there is some stuff you can do to prevent damage.

1.) when you strike a cymbal, try to stike it at angle, like you were just grazing the cymbal. if you hit it like you are driving a nail with a a hammer, its going to cause alot more damage.

2.) you can hit to hard. for example if you draw back and hit the cymbal with everything in you...thats to hard, dont knock it for a home run.

3.) dont get the cymbals to tight on their stands, let them flop around, they will sound better, and it wont cause stress fractures....

4.) at the end of the day, cymbals are not indestructible....if you are going through them like underwear, you need to work on your strike technique. they wont last forever, but you can prolong their life

5.) generally you get what you pay for....cymbals models that have been around for years and years are generally better than new ones like the hybrids and stuff like that

6.)so let them hang as loose as possible, dont hit them like your swinging a hammer, and remember you can hit to hard. in the long run hitting super hard can hurt you. all the shock being sent up your arms can give you joint damage.

Vetis Says Re: Breaking too many cymbals!

Submitted On: Tuesday, Feb 9, 2010 - 1:57 PM

There could be a number of things that might add to your cymbal problem. I'll put this simply as bullet points.

- Cymbal can be held down too hard by your felts/washers/wing nuts. Your cymbal isn't allowed to move and vibrate freely as it wants to. If you want to see what a cymbal does when it is hit, then please go to youtube and search for "Mike Mangini - Time Warp " and prepare to have your mind blown.

- Your cymbal striking technique could be damaging to your cymbals. Striking the cymbal with a glancing blow instead of striking the cymbal with a 'going through' motion will prevent your cymbal from breaking as quickly.

- Have your cymbals angled toward you. Not drastically angled, but not flat either. Hitting the cymbal
on the edge of the cymbal will cause death to the cymbal, no matter what.

- Hitting the cymbal with the tip of the stick facing the bow of the cymbal ( instead of the bell ) will send the shock wave from the impact AROUND the cymbal instead of OVER the cymbal, causing less damage to the bell region.

- Dont let the idea that 'thicker cymbals last longer' make you think that they actually last longer.
If you own thicker cymbals then you must hit them harder to get them to fully activate and produce the desired sound. My point: Hit a thicker cymbal harder - or - hit a thinner cymbal not as hard.

- Cymbals must be able to bend to create the sounds we want them to. We hit them to bend them and make them vibrate. Thicker cymbals do not vibrate nearly as much as thinner cymbals. You just need to take care of the thinner cymbals and not hit them like barbarians ( I know...hard to do ).

Also, regarding cymbal warranties: Seemingly ever since Guitar Center started stocking Meinl ( who, by the way, were the first cymbal manufacturer to have a two year warranty ) the other big cymbal companies began to follow suit with their warranty. Two weeks after my store started stocking Meinl, Sabian upped their warranty to two years. A month later Zildjian upped their warranty to two years. Paiste is yet to jump on the band wagon and maintains their 1 year warranty.

Shameless Plug: I know not everybody buys their gear from Guitar Center, and I understand the reasons why. However, keep in mind there are places that do offer extended warranties on cymbals. You can get a 2 year warranty extended to a 4 year warranty and save yourself money, time, and hassle. Just a little promotion. ^_^

I hope some of this information is helpful. If you have any questions or need some help, feel free to message me.

ebehme2 Says Re: Breaking too many cymbals!

Submitted On: Friday, Jan 15, 2010 - 6:39 PM

bottom line... your smacking a piece of sheet metal with a stick... they're gonna break sometime... but i agree with everyone else as well.

d.hitchcock Says Re: Breaking too many cymbals!

Submitted On: Monday, Jan 11, 2010 - 10:08 AM

Hmm, without seeing you play, I'd guess you're squeezing the sticks, playing with a lot of arm motion, and just hammering the crap out of the cymbals. Do you break lots of sticks and heads too? Do you use heavy dual-ply heads so they last longer?

Sounds like you need to relax when you play. It can be hard, especially when you're playing loud, aggressive stuff, but you can play with intensity and avoid muscle tension etc. You'll get way better tone because of it.

I'm not trying to be a critical dick here, just thinking out loud about your situation. I used to have the same exact problems -- hell, I had a 20-inch crash that I cracked, not to mention many others, along with a string of destroyed bass drum pedals, a cracked snare drum hoop, etc.!!! But I changed my ways. I'm still a naturally loud player, but I'm relaxed and loose now most of the time, and that's when I sound best and can really attack the drums and the music.

ohio-drummer Says Re: Breaking too many cymbals!

Submitted On: Tuesday, Jan 5, 2010 - 9:56 AM

Yeah thin is deffinately the wrong way to go. If you're a metal drummer I would thing you'd want thicker cymbals anyway. Hitting across the cymbal, or glancing, really does help. Keeping them clean really will help too. Fingerprints are killers, if you touch your cymbals with your fingers then you should clean them often.

King Says Re: Breaking too many cymbals!

Submitted On: Monday, Jan 4, 2010 - 10:02 AM

Try using the glancing technique rickcolaluca suggested, it works. The good thing about the warranty is that it keeps you form buying new cymbals :) Play Sabian and get that extra year.

rickcolaluca Says Re: Breaking too many cymbals!

Submitted On: Thursday, Dec 31, 2009 - 4:53 PM

I used to go through cymbals like crazy until I learned to hit the cymbal with more of a glancing stroke, versus plowing straight through it. It's a technique that takes some practice, but well worth it! And, oh yeah, don't use thin cymbals :B

Ddrummer90 Says Re: Breaking too many cymbals!

Submitted On: Thursday, Dec 31, 2009 - 1:16 PM

I had the same problem. I'm a heavy hitter and I broke around 5 cymbals over around a year's time-period. If they are sabian, send them in for 2-year warranty for free. If you want durable cymbals, play the AAX line and try not to go with thinner/smaller crashes. I also switched from playing vic firth 5b's backwards to extreme 5AN's. Little changes make all the difference! Also the angle of your cymbals and how much you tighten them can increase their life. I now play mine loose and slightly angled towards me instead of flat and level. Hope to have helped! Rock on!