Cymbal Longevity

[SuicideNote]

I'm not a drummer, please give me the lowdown on cymbal longevity. I know it probably matters how hard one hits the object. If one mashes cymbals, does it necessarily mean that the drummer is using poor technique? How long on average should a 200$ pastie thin crash last?

[zed32]

this question is so extremely vague, and there's really no way to answer it....i guess the thinner the cymbal, and the harder you hit it, the more likely it is to break sooner? it's just common sense. some people have said Paiste are more prone to cracking than other brands, some say that's a myth. there's variation from drummer to drummer and cymbal to cymbal. there's really no way (that i know of) to give an accurate life-span of a cymbal...

[RAMI]

My cymbals last a few seconds...then I have to hit them again.

[Seafroggys]

If you take good care of cymbals, have good technique, they should theoritically last decades.

[zed32]

yeah, and if you don't break em, they'll last forever!

[Dogman]

You guys are just asking for a broken hat....

[Seafroggys]

Originally Posted by zed32

yeah, and if you don't break em, they'll last forever!

smartie.

What I'm saying, is that cymbals should last a long time. There's a reason why so many vintage A and K Zildjians float around. Good players, good technique. Even if you're the hardest hitter ever, as long as you have good technique, they should last you quite a while.

[mrface2112]

it's not so much as how hard you hit them as much as it it where and how you hit them. different strokes + different hit placement = different sounds. of course, sometimes the "best" sound comes from a place that may lead to breakage.

and cymbals are going to break. anything that gets the snot beaten out of it repeatedly by a neanderthal with a wooden club is GOING to break. stick break, heads go dead, it follows the trend, ya know?

part of me believes that the old cymbals floating around in used markets are still around largely b/c they were the bad ones and just weren't played back when they were new......not b/c they're good. of course, they still may be better than many modern cymbals.


cheers,
wade

[Farview]

Ther reason why there are so many vintage Zildjian A and K cymbals out there is because they were being used by jazz/swing/big band type drummers that have a really light touch. You would be hard pressed to find any vintage Z series Zildjians out there because the type of drummer that would normally buy those cymbals typically has a heavier hand.

I beat the crap out of everything. Paiste's break quickly for me, Zildjian Z's last about a year. I switched to Sabian AA's last year and haven't broken one yet. My Sabian chinese is over 3 years old.

There are a couple reasons why my latest batch of cymbals are lasting longer.
1. I've worked on not hitting them so hard
2. I have 5 crashes instead of 2, so I'm spreading the abuse around.

[breeeeza]

Originally Posted by zed32

i guess the thinner the cymbal, and the harder you hit it, the more likely it is to break

Na apparantly thinner cymbals are less likely to break (if not tightened up too much and right techinque is used, as with every cymbal) because it can 'move' around more, you know when you see the cymbal 'wobble' when its hit and deforms the shape. More elastic than plastic where as thick cymbals are likely to crack as they cant move as much.

[PhilGood]

If you're worried about breaking a thin cymbal, you should sell it and get a heavier one. Thin cymbals are not for mashing! That's just common sense.

[mikeh]

As a drummer who has gigged and recorded extensively for close to 40 years - I can answer the original question with a very qualified.....it depends!!!

Cheap cymbals will not last long at all (in fact they normally sound like crap to start with - so the sooner they die the better). Good cymbals can last for decades (even thin cymbals)...but the tone will eventually lose some of it's bite - from both a combination of repeated impact and the dirt, sweat, smoke, etc. that eventually accumulates (which depending on the musical application, may not be a bad thing). As someone already pointed out, if you beat on something long enough, it will dull if not break.

I agree that often the older "vintage" cymbals may indeed still be in one piece because jazz/big band drummer did not abuse cymbals - that's not to say that they did not play loud (try to compete with a dozen horns - with no drum mic'ing) - but rather, they knew the comrrect way to hit.

I must completely disagree with any drummer that contends that it is normal or expected that cymbals will break. I've played about 3,500 gigs in every conceivable genre of music. I've rocked big time trying to compete with guitarists with double stacks of marshalls, etc. - and I've had to swing loud behind large horn sections - and I have never, never broken a cymbal. A drummer can get significant volume and sound projection with proper technique

[zacanger]

I've got vintage Zildjians and oldish Sabians that still sound wonderful. Only two cymbals that've ever been broken in my house are a B8 splash (which sucked anyway) and a Paiste Signature crash (which I still use for my trash kit). Both of them broke because they were too tight and were being hit too hard.

[ecktronic]

Maybe try using some bug mics clipped under the cymbals pointing to the edge of the cymbals.
This might make the cymbals sound like they last longer.

Eck

[chester]

Its not necesarilly true that thicker cymbals will last longer, ive heard many instances of Z customs (thick cymbals) cracking due to their thickness. Either way, cymbals given care should last a few decades like someone said. Have good technique hitting the cymbal and watch out for keyholing down the road cuz ive seen many older cymbals online that are keyholed. Also do not have the cymbal stand holding the cymbal too tight, which i think some one else already said.

[Interstellar]

Yeah... when you buy a cymbal, I'd always advise getting the warranty. With all the cymbals I buy I get a 2 year warranty on em... and they won't last that long.

[Gorty]

Originally Posted by Dogman

You guys are just asking for a broken hat....

How are your drums going Dogman?

[Gorty]

I have some Zildjians that I have owned for over 20 years. I have had to repair/maintain a few cracks of a minor nature but they are still in good condition.

[ecktronic]

Anyone everh heard the song "Digital bath" on "White Pony" album by "Deftones"?
Now thats a long lasting cymbal!
I think it was prcoessed to make it last so long. Obviously sampled on its own to avoid spill from the other drums.
Maybe time streched using analogue tape rather than digital processing.
Maybe even copy and pasted 1 after the other and cross faded very well to sound like a long cymbal hit.

Eck