Cymbal Question

[hudahey]

Is it normal for cymbals to be heavier on one side than the other and to spin back to one position all the time? My ride cymbal always spins back to one place when I play it. I'm wondering if this wears them out faster?

 

[Keith_H]

Mine do the same thing but I don't have any idea if they are supposed to or not. Even my hi-hats do that.
I've been wondering about that for a long time..

 

[gnarled]

A lot of times that happens if the cymbal gets key-holed, ie the hole in the middle is no longer a perfect circle. Thats why you should always use those plastic sleeves and not let metal touch metal.

 

[NoFO]

importance of sleeves....

I totally agree that cymbal sleeves are one of the most important things on your kit. I've been playing almost 10 years, and i've seen so many drummers whose cymbals have become keyholed and then crack, whereas everyone i know that uses sleeves (and checks them periodically) has a much longer lifespan on thier cymbals... that should be the reason yours is spinning to one side, but if it was made poorly, that could be the reason, one would think....

 

[xtremedb]

You're cymbals will need to be replaced sooner, simply because they are taking a beating in the same spot over and over. On a related note, most drummers I know position there cymbals flat. Why do they do that?

Well, you want to keep the pressure on the cymbal even. If it sits flat, the vibrations will radiate out in concentric circles. This is the way the cymbal was meant to vibrate. Try it, then adjust it at an angle and listen to the difference

Brad Gallagher
http://www.just-for-musicians.com/