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!