Just wondering what everyone thinks the best cymbal cleaner is.

Anybody got any homemade concoctions that do the trick?

MY GOD THATS SACRALIDGE (SPELLING) .....

you mustn`t clean cymbals ...well not in my opinion anyway ...as they get dirty they grow character and (again only imo) it makes no difference if you clean them or not to the sound .leave them to mature mate !!I loathe shiny cymbals .....don`t ask me why i just do.Pure is good !!

dave

I like 'em shiny for the show. Chicks dig it!

im with pinkfloyd...i like older looking cymbals...plus the more dirt and stuff on them the warmer the tone...which i like personally...

I like to use Zims Cymbal Cleaner (http://www.music123.com/Zims-Cymbal-and-Hardware-Cleaner-i122636.music). This stuff works awesome if you have a shiny cymbal like an A custom. I spray it on the cymbal and it just melts the crud off. I'm careful not to get any near the print on the cymbal, but to "get between" the print and the part of the cymbal that is not clean, I spray a cloth and go over LIGHTLY and man let me tell you, it looks sweet when you are done and the print stays on! After that I just run some hot water over the cymbal and dry it off with a lint free cloth and its brand new.

Hi K. Never tried Zims cymbal cleaner, thanks for the review. I'll have to check it out.

I used to know this weekend drummer that always kept his cymbals glimmering. He'd polish those suckers practically twice a week! They were so bright, they almost blinded you when you walked into the club. Ha! I used to rib him about it all the time.

they just look horrid shiny ....they`re not supposed to be shiny .if you look at pics of buddy rich (my hero) and the like their cymbals are almost moldy ..lol...you could grow mushrooms on those suckers and they sound really good .the only reason top drummers have shiny cymbals is cos they`re sponsored and get a new kit every gig almost .They certainly don`t polish them themselves .try letting them get dirty ....if you don`t like it you can always clean`em .....i would DEFINATLEY let the underside get dirty though.

dave

some drummers swear but the caked in grossness on their cymbals be careful about cleaning them no physco chemicals what r u a crow who likes shiny things metalic is better

peace sign or flat line

and hey im a girl and shiny cymbals are weird rubbing dirt on them is better then them being shiny

I let the undersides get dirty, but I like the top to shine like it's new. That's why I was asking. Tried some of Zildjians cleaner, but it did'nt work too well. My hi-hats are filthy and I like them that way, but I would like to have some light reflection off of the cymbals during shows.

I don't know. I see the pros cymbals blindingly (is that a word?) shiny, so it kinda makes me feel more professional if mine shine too.

your playing should make u feel professional not shiny cymbals

I let the undersides get dirty, but I like the top to shine like it's new. That's why I was asking. Tried some of Zildjians cleaner, but it did'nt work too well. My hi-hats are filthy and I like them that way, but I would like to have some light reflection off of the cymbals during shows.

I don't know. I see the pros cymbals blindingly (is that a word?) shiny, so it kinda makes me feel more professional if mine shine too.


yeah but like i say mate those "pros" are using brand new cymbals for every tour because they`re paid too .they prolley have sabian and zildjian fighting over who`s gonna have the cymbals on the next ozzy osbourne tour etc ....wow what a thought ....wouldn`t that just be awesome !!

dave

yeah it would!

I like 'em shiny for the show. Chicks dig it!

but only cuz the Chicks dig it! :icon_wink:

heck yes i do. :shifty: anyways,
does the cymbals last longer if you clean them or does it not make any difference except for the shinyness?

the sound ish important to the "dirt" helps ...i like the slightly earthen sound you get from the older ones... and as for life span a good cymabal should last a really longs time

Watch for the strength of cymbal cleaner you get, if you do clean your cymbals. Lots of the pastes will take your brand names right off, and what is the point of having expensive cymbals if you can't show them off?

Some of the spray cleaners will leave brands intact and give your cymbals a nice shine.

HB58

All of the logos are gone off of all of my cymbals....I don't care about that...I know what I have, and why I have them....but I do like a nice clean cymbal...they were clean when i bought them, and that's the sound I got when I bought them, and that's the sound I want now....so i try to keep my cymbals pretty clean, I like that nice bright sound of a clean cymbal.

Oh, and get this...I tried toothpaste on my A Custom splash....yes, toothpaste......it worked incredibly well....I may just clean the rest of my cymbals with it as well.

Thanks for the tip BTG. I've thought about trying that but I figured it might be too abrasive.

OK, I just figured something out...the toothpaste trick only works on lightly-soiled, brilliant finish cymbals (i.e., A Customs, et al)....if you have an old(er) Zildjian A or K, especially if it's REALLY dirty, toothpaste won't work.

and the sound of a cymbal does change as it gets dirtier. the dirt gets into the tonal grooves, and in my opinion, "chokes" the cymbal a bit. but hey, each to his own. I know Buddy Rich never cleaned his cymbals. ::shrug::

In my personal option, cleaning my cymbals is very important.. Along with my set.. I like too keep them clean, and don't allow build up of dirt on them.. It makes me look nicer too me and personally I think it keeps the sound orginal.. However on rides.. it's a different story.. Since the orginal rides are well.. I dunno almost too bright, not like the crashes and splashes.

I know Buddy Rich never cleaned his cymbals. ::shrug::

i heaard he wasn't much on tuning the drums either.

Let em rot
lol
Really, i think, personally, it make4s for a better sound

I hav been using automotive hand cleaner, the gel goopy stuff, on mine for about 10 years now. It removes off the dirt and 'stuff', but leaves the logos intact. For some reason it is easier on the logos than anything else I have used.

Keith

I like my cymbals clean! My old ears are bad enough from drumming & working in boiler rooms for years so I can hear the clean brite cymbals better!
I also like the look of clean polished cymbals.
The best cleaning products I have found are Kaboom cleaner you can get at Wally World or most stores. Remember this is only a cleaner & not a polish. It is about the same as Groove Juice but MUCH cheaper. DO NOT use it on B-8 cymbals. I only use it on really grungey plates.
As for a polish & light cleanerI have found MAAS Metal polish the best stuff hands down! This stuff works good on cymbals & just about any other metal you will find. It's kind of hard to find but I get it here in Champaign IL. at Walgreens for about six bucks or so a tube.

Dave Huffman:icon_mrgreen:

I've tried to clean my cymbals with shampoo once..i read an article from the internet about it. It does clean the cymbals a bit but not like new. Anyway, those of u wanna experiment on it, just pour your shampoo on the cymbal and wipe it all over until the color turn to black (caused by the dirt). Then, just wash it off & quickly dry em with hair dryer...or anything as long as it dry. Anyway, I agree with PinkFloyd...just let the cymbal be what it suppose to be :)

I like to keep my cymbals as clean as possible. I play all Paiste cymbals. The factory puts a protective finish on their cymbals befor they ship them. All I need to do is wipe them off with a cloth that has a little WD-40 on it about once a week, and they stay looking great. Sorry if I got off track. The comment about Buckaroo cymbal cleaner is in reference to my friend who had some old zildjian cymbals that he wanted to clean up. To make a long story shot he tried some Buckaroo, and man did those babies shine. The only downside was it also removed all logos. :icon_cool: