Basically groove juice soaked cotton (although I really think it's kerosene or something). Rub the cymbal down, rinse with soap and warm water and dry. Easy.
I just got done cleaning my cymbals a little bit ago. They were in dire need! I used to be so anal about keeping them clean but haven't been lately. Well today I just could not take it anymore.
Lot's of finger print tarnish and some green spots from sweat on all my cymbals.
I've used Groove Juice for over 15 years and it's still my choice for quick easy peasy no elbow grease required cleaning.
I just sprayed it on and watched it do its job. The cymbals literally almost immediately got from a dull finish to a fresh vibrant finish. To help even out the juice into the grooves I use a blue shop towel moistened with the juice. For the green spots I gave those a little bit more of a rub down.
Then just spray it off with a water hose, dry, flip over and repeat.
Bam! They look and sound new again. I love this stuff! The only draw back is it takes off labels too. Which I don't really care about.
I don't have before and after pics.
But I was curious as to what all you guys like to use as well?
Basically groove juice soaked cotton (although I really think it's kerosene or something). Rub the cymbal down, rinse with soap and warm water and dry. Easy.
i love shiny cymbals .. and to me they sound much better.... groove juice is the best thing going for keeping your cymbals shiny..
Tamaholic
I cover mine in peanut butter and let the dogs have them.
Believe it or not lemon juice.
The look great and smell fresh!
I'm sweating just thinking about sweating.
I saw a YouTube video of someone cleaning his cymbals with ketchup. Be careful if you get fries with that cuz it'll leave smudges on your cymbals even after taking the ketchup off.
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I'm a Groove Juice guy. I started out doing the full clean every 6 months. Since then, I've become a slacker. I'm down to once a year, or before a gig, if I have the time.
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Shiny cymbals sound better just like new shoes can make you run faster.
I've never cleaned my cymbals and they sound fine. I've purchased a cymbal once with some mildew looking material on it and cleaned that off. Just my opinion.
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I was at my buddies house the other day. He had a Zildjian 16" Avedis in natural finish covered in green tarnish, both sides. It sounded like crap. It had no resonance or sustain hardly at all.
We did a before and after test on the sound after a Groove Juice spa treatment.
And what do you know? It sounded like a cymbal again!
When the tonal grooves of a cymbal have corrosion it does affect the sound.
I have heard of drummers even burying cymbals in the ground to give them a more dry earthy sound.
Different strokes is all. I'm in your camp - I want the bright glassy shimmer, the sustain and sweet voices. I'm not a fan of the dry dead dirty clank.
i clean mine twice a year maybe, i didn't used to bother but i paid nearly £1000 for my cymbals so i want to make sure there looked after, would you buy a car and never wash it?
cheers
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Wallyworld, $5 or so a can. You can pick up the same thing in most music stores/online. It's gone by many names over the years - Buckaroo cymbal cleaner was the last "music" can I bought. But the one I currently have is Eagle One branded wheel/chrome cleaner from the automotive section at walmart. It's all the same...
i've been meaning to give my cymbals a good cleaning sometime but I really don't want to rub off the labels so i'm gonna have to try lemon juice or just be very careful around the labels.
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Barkeepers friend, Brasso, Nev R Dull, what ever is in the cupboard they all work good.
I found it interesting, on a YouTube video a short while ago with Neil Peart's drum tech, that he would polish Neil's cymbals after every gig. This was apparently when Neil was first using Sabian Paragons, which at the time, even for him were only available in natural finish (i.e., not brilliant/shiny). The tech said that typically after 8-9 polishings, the cymbals would start to crack. Clearly the result of the polishing, or so he said. I'm sure no one here would polish theirs to that level, but something to keep in mind. So, if you don't have brilliant finish cymbals, don't try to make them into ones!
Just my $0.02.
Now, just a tiny bit less than an absolute drum newbie
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Sabian cymbal cleaner! Spray it on, wait 15 to 30 seconds, wipe off and buff. No elbow grease needed. Just cleaned all 6 of mine plus the two sets of hats in about 30 minutes. It will not take off logos if you are worried about them. Also my main ride is an old Zildjian from the '70's and it looks new again.
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Sabian Xs20 cymbals: 16 & 18 crash, 20 ride, 14 hats, 8 splash, 18 china.
Zildjian cymbals: 21 ride, 15 hats. All '70's era.
Depends on the manufacturer.
I use Bosphorus Cymbal Swipes on my Bosphorus cymbals. Works great. I've used it on old A. Zildjians too with good results.
I only use Paiste Cleaner on my Paistes and I follow the cleaner up with Paiste Protectant.
Recently I bought 3 new A. Zildjians. I just use soap and water after each gig to clean them. Doesn't fully remove the finger prints but good enough results for me. Or I remove stick marks after the gig with only a towel and elbow grease.
I rarely clean my cymbals, I wipe them off with water and dry them, that is it. But I read this post 2 weeks ago and happened to be fairly drunk and needed to go to the grocery to pick up more beer, so I had a friend pick me up (NEVER DRINK AND DRIVE,EVER) and while grabbing the brew bought 4 lemons and some ketchup. Final results, Ketchup was kind of fun, made a big mess, but did little. The lemons, on the other hand amazed me, you have to do some manual work to get them clean, but they actually did a good job. Who knew?
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