Cymbal Stand Care and Setup Help

[xFCx]

Ive been drumming for almost 2 years now, and I have still not figured out how to properly setup my cymbals. The stock crash I had got with the drum set cracked after 7 months or so. Its now a half cymbal. It looks like a "D" now. But I've had 3 Zildjian cymbals now crack and rip on me now as well. An 18" Oriental trash China, 16" and 18" ZBT Rock set crashes.

Here is what my 18" crash looks like now:


16" Crash:


And my china:



Am I keeping them too tight or too loose on the stands?! I can not figure it out. The china was always slightly tightened down and the crashes were pretty lose, to the point where they would just flop. Is there a certain tightness I need to use for both types of cymbals?


Also, I hear putting duct tape on your bass heads will help keep them from not tearing as easily. I have a brand new Pearl head I going to put on this upcoming week. Any tips on keeping a bass head alive will help as well.

Any and all help will help tons!

[backtodrum]

They look as if they have been beat into submission that is for sure!!! Have you considered the spring top cymbal toppers that will cusion the blow on the cymbal as the spring gives as well when the cymbal is struck.

[xFCx]

Well playing metalcore and deathcore will do that I guess haha!
And I didnt even no they made spring tops. Im heading to Guitar Center today Ill see if they have any. Thanks!

[nio]

Man, what are you using...baseball bats ? I recommend using 7A wooden drumsticks .... you will break those before you break your cymbals. Also, you shouldn't hit your cymbals directly head-on. When you hit them off to an angle, the force of your hit is reflected off of the cymbals rather than completely absorbed into the metal. Good luck !

[xFCx]

Thanks all, and anything I can do to help keep my bass heads life longer?

[NoiseInMotion]

Thanks all, and anything I can do to help keep my bass heads life longer?

Yea, stop using a hammer as a beater.


Seriously though, maybe tighten the spring tension so you can still hit as hard as you do without it making such a huge impact. I have no idea if that actually works, but it sounds like it would.

[xFCx]

All I use are plastic beaters with felt heads, not too hard of beaters. Does the duct tape method help at all?

[rabidpenguin45]

That is more of a result of improper technique than cymbal stands. Do not hit THROUGH the cymbal, hit it with a glancing blow.

[dave0549jv]

have you tried using a patch on your bass drum head? that should help with durability.

Sounds like you're just a really heavy hitter. ZBTs are made of pretty stern stuff. Your cymbals should all be fairly loose on the stands. that way when you hit them they can flop around and disperse the energy better. if they're tightened down, it puts a lot of stress on them.

check out youtube videos for 'high speed camera cymbal hits' or something similar. you'll be amazed at how much cymbals flex when you hit them.

As others have said, try and hit them with a glancing blow. if your cymbals rotate a little when you hit them, youre doing it right.

[atomcorr2]

dude,,, if your breaking cymbals and bass heads like that , you REALLY need to look at how your playing. it looks and sounds to me that your beating the crap out of your stuff. take some lessons, let somebody show you how to play drums. a drum or cymbal can only get so loud , you can hit them as hard as you can ,and they will not get any louder.you are exactly the guy that i would never let play my drums . honest dude, you should take some lessons to let someone show you how to hit your drums and cymbals. either that or you better have a pretty high paying job ,to pay for all the stuff that your killing. good luck.

[xFCx]

I did change my style AFTER I saw the cracks and such happening and the cymbals almost always rotate now on each hit, so I guess it just took me time to get it down.


Edit: Yeah, like I said, after the cracks and all started happening I really went down in power. I am at the point where I barely even try to hit them. And I dont need lessons. I am good it just took me time to get my hit stride down. This was even more so going to happen eventually because I do play some very heavy beats. That and the fact I like dance on my throne when playing, im that into the songs. I also had my cymbals tightened down pretty well at first due to a lack of knowledge so that didnt help them out any either.

[atomcorr2]

oh ,im sorry ,,, i thought you asked for help ..... my fault....

[Martinez12]

I did change my style AFTER I saw the cracks and such happening and the cymbals almost always rotate now on each hit, so I guess it just took me time to get it down.


Edit: Yeah, like I said, after the cracks and all started happening I really went down in power. I am at the point where I barely even try to hit them. And I dont need lessons. I am good it just took me time to get my hit stride down. This was even more so going to happen eventually because I do play some very heavy beats. That and the fact I like dance on my throne when playing, im that into the songs. I also had my cymbals tightened down pretty well at first due to a lack of knowledge so that didnt help them out any either.

Im sorry dude but im with tom in this one, I play the same stuff as you do and my cymbals, even my wuhan china (while they're known to break easily) are all in perfect shape. You should check your technique, its not about hitting hard or soft its about the way you hit them

[yohin]

I"m with atomcorr and Martinez...cymbals WILL NOT break as long as you hit them with proper technique (glancing blows instead of straight on).

As for the bass drum, get felt beaters and you won't break heads anymore.

[Martinez12]

All I use are plastic beaters with felt heads, not too hard of beaters. Does the duct tape method help at all?

As for the bass drum buy a falam slam double bass patch.

[Nechre]

A combination of hitting the cymbals either
1. At an improper angle
2. Too hard
3. At an improper point on the cymbal
or any combination of the 3.

You said you have worked on changing how you strike the cymbal. That's a good first step. Keep in mind that like anything on your kit, you need to be careful to not "put your stick through it." Realize that your stick bounces off of everything it hits, whether that be a cymbal, drum head or cowbell. Do not try to bury your stick into the head or cymbal, not only does that deaden the sound, but you've found out the second disadvantage, you break things. Sometimes it's your stick, but more often it's a cymbal.

If you're hammering your cymbal hard to try and get more volume, you need to change cymbals, or understand that you just can't get the volume you want out of a cymbal. A larger, thicker cymbal will have more volume than a smaller one. There's a point where it ceases to get louder and the timbre of the strike changes, if that's happening without the cymbal getting louder, you are hitting way too hard, you will eventually crack that cymbal.

In the case of your china, the top two reasons may apply, but it could be where you're striking the cymbal. The outer rim to the china is called a flange, and you should be striking the china there. The inner rim of the flange, where it meets the inner portion of the cymbal should not be struck. First, you'll notice that's a dead zone as far as sound goes, second, you can crack the cymbal as seen in your picture.

[xFCx]

Thank you for the bass tip and my technique is fine now. Soon after these cracks and rips appeared my last cymbal also obtained a small knick in it and I changed my tech up. After 2 months the crack hasn't moved anymore. I mostly posted this all to triple check on how to set up the stands in the tightness. So to triple check:
Keep crashes loose on stands
Get bass patch
Use loose to some what loose on china?
And make sure cymbals rotate to insure their being hit right

Miss anything else?

And is there, without the use of a drum tuner, if there is one, what's the best way to tune my bass? Just by ear or feel of it's tension?

[nio]

All I use are plastic beaters with felt heads, not too hard of beaters. Does the duct tape method help at all?

I have no idea why we used duct tape (yes, including me...but I was very young then)...but, don't ever use them on drum heads and cymbals...trust me :-)

[Spiderjig]

I'm with atomcorr2, the cymbals are only going to get to a certain volume whether you hit it with a sledge hammer or a stick, maybe try some thicker pads and maybe a step up in quality of cymbal might help with the cracking, I know it's hard to control yourself sometimes when you play, but your going to need some deep pockets full of cash if you keep playing that way, and what type of bass head are you using, I might have missed it if you mentioned it.

[xFCx]

Not sure on extact one I have waiting to be put on but it's a Pearl head.

[Martinez12]

Not sure on extact one I have waiting to be put on but it's a Pearl head.

Sorry, but most stock heads are pretty bad and you can bust a hole through them in no time. What i would do (and for the music you play) is buy a new head that gives you the sound you want, Most of the time for Deathcore and Metalcore I like really dampened sounds so here we go...

Buy a Remo Powerstroke 3, Aquarian Superkick II or Evans EMAD2. After that buy one of this


And you're set

[itchie]

I have no idea why we used duct tape (yes, including me...but I was very young then)...but, don't ever use them on drum heads and cymbals...trust me :-)

yes gaffer is waaaaaay better