DRUMMER CAFE

Hey All, haven't been on in awhile, been to busy to hang out with you guys, but I have missed you.

I am in charge of the drums at our church. I mostly play percussion because nobody else knows how and we have enough drummers. We have a problem with cymbals breaking. We are using Paiste Signatures, fast, mellow, full crashes. We had one break a while back that was within warranty and replaced. We now have all 3 of our crashes cracked. The cracks are across the lathing in the middle.

Now again we have different drummers with different setups. Some with the flat setup and one with the old rocker way up high setup. I have to admit I have not really watched there technique, I will be watching now. This is a church and most of the drummers do not play that loud. We do have one guy that hits pretty hard.

My question is, what do you think is causing this? I think that it is unusual for all the cymbals to be cracked. Somebody is doing something wrong. Is this a problem with the Sig series?

I know what to look for as far as hitting to hard straight down, hitting on the edge, having them mounted to tight.

I think it might be a conspiracy against the Paiste's from the guys who are Zildjian fans.

Let me know your thoughts!

Check to see if they cymbals are being mounted firmly ... with felts on top. If the cymbals are ridged, they can't move freely when hit. They need to be able to move after each blow or the downward force cause the kind of cracks you are seeing. This has been my experience when people have mentioned what you are saying. I don't break cymbals; never have.

TAKE THE TOP CYMBAL FELTS OFF!

It could be a factory defect, but if it's happening again and again ... I doubt it.

Another issue may be that drummer's are playing THROUGH the cymbal, like chopping wood. Bad technique if you want to keep a cymbal for any length of time.

Since you have multiple players, and if there's no "one" person breaking the cymbal, check to see how it is mounted. One person's technique could be the problem, thus weakening the cymbal to the point of breaking on someone else with good technique.

I'm curious to see what your investigation finds.

I don't know about there, but in my experience church drummers are often prone to poor technique and a real lack of concern for the equipment that does not belong to them. I agree that with it happening to 3 of them that it is likely not a defect in all of those cymbals. I guess you better start paying attention to their technique and set up.

I doubt they are defective.

Sounds like abuse.
Follow all the advice above, and if symptoms persist try installing some sturdier cymbals.

Paiste Signature Fast, Mellow, and Full Crashes are not the sturdiest cymbals on the market by any means.  I am a Paiste nut and I absolutely love the Signature series, but I’ve broken a few of these very expensive cymbals, and it is painful. Given the situation —  multiple drummers playing away on those cymbals — I think you’d be better off to use sturdier and, perhaps, less-expensive cymbals.  If you want to stick with Paiste, I suggest 2002s or even the less-expensive-but-good-sounding Alpha series.  I have a nice collection of Signatures that I use for recordings and certain gigs.  I use Alphas for rehearsal, and 2002s for most gigs with the loud band I play with.  I have to admit, I experienced a reflexive cringe when I read that a communal kit had Signature cymbals.  I think I’m a bit scarred from my past breakages of Signatures.  I worked in the warehouse at Paiste America in Brea, California in the early ‘90s.  I helped out with warranty returns, and we did a ton of warranty returns on Signature cymbals.  I treat my Signatures like delicate special-occasion cymbals.  It makes them a joy to play when I do break them out!

community drum sets, in general, make me cringe.

Ugh!  That is pure and unadulterated cymbal abuse.  You need to tell that guy!