I was at practice last night and my buddy pointed out that I had a small crack in my 17 inch Zildjian A Custom Crash. The crack itself is about 1/4 inch, but still. I'm pissed! This happened to my 16 inch crash about 6 months ago, and now this!
Two questions:
1. Why does this happen?
2. What should I do with it?

1. I have my cymbals completely flat with alot of breathing room between two felts. Am I just seting myself up for a crack?
2. I sold my 16 inch that I cracked, but I want to keep this one. So my question is, is it worth it to fix the crack, and if so, how can I fix it? And, I want to know how much it would cost.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks a ton guys!








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LOOKING TO SELL MY ZILDJIANS I DON'T NEED:
17" A custom Crash (1/8" crack, sounds great)
18" A custom Crash (1/8" crack, sounds great)
8" A custom Splash
18" Scimitar China

I use:
Tempus Drums
Zildjian A Custom Cymbals

Completely flat means that you're hitting squarely on the edge. That may be your only problem but I suspect that you're also driving through the cymbals instead of using a swiping motion and releasing your grip on impact.








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Dr. Rodney McKay wrote:

Well, I only know one thing and that is that flying darkness that eats energy can only be very, very bad.

http://www.MySpace.com/PageFive

I tried fixing a crack on my 16. I drilled a hole where the crack was and every time I played on it, it cracked again. I believe you can dremel the whole area where the crack is but I've never tried that. I have a 17" also but it isn't my "main" crash. If it is your main crash you should probably have an 18" or 19" as a main (just my opinion)








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Angle the cymbals toward you. Completely flat crash cymbals are usually bad.

i play with my cymbals flat too, but mine also break sometimes. i wouldn't be able to stand them not flat though, so i guess it's just the price i pay.

what i do when i'm tour and i notice a baby crack starting is take some tin snips and cut as small a chunk out of the cymbal as possible while still removing the whole crack, then sanding down the edge where i cut it so it's not razor sharp.

each time you do it the overtones get a little grosser but it sounds better then a crack will eventually.


i've done that like 7 times on one cymbal i have. it looks like this now.





it still sounds okay, especially the initial crash sound. the overtones are just weird now.








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take a small drill bit and drill a hole about a 1/8" from where the crack ends (or it will keep cracking) I did this to 2 of my a custom crashes and the sound fine and heavent cracked anymore in a few months of being played








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The way you hit your cymbals maybe your biggest problem
and The A-custom cymbals are not made for taking really
heavy hits. Also try to get the warrenty on the cymbal for two
years Zildjian offers that it is only like 40$ extra.

SGarrett wrote:

Completely flat means that you're hitting squarely on the edge. That may be your only problem but I suspect that you're also driving through the cymbals instead of using a swiping motion and releasing your grip on impact.

That's most likely the case. I feel stupid not knowing that, but hey, I guess you learn something everyday.
Thanks alot for the advise everyone!








_________________
LOOKING TO SELL MY ZILDJIANS I DON'T NEED:
17" A custom Crash (1/8" crack, sounds great)
18" A custom Crash (1/8" crack, sounds great)
8" A custom Splash
18" Scimitar China

I use:
Tempus Drums
Zildjian A Custom Cymbals

u say u were playing "last night". how late and how cold. I had a A zildjian 16" Rock crash, and it had a crack, just like yours i presume, within 3 months TOPS. i think i deduced it down to the temperature of the cymbal when you hit it. if its cold, it will fracture easier. the Zildian hand book thing i got sometime, recomends to keep them out of 'low' temperatures. JMO. AND, i got it looked at, and thay said they'd replace it 4 me. COZ a 1 year warrantee, but they have 2 inspect in 'n' stuff. check it out...

Gd luck

Wow, your that good?

the angle of the cymbal shouldn't matter.
but use glancing blows when you hit. like kinda in a swiping motion,
if you have had the cymbal with under a year and you have the reciept then you can send it to zildjian and they'll replace it cause zildjian has a one year warrenty

ive been lucky, ive yet to break a cymbal, my oldest cymbal is about 4yrs old, a 16" ZXT at that, but because i dont smash through them they seem to last alot longer and actually sound better.

xrftsx wrote:

the angle of the cymbal shouldn't matter.
but use glancing blows when you hit. like kinda in a swiping motion,
if you have had the cymbal with under a year and you have the reciept then you can send it to zildjian and they'll replace it cause zildjian has a one year warrenty

Cymbal angle matters a great deal, actually. If you have them set flat for a showy appearance, expect to break you cymbals on a regular basis.








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Dr. Rodney McKay wrote:

Well, I only know one thing and that is that flying darkness that eats energy can only be very, very bad.

http://www.MySpace.com/PageFive

SGarrett wrote:

xrftsx wrote:

the angle of the cymbal shouldn't matter.
but use glancing blows when you hit. like kinda in a swiping motion,
if you have had the cymbal with under a year and you have the reciept then you can send it to zildjian and they'll replace it cause zildjian has a one year warrenty

Cymbal angle matters a great deal, actually. If you have them set flat for a showy appearance, expect to break you cymbals on a regular basis.

very, very true.








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rundylanrunn wrote:

Boy, that thing died a long time ago! Bury it and let it R.I.P.!!!








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