Making Your Cheap Cymbals Sound Better - DIY Hand Hammering

In this video, I show the process I went through experimenting with hand hammering some cheap brass cymbals that came with my Pearl Roadshow drum set, in hope of making them sound more jazzy and complex, like a Zildjian K or Meinl Byzance. Initially I was not expecting much, but the results were actually pretty cool!
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Hammer image in thumbnail shot by Pixabay on PEXELS:
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[@joetrollson]

One of those rare occasions where KZbin recommends a buried jewel. Very inspiring, man. Thank you from Mexico!

[@SynthRay]

Thanks so much! So glad you found my video interesting. And Cheers from the United States! 🍻

[@joetrollson]

@@SynthRay 🍻

[@chikennuggies]

FINALLY AN ACTUAL TUTORIAL ON MAKING CHEAP CYMBALS BETTER

[@krusher74]

and make them crack in the future very easily.

[@vonbeaver99]

They still sound cheap

[@CashLovesJesus]

@@vonbeaver99but they still sound better which is the point

[@vonbeaver99]

@@CashLovesJesus less sustain that’s about it. Still sounds like tin

[@Wunstab]

Not my cup of brass but thank you for venturing down this path and recording it

[@quasarulas3968]

Yeah not totally sold on the ride/crash but the hats had more character. Not to say it sounds necessarily better but has more personality at least than the pure straight down the middle cheap tone

[@Hreodrich]

So glad people are starting to figure this out. Hammer your cheap cymbals. It often has very cool results.

[@vonbeaver99]

Results in a few wasted hours on a Saturday

[@kevinesimmons5170]

This is great! I'd recommend using a ball peen hammer to distribute the force of the hammer across a larger area rather than the small surface area of the needlenose pliers since brass is a much softer material and more likely to be punched through or crack. It clearly worked well enough without an actual hammer though, nice job!

[@SynthRay]

Oh for sure. That would be way better. I just used what I had closest to me. 😂 Need to get one of those ball peen hammers for sure. Didn't know brass was so soft. So, I will take that into consideration on the next cymbal. Definitely don't want to punch through it. Also, really glad you enjoyed the video. Have an awesome day! 😎

[@josh88745]

i did punch through it lol

[@mice6884]

@@josh88745 Noooo!... ...but did it sound cool lol

[@thesilverikarus]

I'm so happy KZbin recommended this to me. Cheers from Poland!

[@SynthRay]

Thanks so much for stopping in! And so glad you enjoyed! Cheers from the U.S.🍻

[@jeanznho]

such a great video, man! i got shocked you dont have like 500k, you sure deserve to grow here!! the best of luck to you

[@SynthRay]

Thank you so much! So encouraging to hear. Very glad you enjoyed, and more videos will be on the way shortly. Wishing you the best luck as well!

[@Granola-ld1by]

160 views is criminal this is such a great video. perhaps i may even attempt this myself ..........

[@SynthRay]

Wow, thanks so much! And you definitely should give it a try. Might even be worth trying on a used B8 bronze cymbal.

[@MomentaiGuy]

You're a genius! Dunno why I never thought of this! Gonna have to try it out on some cheap cymbals I just got gifted recently

[@nickdenardo6479]

💯 agree. these cymbals sound MUCH better after your experiment.

[@NPHomeStudio]

I actually did that with my Meinl HCS cymbals. It would be better to use a ball hammer in hammering the cymbal! :) Great video btw!

[@okaight7248]

Wow this was really cool dude! There's very little info online on how to do this (gatekeeping I'm sure from pros) but even as a cool little experiment this was awesome and the results for such cheap cymbals were not bad at all. Definitely an improvement.

[@fede170493]

Great video and great sound. The change was amazing. Well done, buddy.

[@_kjdrums_]

You definitely made them sound a lot better! Keep up the great work 👍🏾😃🥁

[@brunobryant4846]

Nice one, cheers from down under 👍🍻

[@westwaffels]

Ayo this is sick. Awesome vid man! KZbin actually recommended something cool.

[@SynthRay]

Thanks so much! So glad you enjoyed. Definitely want to try it out on some other cymbals. So more videos will be on the way. 👍

[@FrostedJr]

Editing is hilarious,also awesome video

[@kkupsky6321]

Awesome

[@marceopereira]

You gonna love Bruno Schell from Brazil

[@_uohaloran]

I was surprised that the hi-hats seemed to have the greatest impact from the hammering. Those are perfectly usable for most purposes.

[@Matt_bechillin]

Welcome back dude. Keep up the work ethic and keep the content comment. Ignore the bad comments. I’m glad to see you back posting ! You should do a no talking jam just for throw back one day

[@SynthRay]

Hey! Thanks for sticking around for the past few years! There's more content on the way very soon. Patch demos included. Really glad you're enjoying the videos! 😎

[@chewsday5831]

Love the concept. I got a cheap brass with a shell set I bought and did a similar endeavor but with drilling holes in them! The sound could use some of this though. Any chance you noted down the general trends from hammering different areas/amounts?

[@SynthRay]

Thanks! What I've noticed so far, is that the hammering to a certain point will give the sound more sizzle and start to get more trashy the more you add. But if you keep hammering beyond the trashy stage being mindful of the tension between top and bottom hammering. The sound will begin to darken, or drop in pitch significantly and become a bit less trashy. It should be noted though that the results will vary quite a bit depending on the alloy ratio in the cymbals you start with. Will definitely be doing more experiments like this. Excited to make more videos!

[@sergioaraya681]

Well done❤

[@drummerr95]

haha yeah Back in 201I hammered my stock 16 crash. The sound after was more splashy with less awful sustain. When i heard it and play with it some time I decided not to throw it away :D

[@TomFord-kp8fh]

Wow what a difference.

[@kurbo_turbo7519]

Nice dude

[@viDUBla]

Excellent

[@DouglasRosser]

Get yourself something like an 8oz ball peen hammer and a sandbag to back the cymbal. My theory is that the hammering work-hardens a small area impact. IOW it's not the dents, but how the dents affect the metal.

[@breadoge8071]

Amazing!!

[@kkupsky6321]

I’m pretty sure iPhone audio is the world standard and that I’ll be going to town on whatever cymbals I broke.

[@dautisticguy]

I got to be honest im a fan of your tuning

[@SynthRay]

Hey! Thanks so much! 🍻

[@Pure_KodiakWILD_Power]

The bell isn't great, but the crash sounds pretty nice. Not crazy about the hihat, though

[@SynthRay]

For sure, it's all up to personal preference. Because I hammered so close to the bell, the sound became very dry and less pingy. I've already started hammering a few other cymbals and I can confidently say that the bell is more defined if you hammer less near the center.

[@Pure_KodiakWILD_Power]

@@SynthRay Nice. I need to find a dome anvil to do some topside hammering.

[@bradwilliams1650]

This rules sir!

[@UncleDanBand64]

Wow, to me that put more high end sizzle in there. I have a 10" splash that I will use on my Cajon Kit. It is not terrible but, I believe it is about to get some dents.

[@SynthRay]

It really did! The cymbal I started with had a very flat sound and needed more complexity. Definitely give it a try! It is a fun weekend project.

[@UncleDanBand64]

@@SynthRay Yes sir. Thanks for the tip.

[@jacobgoodman9392]

Commenting to ping algorithm.

[@betulaobscura]

There is no "good" or "bad" cymbal. It is all about musical context, application and execution (how someone use it, plays it) etc. Also: you could use small hammer with rounded head, instead of small pointy tool.

[@SkyeBoundExists]

YES

[@WalkerMasuda]

Cool!

[@Ja_Crispy]

you are one beautiful man

[@jcsk8]

Hammering mostly controls harmonics, on brass cymbals, wich have poor harmonics isn´t a good idea. Tried too, and it ruined the already "mufled" sounded cymbal.

[@metallurgico]

i think you should have used a more rounded object like a round head hammer or such

[@SynthRay]

For sure! I did this project totally on a whim. Will get a few more cymbals and some proper tools for upcoming videos. 👍

[@FFrappeFairy]

Weird dude in basement spitting facts.

[@beatfrombrain]

Talented, too

[@woody4269]

Moy bueno!

[@cristab103]

yo cool channel👊

[@randallross420]

Yeah I like the junkier sound better

[@mattnieri1202]

There's no way to make those Pearl Ass series cymbals sound worse 😅

[@Matt_bechillin]

My HCS Meinl set wanted me to tell you “F*** you, you got my ass beat “

[@SynthRay]

😆😆😆

[@992ras]

Still not the sound I would look for with a ride cymbal. also it would be better if you use a real metal hammer. The big difference is hand hammer isn’t ever really a pressed cymbal a lot press cymbals or cheaper cymbals use way more tin over bronze which is why it hard to get the wash of real hand hammer cymbals the tin also doesn’t help. Now don’t get me wrong I don’t expect pearl to make a great cymbal but I do expect great drum sets from them

[@SynthRay]

Fore sure! And interesting point you make about pressed cymbals. The sound from the cheap alloy does seem to make the decay very fast, not allowing enough time for that classic washy sound. But the cymbal is also 16 inches, so it's not really ride sized either. Like I said in the video, its still not anywhere close to a B20 cymbal. But I was surprised by the result I got especially considering the cymbal was just part of one of pearls starter "Roadshow Series" kits. I figured hey, the cymbals already aren't very good, what could go wrong. Would be curious to try hammering an intermediate quality cymbal like a Sabian B8 Ride. Now I just need to learn to use a lathe so I can take some of the weight off. Alongside getting a proper hammer...😆

[@wkrnalrib4445]

You are using the wrong kind of hammer you want to use a ball peen hammer and maybe a ball punch instead of pilers so have more control. Go hammer some more cymbals

[@failuretolaunchdrums]

Second this I tried years ago with a cheap cymbal (thank God) with a framing hammer and broke right through the cymbal. Definitely check out Lance Campeau’s old videos. That said, that’s the spirit dude!!! Fun video.

[@failuretolaunchdrums]

sheesh nvm Lance took down all the old videos… shame.

[@SynthRay]

For sure! When I shot this first video, I actually didn't have the proper hammer, and was actually just filming the process for myself totally on a whim. But seeing all the interest in this topic, I will definitely be putting out more videos soon using proper tools. 👍

[@blasborygmi]

this video is sick you should do more man!

[@SynthRay]

Thanks so much! More videos are on the way very soon!

[@cake6650]

the hi hats sound surprisingly good

[@BikerEgg1]

I wonder about annealing the alloy before and after this process. I mentioned annealing an old cymbal to a drummer, to prevent cracking. I thought he was going to have a conniption. Ok, that's a bit extreme, but he was unwilling to do anything that might change the sound of his cymbals. I'm not a drummer, just bought a kit to expand my musical horizons. I don't have thousands to get some quality cymbals but I don't want to use "trash can lids" either. I think I might try annealing, hammering and annealing again.

[@kadenshoemaker6669]

Also can you test if tenor drums can sound like 1 sided concert toms please nobody has tried that to my knowledge get a cheap set of tenors off of temu or something to stick with the cheap drums to sounding expensive idea lmao

[@kadenshoemaker6669]

I sit patiently awaiting the next masterpiece please hurry lmao

[@sniglebits]

Make more vids vro, you're tight.

[@octavius428ball]

Hilarious 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😅😅😅😅😅😂😂😂😂

[@LanceCampeau]

Hammer on top to add tension Hammer on the bottom to release tension

[@SynthRay]

Genuinely appreciate this info. Will give this a try in some future videos for sure. Thanks! 👍

[@Killenmachine05]

I did this myself a couple weeks ago, pro tip, hammer the underside, that was when I started seeing those complex Turkish cymbal type qualities I was after

[@SynthRay]

Oh cool! Thanks for the tip! Definitely want to give that a try. Love the sound of those Turkish cymbals. What kind of cymbal did you start with? The one in my video is brass. But I’d love try hammering a B8 or B12 bronze cymbal.

[@Killenmachine05]

​@SynthRay my bad, thought I replied to this, I started off with a nuvader ride cymbal, I have a short of it on my channel if you wanna check it out!

[@edwardkaminsky8142]

Hammering cymbals with a pair of aviation ( tin ) snips is quite an interesting endeavor. I would have anticipated someone hammering away with...well, some kind of hammer. Something underneath the cymbal to recieve the force of the hit, other than the outer edges of the cymbal itself. IMO the ride was turned into a China with no bell. Can't hurt to experiment with cheapy cheapy cymbals. I have watched the cymbalsmith from Reverie cymbals turn mediocre cymbals into works of musical art. Maybe acquiring some of the tricks of the trade, you might be able to turn some real gems out. The gift is thinking outside the box.

[@Eurodrummer666]

Exactly the video I was looking for! I've got a a set of Meinl classics first generation. I like them, but the 14" kind of sounds cheapo. Some inside hammering could improve it hopefully.

[@SynthRay]

I'd say its definitely worth a try, especially on a cymbal that you already don't particularly like the sound of. 👍 Really glad you enjoyed the video, and have a great day!

[@Eurodrummer666]

@@SynthRay you too mate!

[@morganwardfilm]

hammering off camera LMAO

[@SynthRay]

STAHP IT 😆

[@wiggleforp]

tinfoil cymbals and an eyephone are truly the pairing of a champion. personally I would have invested the cost of the eyephone into some good cymbals and put the rest down on an android phone, can't lose with that! But I will also mention, those cymbals are super cheap so using them to mess around with modifications is actually a pretty good move.

[@Hreodrich]

Did this to a very thick sabian b8 rock ride and made it reminiscent of a Scott Johnson transition ride. Not completely of course but it was in the ballpark.

[@LeakyJAZZ]

just a heads up man. meinl duals are hammered all the way through. what ur seeing is just where the didn't lathe it. but almost all cymbals are hammered 100% from bell to edge. istanbul agop traditinal Trash Hit crash cymbals are the only exception i can think of

[@SynthRay]

Oh interesting! I was definitely fooled by the lathing. It makes the hammering look much less dramatic near the edges. Thanks for this info. And definitely noted for future videos!

[@Darbohne]

that is so fun to watch! thanks!

[@Drummin-fd3hl]

Sick vid 👌🤠

[@Drummin-fd3hl]

Fr tho nice editing

[@SynthRay]

Thank you so much! It was a lot of fun to make! Got more projects coming soon. 👍

[@maxmok1729]

That one time when KZbin recommends a good channel for once! Glad to come across your channel, love the concise format and looking forward to more awesome contents like this :)

[@SynthRay]

Wow, thanks so much! Genuinely glad you enjoyed the video! More projects are on their way! 😀

[@JediMobius]

I will definitely be trying this on some random cymbals I was bequeathed in hopes of improving their tone.

[@krusher74]

The chances of cracks staring from all these new stress points and doing this to a brass cymbal are high

[@JediMobius]

@@krusher74 good thing I'll be experimenting with cymbals I don't otherwise care about... 🤷