Testing the WEIRDEST way to Patina a Cymbal

YEARS ago, ‪@DavidColaDrums‬ asked me about this weird cymbal patina recipe that is supposed to age your cymbals and give them a drier, darker sound. I did it to a set of hihats and china cymbal, but didnt have much luck, plus the video was a mess so I never released it. Fast forward to now and I found the book where it originated. So I had to follow the recipe to see how it would effect this cheap $20 Monoprice ride cymbal I bought at Walmart lol. If my drumming career was to fail, I think I could start my own cooking show....
Check out Recording Unhinged by Sylvia Massy for some interesting tips & tricks for those with a DIY mindset!
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[@rdavidr]

Would you do this to your cymbals?

[@LucaMiebach]

I have a cheap Paiste PST3 20" Ride lying around and I'm bored so I might try it.

[@chug2176]

rdavidr I’d try this if I had a good bit of extra ones but if this is my only or main cymbal, probably not.

[@joeday4293]

Honestly, it sounds like it's not even worth the bother.

[@aking8477]

Lol NO. Cool video though.

[@markswanmusic]

I did something similar to this on an old busted zildjian a crash. Left it in my backyard for a while summer. Definitely changed the look, but mostly just dulled the cymbal out. Didn't really make it darker sounding though 🤷‍♂️

[@martinkent_]

The Meinl Byzance Coffee Vinegar Chip Dark Extra Dry Rusty-Ass Trash Crash

[@ethancundiff6422]

Haha great comment!

[@jasonobuobisa6501]

with hot sauce

[@mikemurphy8580]

Don’t Diss Meinl Byzance lmfao

[@marcoavilasonavila2233]

Cost: $599.99

[@pawns2prizes]

I use the timeless method of smoke, dust and years of abuse. 😂

[@StephenTaylorDrums]

Why don't you just eat your food like normal people David?

[@rdavidr]

All the grocery stores around me are empty. I had to improvise and make some tasty vinegar-shakes

[@Blisstheproducer]

That’s what I said Stephen🙄

[@fuchsia5899]

@@rdavidr yum

[@Jason_Andrew_Relva]

@@rdavidrey gimme some 💅👁👄👁

[@maprow]

When your mom says, "We have dark cymbals at home" . . .

[@jna3341]

I've tried and succeeded at applying a patina on cymbals by burying them underground. I buried a set of Stagg hihats overnight and they were significantly drier and darker.

[@DrDr-pg5br]

Yes. The Zildjian Earth Ride is named after such a technique. Jazz artists would do this too.

[@natefreedman2972]

Dr Dr wait rly?

[@jayvalle50]

@@natefreedman2972 my guess would be to tame the harsher under/over tones

[@vistalite-ph4zw]

24" Earth ride is/was a good ride, great for heavy metal

[@ChannelTheHistory]

I had an Earth Ride when I was a kid. So heavy. Would’ve been cool with a much lighter cymbal.

[@pepe7drum]

Day 33 on the quarantine: Im watching a dude throw coffee to a cymbal

[@Thumpprr]

the real question is does darker coffee blends mean darker tones?

[@dimitriostsiamouras8251]

FBI wants to know your location

[@JailDoctor1]

I prefer the French roast Arabica.

[@rdavidr]

Lol I was thinking the same actually

[@Psymon1471]

Now that's fresh ground beans from the hills of Colombia

[@jayvalle50]

Yes. Yes it does.

[@carsonswitalski9098]

4:10 Meinl Byzance 20” Extra Dry Spicy Ride

[@DavidColaDrums]

Will give you all my lesson packs for free if you drink that smoothie you made.

[@rdavidr]

Tempting, but ill pass 😂

[@wintersummers3085]

One thing I like about rdavidr is that his before and after tests are always really thorough. Good examples of the same beat played with both and just the cymbal in question really helps

[@SebastianTraian]

Winter Summers he even wore the same clothes!

[@dabodyx]

If only I could buy this 20$ Walmart cymbal. Sounds amazing for this price!

[@lewislittledyke9817]

yeah you can use it as a crash ride and it sounds better than them beginner meinl or paiste cymbals 🥴

[@dabodyx]

@@lewislittledyke9817 20$ for this sound is a no brainer. I would buy 2 or 3 of those in a second lol

[@vistalite-ph4zw]

I contacted the manufacturer (Monoprice) to see if they will start production again. Of course no reply, just the standard will keep you posted Email...🙄

[@dabodyx]

@@vistalite-ph4zw awesome dude keep me updated please!

[@alvaroruizruiz7538]

Check the millenium b20 cymbals from thomann

[@ZareP1]

normal people: How to clean my cymbals without erasing the logos rdavidr: dyi patina sounds like a good idea

[@atoms12123]

other normal people: man i'm just never gonna clean my cymbals so they develop a nice patina.

[@DrSamE]

Then there's me taking all the logos off with nail polish remover. Those always getting bigger and uglier logos are just so ugly!

[@elijahsacco]

@@DrSamE Meinl and Zildjian be like "if you want to get smaller logos you'll have to buy Foundry Reserve and Avedis Signature cymbals. That'll be $1,000 for a set of hihats please."

[@leokaplowitz9290]

That cooking intro was great 😂😂😂

[@Gitarzan66]

You never replied to my question about the value of my screw.

[@craigstrickland1572]

That intro to the segment was fire!!!

[@JoeyVilleneuve]

Coffee grounds and chips were irrelevant/redundant. All you need is a mild acid on bare metal and some dwell time in a moist environment. Accelerated oxidation is all it is. I think the bell sounded better before, but the taper sounds better now.

[@thomaskennydrums]

I assume the coffee grounds allowed the patina to be more patchy as they allowed it to soak in without even coverage like there'd be if it just soaked in vinegar

[@SeanD313]

I recall reading years ago about using pickle brine to patina cymbals, and that it was highly effective because it was a combo of acid and salt. In this case, the chips do add (some) salt, so they may not be completely irrelevant.

[@JoeyVilleneuve]

@@SeanD313 He added salt himself, so the salt from the chips were effectively redundant. But yes, salt and mild acid is what is needed

[@brendonmasters]

So pee on my cymbals after I shit and vomit them? Vegan

[@tylerboydstun527]

That jingle changed my life

[@Psymon1471]

Everyone check out Dream Cymbals. They bury one of their lines of cymbals, Dark Matter, for a few weeks or something and these cymbals are very dry, dark and washy. They still come with the soot on them. Great ride cymbals for jazz drummers. My set of 15" Bliss hats are my favorite hats

[@SethYaman]

Simon Oliver love my 15” bliss hats too

[@walterwhite7325]

The 1 dislike is the author of that book

[@pestilencekills]

You mean Sylvia Massey, the producer that's worked with Johnny Cash, Tom Petty, Tool, Slayer, System of a Down and was a professor at Berklee? Yeah, I bet she's real cut up that the rusty cymbal thing didn't work ;)

[@tommyaudio]

sylvia massey is prince's original and main engineer. she's a legend, like an eddie kramer to jimi hendrix or something. she doesn't care about a KZbin video ✌😆

[@benf340]

I definitely wanna see some more patina methods

[@scottyrocket1490]

I just tried using "liver of sulphur" on a cheap Meinl ride and a Paiste HH top. Works like a champ with dark, thorough patina. You have to sand off the protective coating first.

[@randysanchez931]

Oh brother - We’re at the final frontier of drum content. Well at least I know where the term salsa and picante crash came from.

[@uglypineapple03]

This is the BEST and fucking FUNNIEST intro i've seen in a while. And I really mean, like, IN A WHILE!!!

Nice, definitely tames the harsher high frequencies. I would probably experiment with taping the bell to preserve the clear "ping" while oxidizing the rest of the cymbal!

[@josephtaurone4024]

this was awesome! production for this video is really cool dave

[@ungatoenuntaller]

I don't even play drums but I love your videos. They are so interesting that I'm starting to looking for a drum set

[@nolantrello]

Absolutely loved the music in the intro the video!!!! Such an amazing touch to the video!

[@eastonotsae]

Its always a good day when David posts

[@TheOriginalSkazzBand]

When that song came on I laughed so hard! Love it Dave

[@daneager473]

liked for the new jingle for "Cooking Cymbals with Dave". Stoked for this season's episodes!

[@oldmanfromscenetwentyfour8164]

Back in the day we used to bury cymbals in the Fall, covered in all sorts of debris (dirt, leaves, manure, urine, etc) and dig them up in the Spring. We did this with crappy cymbals in order to get them to sound like "something" other than a crappy cymbal.

[@RADSQUID123]

For getting dry dark sounds, I think hand hammering is always better than gathering or forcing patina on cymbals. Although patina does add character and mojo, like holes in your favorite jeans. Not too long ago I bought a complete set of 1960s Apollo cymbals, including a 22 ride, 20 Ride, 17 crash, and 14 hats. They all sound amazing, and they all share a weird sort of rainbow-like patina. I rubbed my fingers on those stains and it actually smelled bad! I had no idea why. So I went back over the stains with castille soap and now they don't smell at all. And of course the cymbals still sound like smokey, rumbling, vintage gorgeousness...

[@joeltong5159]

Loved the segment intro 😂😂😂

[@Robster-Craw]

It's funny when you said it brought out more overtones. I was thinking that same thing when you were doing the cymbal side by side by its self. It's like it unlocked all this potential that was locked away in the shine.

[@PaulAJCMoreau]

def want to see more!

[@inthevaultswithmikeypee6655]

Cooking cymbals with Dave - hilarious song!

[@j_simpson1192]

Love your videos man

[@daveschenck7901]

I spat on my ride once mid performance, just being weird and left it and those spots looked better than this.

[@justinrensel8518]

You nasty

[@alanduncan1980]

I liked the little jingle for the Cookin' with Dave show. 👍

[@brasspic]

What about the old "burying it in the ground for a year" version?

[@ljdunsmore1]

He didnt have enough space on the SD card to film that 😂

[@aligrant2605]

Love to see you make a duo snare like the one on tamas superstar hyperdrive duo line from an old floor tom. Love the videos!

[@jezusmylord]

That jingle was awesome!

[@Noah-ux7iq]

I love the ear defenders for the blender 😂

[@bendickens5975]

I love this new style of video

[@rubnm5]

This is prime content right here!

[@JohnChopinWood]

Yes please to more patina’s. I’d love to know how to get a nice dark sound on some of my old cymbals :)

[@judecrawford2351]

The man’s a legend

[@graysonkredit2800]

Production quality goin up👆🏼

[@jyvlii1828]

"Welcome to Dave's kitchen"

[@jaydonmcwhirter6039]

Love ur videos man! 🤩🙌🏻

[@RedCymbals]

Cool video...everyone loves a funky patina!

[@Jediroller]

Love this patina subject and diy approaches to it. Great vid btw :) Honestly thought you were going to use the common vinegar and salt method. You should experiment and try a few out.

[@lucasjacks3594]

the ole monoprice ride cymbal. i remember when you got that thing. cool videos btw! love watching!

[@jasonm3871]

I've got that same Monoprice cymbal, and have been wondering about adding some patina. You answered that for me. It's not a bad sounding cymbal at all, and I agree that this hurts the sound.

[@BB6Teardrop]

Yes please do more patina videos!

[@bbqribz570]

i'd love to see some more patina stuff. also wouldn't mind seeing you try to make something like a Dual zone cymbal out of a old heavy ride.

[@gtrdrumsplayerduarte]

I put 2 small round magnets on the ride edge and it also achives that loss of high frequency. Very good for excessive bright cymbals

[@cvblaylock]

It maybe got a tad darker but nothing to write home about. Great video as always! Hope you are doing well during this quarantine.

[@ToweringBog9889]

Who figured out you could do this. like did someone spill coffee on their cymbal then forget it outside and then they noticed the cymbal was darker after

[@ljdunsmore1]

A good method for staining wood cheap is to use coffee or tea. So I could see where this method come to fruition for color.. however.. changing the sound.. didn't seem to work as well

[@Zequintiny]

Probably, someone like the dry sound of old, weathered cymbals. So they wanted a way to patina them faster. What corrodes metal? Acids!

[@mathias841]

Zequintiny coffee for the color,vinegar for the acus, but WHY CHIPS ?!

[@elonmust7470]

@@mathias841 probably as a medium for the vinegar to soak into.

[@purnellknight5368]

Ngl I love that into song lol it’s different from what you do I love that song a lot. That mush looks tasty btw😋

[@EpexLife]

This was pretty cool! I’d say you should check some other ways to do this process. Thoroughly enjoyed 👍🏼

[@LanceCampeau]

"The Cymbake Project"

[@senorgarcia4071]

great video, love the intro

[@thomasjoyce1659]

Would love to see those other patina ideas dave :)

[@mattsquaaaared]

I have some spare B8's and i like that patina look sooooo... more cooking cymbals with dave please!

[@failuretolaunchdrums]

Not necessarily what I’d do... but Sylvia Massy is a total mad scientist of recording and has produced and engineered records that has shaped music as we know it.

[@jannik-x]

I actually like it. The difference in sound is subtle, but for the better according to my taste at least.

[@ljdunsmore1]

Great experiment! I wouldn't say it had great results BUT now we know! It did seem to knock off the higher frequencies though if that's what you were going for in a sound which really isn't a bad technique.

[@hootenhuggybear]

Bruh when I saw your first try cymbals, I literally yelled out 'OH GOD!' lol!!!

[@gustadreams5389]

Really cool music transition! Make me laugh

[@JailDoctor1]

Even played through my cheapie Blackweb Walmart speaker, I can tell the difference. I prefer the bright clean sound, however all my cymbals are "aged". very

[@renatopestana9526]

I’ve done patina on a cymbal but it was a different recipe... it got all green and funky then I washed it and it was really dark. The sound really changed and I was happy with it. I used salt and lemon.

[@braaaaaains]

I've been doing cymbal patinas for a couple years now. Cheap B20 is one of the roughest to work with and almost never takes on color how you want/see. I've used Zildjian A's and gotten great color out of them, but they were thrashed cymbals I turned into clocks. That being said, I do think this cymbal sounds a little better with the darker undertones the patina added.

[@ilikecymbals]

I electro plated my cymbals with copper, also trace amounts of silver, magnesium, and zinc from pennies. There are chemicals bronze artists use for blueing, greening, and Redding statues -- I think it would be fascinating to combine bronze blueing with electro plating, using a variety of chemicals & metals and see what the patinas look like, and if they change the sound.

[@behinddeadeyes]

That little singing transition was the nicest thing I've ever seen

[@magrildz]

This intro music "Cooking Cymbals With Dave" is pretty cool hahahaha

[@davidskrlj7979]

Love the intro jingle bro, hope you end up using it with your cymbal experiments:)

[@Salasa92]

Def has less sustain and more stick definition with a roll off on the higher frequencies. Maybe getting the underside with the same blend would be worth trying. Or even sanding it before adding the patina blend would be pretty cool

[@hytechhillbilly6367]

so weird that the patina on the cymbal would make the tune of your snare slightly deeper

[@rdavidr]

lol

[@janknjazovic]

YES! more pls! : )

[@deathcheatersguild4266]

The cymbal definitely sounds better. Try bearing in the earth for a while. A little dirt, a little rain.

[@casperwichmann5924]

A friend of mine once buried a couple of Dream cymbals for abut a week and they came out (up?) green. And they sound great

[@rockycavignac6152]

rdavidr .... very curious.... what handheld thermometer did you use in this video, and would you recommend it?

[@rosejuliette9180]

I actually think that creating a patina works better with cheaper bronze cymbals. I have a Zildjian zxt 22" ride that has been developing a patina over many years now with some help from me by removing the coating and creating micro abrasions on the surface. I think I love that ride more than any other cymbal I own and I love how the tone changed with time. Come to think it I think it must be about 13yo now.

[@troyeiffert338]

I’d like to see more patina versions!

[@felice4008]

Oldschool David !

[@mitchinatr7093]

The goddamn death metal with the blender slayed me.

[@GolddenWaffles]

Now Set it on Fire! 🔥🔥🔥

[@FM16117]

If you take the steel wool and clean it back to bright again, does it sound the same as it did before? How does it sound if you treat both sides?

[@failedcreation1]

I would do it with a cheap used cymbal for fun, sure. I drilled up a used Rude China and it sounded great. An interesting ending would have been to clean up the cymbal and see what it sounded like.

[@martinkent_]

I like the intro lol

[@kiltymacbagpipe]

I wonder if the quality of the bronze makes a difference.

[@kivnmartens69]

Hi David, Question, you have any idea to remove flam stickers from basdrum head? ;) :)

[@1toonhead]

Please do more hack video's. That was the main reason I have been watching your channel since the beginning of the 20 dollar drum kit. PS what ever happened to that kit.

[@mariothedevil1537]

"alright, it's now tomorrow" -rdavidr

[@whyhatestrangers]

*I don't recommend this since I don't even know exactly what happened.* But years back. I left my one and only 20" K custom dark ride cymbal in the trunk of my car for a week during a hot summer. I'd forgotten I'd also left an old dead car battery in the trunk from like months before. The battery had leaked what little juice was left onto my car trunk's carpeted covering, which my ride cymbal was placed upside-down upon for at least a week. When I pulled it out for the next gig, I discovered, in horror, that my beautifully coated K custom had a new patina finish in a very unusual and indescribable carpeted pattern. And it was *finished hard.* That night, I played it as normal and it was noticeably quieter and darker, the dome had maybe a third less of a ping and it was seriously pissing me off. But when I got the cymbal home and scraped most of the crud off it, along with a nice steel wool polishing, it looked rather striking. And when I struck it, it sounded absolutely badass. The dome was bright and ear piercing, and I had crisp, dry tones at the edge, getting brighter and brighter towards the center. A happy accident, and it's now irreplaceable in my opinion. There is no darker ride with more wash and tone as far as I can afford, and I will never part with it - ever.

[@JulianFernandez]

sounds good

[@nikolasnavarro353]

Leave steel wool on vinegar for about a week. Remove the steel wool and add corn starch until it forms a thick paste. Add it to your cymbal and let ir rest for a couple of hours (or maybe even overnight, it depends on how dark you want your patina to be - the longer, the darker).

[@RyanAlexanderBloom]

I listened with headphones and I disagree that it sounds any more “B8” as those usually sound very cutting and harsh. This did lose shimmer, but I’d say not anything like a standard b8 sound.

[@alskyfajardo7361]

Could you make a video trying to do a patina finish on a steel (or any other metal) with a basic torch?