Cymbals Hammering & Alloys: How cymbals construction can change the Sound of your Drum Set
Cymbals are a fundamental part of any drum set. They add dynamics and make the drums much more fun to play. So it is important to understand the construction behind each cymbal and how it can affect the overall sound of your drum set. That's why you should know the hammering methods and the different metal alloys used in cymbals.
Hammering
Handmade
This is the traditional technique for shaping the cymbals. The process is simple. The person in charge of the creation takes a round piece of metal and starts hitting it with a hammer. In this process, the craftsman gives the shape of the bell and bow, giving each cymbal its specific shape and, of course, its sound.
The Handmade process makes each of the cymbals different from the other. They could be the same type, however, they would not sound equal, but rather similar. Likewise, its made with great quality standards, paying attention to the slightest detail. Because of this, it is very rare to find low-end handmade cymbals. That's why many people love this type of cymbals because of its uniqueness and quality. All handmade cymbals are one of a kind, and many people are attracted by this idea. Usually, these cymbals are related to high-end products, but it doesn't mean they are always better, it all depends on the musician's taste.
Computer/Machine
This is just the industrialized way of producing cymbals. That means that machines are the ones that shape the metal sheets into the cymbals. Because of this, all cymbals produced by these devices will be an exact copy of each other. The sound and shape of all cymbals made by a machine are almost identical.
However, this doesn't mean that their quality isn't good. This process is used for most of the cymbals productions, both from a low quality to high-end. So there could be both great and awful cymbals made with machines.
Alloys
A metal alloy is the homogeneous mixture of two or more metals. There are a lot of metal alloys used for a great range of materials, from industrial activities to music. In the case of cymbals, there are two types of alloys that are the most commonly used, bronze and brass.
Bronze
Bronze is an alloy of Copper and Tin. Musically, depending on the percentage of tin in the alloy, the cymbal will have some special musical properties. If the percentage of tin is low, there will be higher frequencies and a brighter sound, and if the percentage of tin is high, there will be lower frequencies and darker sounds.
​
Moreover, there are different codings that represent the percentage of each metal in the bronze alloy. So when you see any cymbal with an alloy refer to B# (ex. B8, B15, B20, etc), it is a bronze alloy that has different percentages of tin in it. For example, B8 will be a bronze alloy with 8% tin, and accordingly 92% copper. If instead of a B# you find something like CuSn# (ex. CuSn8, CuSn20), it is just the same but instead of referring to bronze it is referring to copper (Cu in the periodic table) and tin (Sn) with its percentage (#).
​
Finally, you have to take into account that an alloy to be considered bronze should have at least 3% tin and 97% copper, and a maximum of 30% tin and 70% copper. Anything out of this range is not bronze.
B8
The B8 or CuSn8 is a cymbal with a metal alloy of 8% tin and 92% copper. It is one of the most popular alloys used by companies. Following the "tin logic", these cymbals have a brighter and focused sound, with higher frequencies, and are more resistant.
​
Just remember that with a greater percentage of copper the cymbal will produce higher frequencies and a brighter sound. That is why, in comparison to other bronze cymbals the B8 is usually related with a focused-brighter sound.
Famous Brands: Sabian B8, Paiste 2002, Meinl MCS.
Want to try B8 Cymbals Without breaking the Bank? We recommend any of these:
Meinl MCS Set + Free China Cymbal
Sabian B8X Cymbals Package
Paiste PST7 Rock Set
B20
The B20 or CuSn20 has an alloy of 20% tin and 80% copper. Just as the B8 it is also one of the most common cymbal alloys used. It is often related with a higher quality bronze cymbal, mainly because this alloy is under the Bell Metal category of bronze (from CuSn20 to CuSn25). Which means that they have greater sound qualities that other metal alloys (It is the alloy used for church bells). Therefore, it is common for cymbal companies to use this alloy for their high-end products.
​So the fact that it is B20 doesn't mean it is the greatest cymbal, but at least have decent sound qualities (you have to take into account the there are many other aspects that affect the overall sound of the instrument). However, you can still take into account the logic behind percentages when compared to the B8 alloy. This means that the B20 will have lower frequencies and darker sounds than the B8, mainly because it has a greater percentage of tin.
Famous Brands: Sabian AAX, Meinl Byzance, Zildjian A Custom.
Want Amazing B20 Cymbals Sets? We recommend any of these:
Zildjian A Custom Cymbal Set
Sabian AAX Set + Free Crash
Zildjian K Custom Cymbal Set
Brass
Brass
Imagine a Baker that makes a great garlic bread, with an outstanding flavor and great texture. People love that bread, but many of his customers can't afford it. So the baker starts to make a new type of bread, that looks like the garlic bread but is tasteless and hard. People buy it because is cheap and makes the work done. Brass cymbals are the tasteless, hard bread. It is not the best, but is affordable and makes the work done.
Brass is also a metal alloy, but different from bronze, it is made from zinc and copper. Although it is greatly used for cymbal production, it isn't the greatest musical option. Yet, this alloy has a great advantage, it is incredibly cheap. Probably, it doesn't have great sound properties as the bronze, but for its price, it can be worth it. If you are a beginner or don't want to invest too much money on cymbals, brass is perfect.​
A Beginner? or Simply looking for great Bass Cymbals? We recommend any of these:
Meinl Cymbals HCS + Free Splash
Zildjian Planet Z 4 Cymbal Set
Sabian SBR Cymbals Set
We created a list of Cymbals Sets with different alloys that are great for any drummer. Check Them Below:
*We are part of the Amazon Associate Program, that is an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn commissions by linking to Amazon. Also, it is a great tool for Us to recommend products related to our articles (like cymbals, drums, music albums, etc). So when you buy any item displayed in here we get a little percentage. This helps DrummersArt to survive economically and grow. Any contribution is very much appreciated.