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ok, so i’ve decided to start a new category on my blog: How-To. in a nutshell, it’s stuff i know how to do, and knowledge i want to share. i came up with the thought this afternoon while i was watching the Angels on TV and polishing my cymbals.

i have a pretty sweet set of Zildjian cymbals:

• 14″ New Beat Hi-Hats
• 20″ K Ride
• 17″ K Custom Fast Crash
• 18″ K Custom Dark Crash

as you can see that totals 5 cymbals to polish (don’t forget there’s a bottom and top cymbal for the hi-hats). that’s quite a bit of work, but well worth it i think.

for polishing i use 3 polishing cloths that i bought at a car parts store. $3 for a 3 pack, which turns out to be perfect. for the actual cleaner i use Groove Juice which i think works very well. i also have an extra towel or rag for drying. i usually do this over carpet so when i lay down the cymbal i’m not scratching it up.

here’s my method:

1. i prepare my cloths. one cloth i use for rubbing in the cymbal cleaner (referred to as polishing cloth). another i use to wipe down the cymbal after applying cleaner (the wipedown cloth), and also to hold the cymbal so i don’t get any unwanted fingerprints. the last cloth (the drying cloth) i use in conjunction with the towel for drying the cymbal
2. start with the top of the cymbal. take some groove juice and spray it on the polishing cloth. rub it on a small area of the cymbal, making sure to do a small section at a time. i like to do a small area that extends from the rim of the cymbal all the way to the bell, and work my way around. i also use a circular motion. make sure to use the wipedown cloth, and rotate the cymbal as you go. when you go over the logos, rub lightly, so as to slow down the wear on the logo.
3. lay the cymbal on the carpet and wipe the top down with the wipedown cloth.
4. turn the cymbal over and repeat step 1-2 with the bottom of the cymbal. take good care not to fingerprint the top that you just cleaned
5. after wiping down the bottom of the cymbal, take it to the bathroom. i hold the cymbal using the wipedown cloth to prevent fingerprints. turn on the shower and give it a quick rinse on both sides. once the cymbal is wet i don’t care too much about fingerprints, as the water will help prevent fingerprinting.
6. take your towel or extra rag and wipe the cymbal dry. this is very important, as you don’t want any water to rust your cymbals.
7. now that the cymbal is dry, use the wipedown cloth to hold the cymbal. take your drying cloth and wipe the cymbal down again. i try to dry the cymbal off with 2 different cloths in orderto make sure that i’ve gotten it very very dry. like i said, you want to make sure your cymbals are dry dry dry as to prevent any bad things happening to them
8. check to make sure your cymbal is clean to your content. if it’s not, clean it again! i’m not overly picky about my cymbals being too clean, as i’ll likely muck them up again soon
9. return them to the cymbal stand. give them a quick crash to make sure they’ve brightened up a bit.
10. repeat the above for the remaining cymbals

cymbal care is important to the life of your cymbals. this takes me about 45 mins to 1 hour, but it’s well worth it in my opinion. if there are any drummers out there reading this and have other tips, be sure to put them in the comments.

happy drumming!

-m