Lathing/Hammering effects on cymbals?

[matt-w]

I was wondering how hammering and lathing affects cymbals. What exactly does the hammering do to the sound? And how do different lathing techniques change the sound?

[drummguy731]

Hammering tends to effect the brightness or darkness of a cymbal. If the hammering is straight, like in an A Custom, the sound waves are able to travel out of the cymbal quicker, causing the cymbal to open up quicker. The cymbal also tends to be brighter when the sound waves travel straight and uninterrupted. Now when the hammering is random, like in a K Custom, the sound waves are interrupted because they have to travel all around the random hammering patterns. This tends to make a darker/warmer sound, and the cymbals won't open up as quickly. I'm not as knoweledgible on lathing, hopedully someone can help you there.

[matt-w]

Thanks Drumguy. That's been something I've been wondering about lately, so hopefully it'll help when I hammer my crash (the crappy Tama stock one...)

[Zildjian]

Good luck with that, hammering cymbals to make a tama cymbal sound good will take some skill

[drummguy731]

No problem man.

[matt-w]

Hammering the cymbal can't make it sound much worse, can it?

[drummguy731]

Not a Tama Cymbal. :lol:

[Enrique]

Not a Tama Cymbal. :lol:

LOL! I'm sure you probably know Matt-w, but you can't just pick up a "hammer" and start whaling on the thing! I'm sure you knew that... but there are some out there that haven't the slightest clue on where to start. Hope the project goes well! :smash:

[DethChamber999]

Lathing I believe affects the heaviness of the sound I guess. Like a completly Unlathed Istanbul crash cymbal with sound much more raw and heavy as compared to a thin crash, it will sound a lit thinner. Correct me someone, if a am wrong. Lathing I think basically controls the tightness of the sound.

[Aaron]

Lathing takes weight off a cymbal, which is why it alters the pitch of a cymbal.

[SparBZ]

My Vezir ride isn't lathed at the bottom which gives it its heavy, jazzy feel. I love it.

[ian1988]

PM Johan_VDS..... He actually hand hammers and lathes cymbals for a living. He would be the most knowledgeable in this department