Crash Cymbal - Cracking

Cracking

Crashes are often the first cymbal in a setup to warp and ultimately crack due to repeated striking of the edge. Cymbal cracking is generally in the form of a fracture along the edge, or across the bow, often originating from the edge. Cracks in cymbals are caused by poor technique or excessive play, or more rarely, the result of a defect originating from manufacture, or damage to the cymbal not caused by playing, for example dropping. If a crack is left untreated, it will begin to follow the lathe grooves around the cymbal, and could potentially spread all the way around the cymbal and back to the point where the crack started, causing the outer portion to simply drop off.

Often, lower quality sheet cymbals are more likely to crack, due to stress caused in some areas by pressing sheet metal. Thicker cymbals are also more likely to crack due to their brittleness, and less freedom to vibrate.

Cymbal manufacturers suggest that wear on the cymbal can be reduced by playing with glancing blows, angled to the side and slightly away from the vertical, about a quarter of the way between the edge and the center and allowing the drum stick to bounce off naturally, rather than forcing the stick down at the cymbal head-on. This allows the cymbal to vibrate freely and for little stress to be caused on the edge or at the center hole, thus reducing the chance of a crack.

Cracked cymbals are often fixed either temporarily or permanently by drilling a hole at either end of the crack (often the crack will spread further than it appears to the naked eye, so this method is often not as effective), or removing the cracked portion completely, or cutting the cymbal's edge down, although this method can drastically alter a cymbal's sound. Both of these methods are often ineffective at stopping cracks, but usually slow the spread of a crack down.