What Shapes A Cymbals’ Sound

PART 1

We are starting a two part series that goes over the anatomy of a cymbal because cymbals are a big part of a drummers sound. Every cymbal make / model has a different sound that helps bring the expressions / life that makes every individual’s style. It’s no wonder why there are so many that will swear by one brand of cymbals and stick to them but; there comes a time in every drummers life when they wish their cymbals could sound a little “bighter” or more “complex.” This is where knowing the anatomy of a cymbal and how the surface influences the sound can come in very handy and save you a ton of cash and headaches.

First, let’s look at the different alloys that are usually used for cymbals:

Taken by our drum tech, reviewing and totally stoked about new cymbals.

1. Brass

Brass can produce dark sounds and a great warm sound if the metal is worked properly but can be expensive due to the hammering and blend of brass involved. Although it has the potential to sound good, most places you will find a brass cymbal is in a cheap brass / zinc alloy that will sound bright and clanky.

2. B8 Bronze

B8 is a good sounding alloy that is a 92% copper / 8% tin and tend to sound brighter than B20 bronze because of the high copper content. In most cases you will find the alloy used for starter to mid range cymbals but, can be worked to produce specific and great sounding cymbals.

Explore Tongxiang B8 Alloy Cymbals

3. B20 Bronze

Most professional models and high end cymbals are made of B20 that is made of 20% tin and 80% copper. This blend allows cymbals to take the darker and more modern sound that everyone loves and is familiar with.

Explore Tongxiang B20 Alloy Cymbals

4. Other Blends

There are other blends manufacturers are using like B10, B12, etc. all using a different tin content to achieve different mid to high range sounds vary in brightness and warmth. To give a little perspective their sound and projection falls somewhere between B8 and B20 alloy cymbals.

Coming Soon

Our motto is to bring you the best sound and quality for your money. That said, we set out to find the very best in cymbals and found Tongxiang Cymbals in China. They produce quality cymbals mixing Turkish and Chinese hammering methods to produce a wide variety of sounds and voices that are only matched by the unique looks. Manufactured in China, we are glad and honored to bring them to the United States.

Tongxiang TS Cymbal Series

A breakdown of Tongxiang's TS cymbal line. Quality cymbals hammered by master artisans without the price markup.

Contact Us

Have questions about the cymbals we carry? Need a specific model from Tongxiang? Or a custom mix / match pack to build your sound? Let us know how we can help and we will respond as soon as possible.

Segmented Snare Builds What Shapes A Cymbal’s Sound P.2