I keep my brass at a comfortable playing angle without any toppers or felts. See photo. I was only asking because it seems to me, adding felts and locking down the cymbal will kill vibrations. Act as mufflers.
[IMG]http://i1143.photobucket.com/albums/n632/PurdieShuffle/angles.jpg[/IMG]
John
I use everything that comes with the cymbal stand, and all my hardware on my three kits is authentic. So that means felt washers and wing nuts on top. Plus I keep my cymbals at a slight angle as well, and as stated before that's pretty tough with no toppers. Whatever suits anybody else is fine by me.
Stephen
We used to regularly play a rough pub on the Central Coast of OZ... Fights often worked their way up to and on to the stage.. My ride & Crash were always "Un Topped".. They were for available for quick access to be used as a shield.
One night I held off two guys with a 22" Zild until the bouncers got there..
True story...
Cheers
(for the locals..Lakes Hotel The Entrance)
Fights in Australia? Surely you jest. :)
Stephen
Wish I did...
And back to the point.. My Crashes & HH hang pretty loose, but I do angle a Ride screwed down a bit... but it has to breathe... never any Metal to Metal contact and never had a keyhole.. (change your fish tank hose regularly)..
and stay out of fights..
Cheers
As before mentioned, the dice toppers are on ebay.
Oh. I use (and always have) the felts, washers and wing nuts for my cymbals. The Yammy stands even have cool lightning bolt wing nuts. Wouldn't consider not using them.
B
I'm with John on this one in that I don't use a felt on the top of my cymbals for fear of choking the sound.
A metal washer & felt on the bottom, a plastic sleeve around the stand's "Stalk" and a little rubber plumbing washer to prevent metal to metal contact on the wing nut, threaded on just enough to not go anywhere.
It's become a peeve (one of many) to see a cymbal crunched so tight on to it's stand that it hardly wobbles.
It's usually played by someone hammering away at it, wondering why it doesn't give the sound they want.
While not vintage, these things are the best. No metal anything to ever rattle, no chasing cymbal sleeves, there is no way for a cymbal to push the sleeve off, the washer AlWAYS stays level (a pet peeve of mine in the old days) and they won't fall off the cymbal stand at all because they actually thread onto it. You can leave them wide open with no top felt and no wing nut if you so desire. Well worth the cost, which isn't much.
I'm with John on this one in that I don't use a felt on the top of my cymbals for fear of choking the sound.A metal washer & felt on the bottom, a plastic sleeve around the stand's "Stalk" and a little rubber plumbing washer to prevent metal to metal contact on the wing nut, threaded on just enough to not go anywhere. It's become a peeve (one of many) to see a cymbal crunched so tight on to it's stand that it hardly wobbles.It's usually played by someone hammering away at it, wondering why it doesn't give the sound they want.
Didn't mean to redirect the thread, my apologies to rock-a-billy. I meant the question more as a survey type thing than to spark a debate. What Richie said; "I don't use a felt on the top of my cymbals for fear of choking the sound," makes sense to me and to my ears. I was just curious about how many guys use felts and washers to lock-down their cymbals. Rich goes on to add; "It's usually played by someone hammering away at it, wondering why it doesn't give the sound they want." Which is also very true.
I know what 'open' and 'choked' cymbals sound like. I don't play in a way that would make my cymbals go out of control or fly off the stand. All I want is to hear them when I hit them (or ride them,) and not, a muffled version of it. I am (honestly) genuinely surprised to learn that so many guys lock their cymbals down. It is counterintuitive.
John
So back on topic, what exactly are drum dice? Are they a threaded wing nut replacement? That would be great fun for a fifties retro band.
