If you are a beginner drummer looking to buy the first cymbals, the question that usually pops up is: “What metals are cymbals made of?” Most often, three different kinds of alloys are used for cymbal manufacturing. We take a closer look at them in this article.
Cymbals can be made of different kinds of copper alloys:
- Bell bronze
- Malleable bronze
- Brass
- Nickel silver
If you are eager to find out more about the most common types of cymbals and the material they are made of, read on!
What are cymbals made of?
Cymbals are mainly made of the following materials:
Bell bronze
Bell bronze or B20 alloy are made from an alloy of copper and tin, usually in the ratio of 80% copper to 20% tin. It is a two-phase alloy, which means that some of the tin is not dissolved in the copper grains and instead persists in the space between them. B20 cymbals have a wide variety of frequencies, which allows you to be more versatile with your drumming. Major orchestras generally use B20 cymbals, which are capable of a greater dynamic range than any others. They are also generally the preferred cymbals of drum kit players.
Malleable bronze
Malleable bronze, commonly known as B8 bronze cymbals, is a tin-copper alloy with an average tin content of 8%. Unlike bell bronze, it is a single-phase alloy that may be cold-rolled into sheets. It comes in a variety of grades and thicknesses as commercial sheet metal. B8 cymbals have an extra bright and focused sonority. They are great for those who would like the quality of bronze but are short on their budget. Suppliers usually cast them before being brought into the cymbal companies, which makes them cheaper.
Brass
The brass alloy contains about 38% zinc in copper. They are low-cost and the most basic cymbals you can’t hit too hard. Brass cymbals sound slightly muffled in comparison to all bronze alloys. The rigidity of brass results in cymbals that have a harsh sound and are prone to cracks around the bell hole and border, so they aren’t meant to last long.
Nickel silver
Nickel silver cymbals are made of copper-based alloy with about 12% nickel. They are usually very thin and have a strong tone without the shimmer or sensitivity of tin bronze cymbals. This alloy is used for some beginners’ cymbals but also for very few specialized high-quality cymbals.
Cymbals can be made of different kinds of copper alloys. To recap…
Bell bronze cymbals contain 20% of tin and are the preferred cymbals of most drum kit players.
Malleable bronze cymbals, with 8% tin in the copper alloy, are good for those who would like the quality of bronze but are short on their budget.
Brass cymbals contain 38% zinc in copper, and they are the most basic cymbals you can hit if you are a beginner.
Nickel silver alloy is made with 12% nickel in copper, and it’s used for a mix of different cymbal styles.
What are Zildjian cymbals made of?
Zildjian cymbals are made from a secret alloy that’s 80% copper and 20% tin, plus a small amount of silver. The alloy is created by:
- Mixing copper and tin
- Pouring the mixture into a large mold
- Heating the mold to about 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit
- Rolling the mixture through two steel rollers
The exact process for combining the ingredients is a closely guarded family secret. Zildjian’s cymbals are known for their musical quality and tone. The company has been making cymbals since 1623 when Avedis Zildjian was granted permission to start his own business in Constantinople. The name “Zildjian” literally means “cymbal smith”.
What are Sabian cymbals made of?
Sabian cymbals are created by following the century-old tradition of combining precise amounts of copper and tin with traces of silver to create an 80/20 bronze alloy. The result of this intensive, time-honored process is a metal alloy that acts as the secret sauce in SABIAN’s innovative line of product offerings, creating unparalleled musicality, flexibility, and durability that allows them to push the boundaries of cymbal-making.
What are beginner cymbals made of?
Brass is used almost exclusively for beginner cymbals. These are the cymbals you get when you buy a cheap, beginner drum kit. The brass is typically made of 63% copper and 37% zinc.
What are Paiste Alpha cymbals made of?
Made from their CuSn8 bronze, Alpha cymbals are a member of the 2002 sound family. Designed as a benchmark for what Paiste considers basic, professional sound quality and function, Alpha models are created with wide-ranging musical versatility in mind.
They are hand-hammered and hand lathed, making them unique in their price category. The general sound feelings are bright, energetic, powerful, and cutting. Alpha cymbals have the clarity, projection, warmth, and tonal definition one expects from a professional caliber instrument; great-sounding cymbals for a moderate investment.
FAQs
What are the best cymbals made of?
The most popular ratio that cymbal makers use is 80% bronze and 20% tin. This is where the designation “B20” bronze comes from. A B20 bronze cymbal offers the greatest range of frequencies available in cymbals and can be manipulated in a variety of ways to sound darker or brighter, depending on the desired product.
Are cymbals made of brass?
Yes, brass is one of the materials used to make cymbals. These are the cymbals you get when you buy a starter or beginner drum kit. The brass is typically made of 63% copper and 37% zinc. Brass has a reputation for being a material that is not used for high-quality cymbals, but there are some cymbal makers like Manabu Yamamoto who create high-quality hand-hammered brass cymbals. So the material is not the sole determinant of sound.
The material is just one factor in cymbal sound. How the material is worked is more important than the material. The host of different tones coming from B20 cymbals demonstrates how other factors can influence how a cymbal plays. Examples of brass cymbals are budget cymbal lines like Paiste 302, Meinl Marathon, UFIP Kashian 2000, UFIP M8, and some UFIP custom-made cymbals.