Upcycled Percussion Brass Stacker 12" Cymbal
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If you thought our percussion couldn't get any weirder, you were wrong. This is a "cymbal" made from plate brass - also it is literally made from a brass plate. It's been flattened and hammered and shaped into the 12" circle you see here. It sounds... unique... by itself. Not an un-useable sound but one that is better augmented with other cymbals, large or small - hence the stacker/topper designation.
Our favorite application is to stack one of these on top of a 10" splash cymbal for a quick trashy burst that is half-clap half-sizzle. On larger cymbals, the topper gives you two distinct surfaces to play. It will trash-out big edge crashes, it will mute and sizzle ride patterns, and will generate stacked tones and overtones when played by the shoulder of the stick. Please check the bottom section on "use" to help get the most out of mounting options.
This cymbal is made "Turkish-style" with a hand-formed bell with and a high profile taper to the edge. This shape produces a sizzle-y, muting effect with larger cymbals with a lot of "ka" overtones. With splash cymbals the effect is quick and trashy, and the stick sound is less resonant.
It's important to note - these toppers will behave differently with different cymbals. The high profile of the cymbal itself should clear most decent-sized bells on ride cymbals (so the edge lays flat) but we can't promise that unequivocally. The profile of the cymbal underneath will largely determine the "sit and fit" of the stacker.
A few last things about use:
- There is a reason no one makes cymbals out of this sort of brass - it's soft and quite fragile compared to the various bronze cymbal alloys. Depending on how hard you play, the cymbal may dent or deform (and it can crack like any other cymbal). That is not our experience so far, but there's no substitute for good technique in prolonging the life of these cymbals.
- Building on that - allowing the cymbal free movement at the center hole is important, especially given the thin, more pliable nature of the material. Wing nuts and felts are fine, but wrenched down tight will not only kill the tone, but will stress the mounting hole to the point of breakage.
- Also, given that this cymbal's mounting hole may sit well above the one underneath it - some jockeying of cymbal stand pieces may be required - a smaller bottom felt, an extended sleeve or tubing, some tape around the mounting post; all of these will help to protect from metal-on-metal contact and/or keep the cymbal from "jumping the sleeve".