My suggestions are for brilliant finish cymbals only. Been using BKF on Zildjian A Customs for over 20 years. The key is to wet the cymbal, shake a small amount on it, use a wet fiber towel to spread with minimal pressure so the logos don't get removed (you may need to use some pressure if cymbal has a lot of stick marks) then rinse thoroughly with warm to hot water and dry with fresh fiber towels. They will look brand new after this. Next step is to wax them. I use Meguiars Gold Liquid Wax. No more fingerprints!! Another important thing to do is to wax the brilliant cymbals when they are brand new and untouched with a thin layer of wax. This will provide a great layer of protection for fingerprints and stick marks and DOES NOT effect the sound and will actually cut down the amount of time they need to be cleaned because they are already protected. I have 15 year old brilliant A Customs and Oriental Chinas that look brand new. Also if your cymbals are always set up wipe them down lightly with a fiber towel once a week just to keep the dust out of the lathes. In short, screw all the other methods, BKF is the best!! Soda or lemon juice on cymbals? Both are acidic!! Would you wipe your asshole with a Clorox wipe too? Jeezis!!
I've used Bar Keepers Friend for years. Shines the cymbals up nicely, doesn't affect the sound other than I think a shinier cymbal has a brighter tone.
I do brass and percussion repair for a living. I also do reloading as a hobby, so I clean a LOT of brass. You can clean brass in two ways. Chemically or abrasively. Chemically: Acids are great. You are removing an oxide layer that forms on the surface. Salt + Vinegar forms a low grade Hydrochloric acid. I use this every day in instruments, but a commercial product to delime/decalcify in inside or trumpets. It does wonders on cymbals that have green spots. I dip them in and out in under a minute. Maybe 15 second. It will etch brass and bronze if left in too long. I also use this as a soak for pistol and rifle cases that need to be cleaned before reloading them. Citric acid also does great in a tumbler with Lemi-Shine for dishwashers. A little soap and water added makes them really shine after tumbling them for an hour. Abrasives: Bar Keepers, Comet, Bon Ami, all are a very, very, mild abrasive like in the order of 4,000 grit. It does what the chemicals do - removes an oxide layer, but it also polishes the metal. It does not remove metal. Just makes the high spots really shine on a microscopic level, which is visible to us as like "WOW". Machine polishing. A variety of compounds are used. Heat can build. Material is removed. Look at any BRILLIANT or A CUSTOM cymbal. The grooves are smoothed off. They can be like a mirror. Fingerprint like mad. Finger cheese, acids and oils, dirt will dull the finish. The only way to keep it shiny is to clear coat it until that wears off or is removed with chemicals or abrasives. This is done accidentally a lot. Paiste clear coats. Zildjians are lightly coated on the A's and probably others. High copper cymbals really get ugly when the coating is worn away or removed. Think Paiste here. Look the best when new. The worst when old. 602s are the exception because they are B20, not B8. I'm going to do a before and after cleaning and clear coating a cymbal. Clear coats: Johnson floor wax may provide and long lasting barrier to oxidation. Clear lacquer is the generic term for what the biggies are using. I think I will try using nitro cellulose lacquer that is made for brass coating. Nitro dries thru evaporation. It shrinks back so it is very acoustically transparent. I have applied 15 heavy coats to a drum. Measuring a piece of tape revealed that also go 15 coats revealed that it only got like .005" 5 thousandths of an inch after it dried. A single coat would shrink back to something like only a few TEN thousandths of an inch thick. It is hard, but not incredibly abrasion or acid resistant. My Paistes have marks in the lacquer on them from using brushes on them. See what I am saying?
I found this after I decided to 'restore' some old and very cheap (I guess catalogue quality) high hats, and ride. I gave them a wipe down with decorator's white spirit which lifted surface muck and grease. Then I got out my mouse sander and literally sanded them down pretty severely. I just used medium grit sandpaper. Then same but with wire wool. Followed by a cloth on the sander. I could have finished with fine wet and dry but I like the texture the medium grit left. The cymbals look great and sound much better. I'm using them as crashes! I had nothing to lose so the risk was worth it. Hell I don't care if something isn't working go mad!
I recently found just one of my first hihat cymbals. A five star super zyn 14". I looked so long for the second but never found it. I cleaned it with bar keeper's friend and it came up beautiful. I will never sell it, it was purchased by me way back in 69.
Non-scientific experiment with Zildjian Cymbal Cleaner by a drummer: I hope to post this on multiple locations that show the Zildjian Cymbal cleaner. I'll premise this by saying that I've been using Bar keepers friend for a number of years successfully, among other cymbal cleaners over the years. The Zildjian cymbal cleaner is about 15-16 bucks per 8 oz. bottle, and I find these cleaners are a great money maker for cymbal companies. Bottom line, I'm a drummer who hopes to spread the word to other drummers to hopefully help them save a buck. I recently bought a new Zildjian brilliant cymbal and wanted to test this cleaner. It comes in a white liquid that one spreads evenly, but sparingly, per the directions, onto both sides of the cymbal. Then it is wiped off with a soft cloth. My first impression was that it is very messy and the black oxidation that comes off (even on a cleaner cymbal like my newest one) is excessive, so one needs plenty of soft clothes. This newest Zildjian cymbal still had a sheen to it, but there were stick marks that the cleaner did not get off. You're going to need a A LOT of elbow grease to get all the polish off. At this stage of my life, I've used up most of my elbow grease. Drummers need to keep in mind that cymbals, like Zildjian, come from the factory with a factory-applied chemical sheen/coat that eventually wears off through cleaning. This is fine and purely natural. Bar keepers friend is a world easier. Some people point of that is has an acid in it, but it's a WEAK acid, that won't harm the cymbal. Also, BKF doesn't irritate your hands/fingers, and if it doesn't hurt your skin, it's sure not going to damage/hurt your cymbal. With BKF, wet the cymbal, use the powder or liquid version and a small sponge. Let it sit for a few second, then wipe and rise off. Surprise! It's comes out with a nice shine, without the endless elbow grease. I would suggest the liquid version of BKF to avoid micro abrasions with the powder version . I hope this helps. BMM
I know you said from the factory Zildjan has a chemical induced shine to it, but how shiney will BKF take it back to that shine?. Last time I cleaned my cymbals, I used Zildjan Cymbal Cleaner as well and it took me 10+ hours, 50+ rags and the shit was a mess. Also, I was young and dumb, never took care of my stuff. Last time I cleaned them was back in 2013. Been doing live shows and practicing around the worst environments for drums (smoke, uncontrolled climate areas, etc.) I have Zildjan Z Customs. How confident are you that BKF will get them back to the original shine? I haven’t touched my drums in 2 years and they’ve been sitting down in a basement. I’m going to change that soon and wanting to clean everything and start from scratch. I’m just dreading using ZCC to clean my cymbals again. 😣
If you like old/patena sounding cymbals? I have found if you just clean the bell, top and bottom, it will give you more volume, projection and clarity, but will keep that old/patena sound. I've also found that just soap and warm water does a good job of cleaning excess dirt without totally ruining the patena.
I heard a slightly crisper sound in the headphones but I didn't think it was enough to get excited about. The way I figure it, the cleaner version does not sound worse, so why not have clean cymbals if you;'re going to play out somewhere, right?
The huge difference in sound is the "feeping" overtone freequencees that are completely missing in uncleaned condition recording. With good headphones and audio device u should ezly hear that. Or you cant here those frequences any more. I experienced the cleaning sound enhancement the first time by surprise.. didnt do it for acoustic effects but I heard it imediatly and was amazed.
Next time you can use original Zildjian cymbal polish. I use it for a few years and this polish is only cleaner i ever use on my Planet Z Zildjians..makes miracles on cymbal surface
Just FYI all of these are using acids to clean the surface. Lemon = citric acid, also ketchup, vinegar = acetic acid, bar keepers friend = oxalic acid, which is also wood bleach. However, wood bleach at say Home Depot is 100% oxalic acid so I wouldn't actually use it without testing, gloves, goggles, and OUTSIDE and expect it to possibly ruin item. Salt is probably leaving a residue on the brass. And green is from the copper in the brass that is oxidizing i.e. combining with oxygen. You've seen the green that results from copper left outside in the rain.
The lemon is a special kind of acid with some cool properties. I knew 'Massengill,' a feminine product, was something one of my neighbors raved about to clean off the oils on her Schnauzers that were always getting into action with skunks (skunk oil-nasty stuff,) and while I had to remove 18 skunks from under the tool shed, I had first hand experience with skunk oil. Three 'adults' and then all their lil skunk kin that had set up shop under my shed, an unruly bunch - had let me know in their special way that I wasn't welcome - imagine, my own tool shed, just using my vice was an infringement on their space, the nerve ! Well, enough was enough. I ordered up a dedicated skunk trap - and removing skunk #14 became traumatic in that s/he sprayed the inside of my trap (without permission,) and some got onto my finger and nearly knocked me over when I took a quick sniff (HCL acid!) it is seriously nasty up close, took me a good 2 hours to get my head to function properly - well.., Hydrochloric acid is one of the active ingredients - to avoid whenever possible. While I didn't have any Massengill, I remembered there was citrus in it and I did happen to have a lemon. And lemme tell you all - it cut right through the skunk oil, I rubbed it all through the skunk trap and the oil was completely neutralized - you couldn't smell it whatsoever. And one of my cats, more social than most, was socializing with a skunk too not long after, and he didn't mind me at all rubbing lemon throughout his tufts - he rather liked it, much better than the alternative. SO, (the moral of the story,) IF IT CUTS THROUGH SKUNK OIL - it will have NO TROUBLE cutting through whatever it is that soils our cymbals! But again, it's acidic (the lemon, that is,) so don't leave it on the metal any longer than you need. I just cleaned all my Zildjians, a 19" ride, twin 14" hi-hat cymbals, and the First Act which was a real mess, must have been owned by one very grubby, runny-nosed kid even before I got my filthy mitts on it! lol Rubbed fresh lemon into them, both sides then rinsed em off within a minute and hand soaped them down quickly - clean as whistle. THE ALMIGHTY LEMON! MMmmm
Good video and showing the differences; seems you stained the one with the vinegar left over time; chemicals and air have an effect on metal, sometimes permanently as you can see here; I am cleaning mines with apple cedar vinegar, no soaking time needed, just put it on, leave it for few seconds and rinse all done with a smooth sponge or paper towels to work the fingerprints off, but then again my cymbals that I am doing this are a set of HHX Evolution and a set of Paragons, both sets are new relatively and have been played on only a handful of times, they were more covered in dust from left setup than anything. I do have the cleaning products but I want the logos to stay, so it is apple cedar vinegar to the rescue, after a good rinse it does not smells at all.
coke is working but with ketchup, it does a good job. The thing is do NOT leave the ketchup more the 20min MAX. I know what I'm talking about. I forgot about more then an hour and I totally ruin my cymbal.You can see kind of ketchup strips all around the cymbal. It doesn't go away. so it does a good job for really cheap but MAX 20-25min
I have 70s Zildjian‘s also. I use barkeepers friend. The way I use it is, I lay a towel in the tub, Lay the cymbal on the towel, Splash warm water on the cymbal, Spray liquid barkeepers friend all over the entire cymbal, generously sprinkle powdered barkeepers friend all over the cymbal, I use a soft dish rag to gently wipe the entire cymbal as if you were washing a dish for about three or four minutes. Then, I’ll let it sit and marinate so to speak for about 15 minutes. Then, I will gently wipe the cymbal again as if I am washing a dish. The more you wipe, the cleaner and shinier it gets. Rinse the cymbal off very well with warm water, and then clean the other side the same way. After it is clean, dry the cymbal off with a soft bath towel. It will be so clean, that you will almost feel the need to use white gloves to touch it. Lol.
My guess by looking at the lathing is that these hihats are made in Italy at the Tosco factory in the 70s, perhaps a CB-700. What does the stamp indicate?
I don't know about the factory they were made in, but based on the accuracy of your description of the "Made in Italy" and "CB700" I would bet you are correct! They indicate both of these things, and I purchased them in the 80s, so your estimation of the date of manufacture is most likely spot on too. Did you work for Tosco? I am very impressed with your knowledge simply based on a video. I have the best audience on UA-cam!
TSG Ch 2 The lathing is very indicative and the most common model of that particular look is CB700. I just bought some of these like yourself and did the research online. After over 10 years of learning, researching, buying / selling. .....you tend to learn some things :)
@@TSGChannel2 i would ask what cymbals they are...cos i loved the sound of them...now that i know the answer...its explained...these are very good cymbals...especially the hihats...i was told that Stewart Copeland used a pair as his hihats, for years...before the Paiste era.
I’m looking to buy some bar keepers friend tomorrow. Can anyone confirm that using BKF is good on my (1960’s, 1970’s) Zildjian A’s cymbals is okay? Thanks.
TSG Ch 2 Hey man. Just finished using them on my cymbals. And they’ve turned out great. It took a lot of elbow grease to get rid of the patina on them. Probably due to them being from the 60’s and 70’s.
4 months now. How do they look? I've destroyed my first set of cymbals brilliant finish due to using a harsh polish years ago and I only noticed the damage some time later. I'm really hesitant now to try anything other then that brands cymbal polish. Would this work on traditional finish as well? I don't want to take the risk with expensive high end Zildjians
Different way of cleaning cymbals I guess. I've seen so many people use these quick fixes and they do a pretty good job, but to get an absolutely fantastic finish you really gotta put in some elbow grease with cutting/ polishing.
@@TSGChannel2 Just wondering if you guys have a product like one we have over here in Australia, called Brasso? It's a thick liquid like someone stuck a tube of toothpaste in a bottle of water and mixed it all up. I haven't tried it on cymbals but I have seen it clean the absolute shit out of a trumpet or a doorknob. Maybe see if you have an equivalent over there?
Hello, I just clean my cymbals with bar keeper and the results was a mess, my cymbals have a lot of stains and wipe marks in a tarnish color, any suggestion?
I thought so, too. I like shiny looking cymbals. Some argue that removing the patina damages or ruins the cymbals. I disagree. I think they look and sound a lot better when they are polished.
tsgmultimedia good to know. I am slightly concerned that I will rub off the decals if I use BKF, which I have under my sink. I wonder if the liquid BKF has the same result as the powder.
@@deviationblue , yes Liquid BKF is the best and slightly less abrasive . Your logos are baked on ink . Dont ever clean your cymbals with hot water . It will smear the ink and take the logo off . Go lightly with a sponge when going over the logo. Always go in the direction of the groove lines . No small circular buffing patterns or going cross the grain / groove lines. . Room temperature or cold water the is the best . If you want to use a brush make sure it has very soft bristles and if so go very lightly over the logo . Always rinse with cold water . Pat dry over the logo and then dry and buff in a circular pattern with a clean dry towel . Always handle cymbals with your palms on the edge / NOT with your fingers like you see others do .( this makes me cringe.) . Tip : when transporting them to a gig use individual clean white pillow cases this will protect them from rubbing together. If you ever need help or some tips , find me on Facebook. Troy Oakes
I used it to for a long time. Then I noticed they would start getting that green tarnish on em within a week or so. I found that it strips the protective laquer off of the cymbal so I stopped using it. In the long run that stuff destroys cymbals, it does shine em up real good but in the end its Not worth it, avoid Barkeepers Friend!
Is that the problem? I'm not sure I have an air-tight one that's big enough to hold a cymbal. Looks like lemons and Barkeeper's friend will be my go-to cymbal polishing approaches.
Ya, imagine - Ketchup and Coke!, especially Coke, man, who know what the flavor factories in New Jersey put into Coke - along with all the sugar, lemon and lime.. (the lemon and lime are probably fine if it's real lemon and lime - those are probably all you need for the cymbal cleaner) but the sugar - all the Red13 and chemicals in Ketchup -- yikes, I wouldn't eat a burger anywhere near my precious Zildjians! LEMON is the answer, a brief rubdown works great then rinse quickly. Soap it down quickly, rinse and dry quickly and get back to playing asap. Within 4 to 5 minutes the whole process.
@@TSGChannel2 Listen from a pro. Whoever uses abrasives on a cymbal is an rank amateur. A rank amateur and should not be around drum teching. Next you'll be telling me that laying drums on the bearing edges is good for them. Each cymbal is machine or hand hammered and the grooves and the weight of the cymbal make the sound. When you use abrasives the slightest layers of metal lost in the rubbing does change the sound of the cymbal. Don't ruin good cymbals cleaning them with abrasive. You have clean cymbals but they won't sound like they used to. Would you tune a piano with a machine gun?. Never use abrasives on cymbals. Never
@@TSGChannel2 With all due respect, I'm giving you my humbel professional opinion. If you want to go and fuck up good cymbals, you go right ahead. Use Ajax cleanser on them for all I care. Go lay your drums on the bearing edges for all I care. You're Mister know-it-all. Maybe you have money to burn. Good luck.
@@navyflyer7465 With all due respect I'm asking for your qualifications because you called yourself a professional and you don't sound like one at all.
@@TSGChannel2 I know, sounds higher and brighter but for two years sounding the same exact like old cymbals, like cheap and dirty peace of simple metal from the kitchen. Below me i know. I am playing profesional in Europe more of 30 years drumming experience and play paiste signature cymbals for most cariere. I try evrything with cymbals. Simple dishes washers is' the best for all cymbals, non shretch burt none abrasive and doing the job.
My suggestions are for brilliant finish cymbals only.
Been using BKF on Zildjian A Customs for over 20 years. The key is to wet the cymbal, shake a small amount on it, use a wet fiber towel to spread with minimal pressure so the logos don't get removed (you may need to use some pressure if cymbal has a lot of stick marks) then rinse thoroughly with warm to hot water and dry with fresh fiber towels. They will look brand new after this. Next step is to wax them. I use Meguiars Gold Liquid Wax. No more fingerprints!!
Another important thing to do is to wax the brilliant cymbals when they are brand new and untouched with a thin layer of wax. This will provide a great layer of protection for fingerprints and stick marks and DOES NOT effect the sound and will actually cut down the amount of time they need to be cleaned because they are already protected. I have 15 year old brilliant A Customs and Oriental Chinas that look brand new. Also if your cymbals are always set up wipe them down lightly with a fiber towel once a week just to keep the dust out of the lathes.
In short, screw all the other methods, BKF is the best!!
Soda or lemon juice on cymbals? Both are acidic!! Would you wipe your asshole with a Clorox wipe too? Jeezis!!
I've used Bar Keepers Friend for years. Shines the cymbals up nicely, doesn't affect the sound other than I think a shinier cymbal has a brighter tone.
Imma try BKF today :)
I do brass and percussion repair for a living. I also do reloading as a hobby, so I clean a LOT of brass. You can clean brass in two ways. Chemically or abrasively.
Chemically: Acids are great. You are removing an oxide layer that forms on the surface. Salt + Vinegar forms a low grade Hydrochloric acid. I use this every day in instruments, but a commercial product to delime/decalcify in inside or trumpets. It does wonders on cymbals that have green spots. I dip them in and out in under a minute. Maybe 15 second. It will etch brass and bronze if left in too long. I also use this as a soak for pistol and rifle cases that need to be cleaned before reloading them. Citric acid also does great in a tumbler with Lemi-Shine for dishwashers. A little soap and water added makes them really shine after tumbling them for an hour.
Abrasives: Bar Keepers, Comet, Bon Ami, all are a very, very, mild abrasive like in the order of 4,000 grit. It does what the chemicals do - removes an oxide layer, but it also polishes the metal. It does not remove metal. Just makes the high spots really shine on a microscopic level, which is visible to us as like "WOW".
Machine polishing. A variety of compounds are used. Heat can build. Material is removed. Look at any BRILLIANT or A CUSTOM cymbal. The grooves are smoothed off. They can be like a mirror. Fingerprint like mad. Finger cheese, acids and oils, dirt will dull the finish. The only way to keep it shiny is to clear coat it until that wears off or is removed with chemicals or abrasives. This is done accidentally a lot. Paiste clear coats. Zildjians are lightly coated on the A's and probably others. High copper cymbals really get ugly when the coating is worn away or removed. Think Paiste here. Look the best when new. The worst when old. 602s are the exception because they are B20, not B8.
I'm going to do a before and after cleaning and clear coating a cymbal.
Clear coats: Johnson floor wax may provide and long lasting barrier to oxidation. Clear lacquer is the generic term for what the biggies are using. I think I will try using nitro cellulose lacquer that is made for brass coating. Nitro dries thru evaporation. It shrinks back so it is very acoustically transparent. I have applied 15 heavy coats to a drum. Measuring a piece of tape revealed that also go 15 coats revealed that it only got like .005" 5 thousandths of an inch after it dried. A single coat would shrink back to something like only a few TEN thousandths of an inch thick. It is hard, but not incredibly abrasion or acid resistant. My Paistes have marks in the lacquer on them from using brushes on them. See what I am saying?
You must like shiny gold looking metal 😜
Thanks for the info
Did you end up coating your cymbal in nitro lacquer? I'd like to do the same, wondering how it works. Thanks.
I found this after I decided to 'restore' some old and very cheap (I guess catalogue quality) high hats, and ride.
I gave them a wipe down with decorator's white spirit which lifted surface muck and grease. Then I got out my mouse sander and literally sanded them down pretty severely. I just used medium grit sandpaper. Then same but with wire wool. Followed by a cloth on the sander. I could have finished with fine wet and dry but I like the texture the medium grit left.
The cymbals look great and sound much better. I'm using them as crashes! I had nothing to lose so the risk was worth it. Hell I don't care if something isn't working go mad!
I recently found just one of my first hihat cymbals. A five star super zyn 14". I looked so long for the second but never found it. I cleaned it with bar keeper's friend and it came up beautiful. I will never sell it, it was purchased by me way back in 69.
Rock on!
Non-scientific experiment with Zildjian Cymbal Cleaner by a drummer: I hope to post this on multiple locations that show the Zildjian Cymbal cleaner. I'll premise this by saying that I've been using Bar keepers friend for a number of years successfully, among other cymbal cleaners over the years. The Zildjian cymbal cleaner is about 15-16 bucks per 8 oz. bottle, and I find these cleaners are a great money maker for cymbal companies. Bottom line, I'm a drummer who hopes to spread the word to other drummers to hopefully help them save a buck.
I recently bought a new Zildjian brilliant cymbal and wanted to test this cleaner. It comes in a white liquid that one spreads evenly, but sparingly, per the directions, onto both sides of the cymbal. Then it is wiped off with a soft cloth. My first impression was that it is very messy and the black oxidation that comes off (even on a cleaner cymbal like my newest one) is excessive, so one needs plenty of soft clothes. This newest Zildjian cymbal still had a sheen to it, but there were stick marks that the cleaner did not get off. You're going to need a A LOT of elbow grease to get all the polish off. At this stage of my life, I've used up most of my elbow grease.
Drummers need to keep in mind that cymbals, like Zildjian, come from the factory with a factory-applied chemical sheen/coat that eventually wears off through cleaning. This is fine and purely natural. Bar keepers friend is a world easier. Some people point of that is has an acid in it, but it's a WEAK acid, that won't harm the cymbal. Also, BKF doesn't irritate your hands/fingers, and if it doesn't hurt your skin, it's sure not going to damage/hurt your cymbal.
With BKF, wet the cymbal, use the powder or liquid version and a small sponge. Let it sit for a few second, then wipe and rise off. Surprise! It's comes out with a nice shine, without the endless elbow grease. I would suggest the liquid version of BKF to avoid micro abrasions with the powder version
.
I hope this helps. BMM
I know you said from the factory Zildjan has a chemical induced shine to it, but how shiney will BKF take it back to that shine?. Last time I cleaned my cymbals, I used Zildjan Cymbal Cleaner as well and it took me 10+ hours, 50+ rags and the shit was a mess.
Also, I was young and dumb, never took care of my stuff. Last time I cleaned them was back in 2013. Been doing live shows and practicing around the worst environments for drums (smoke, uncontrolled climate areas, etc.) I have Zildjan Z Customs. How confident are you that BKF will get them back to the original shine? I haven’t touched my drums in 2 years and they’ve been sitting down in a basement. I’m going to change that soon and wanting to clean everything and start from scratch. I’m just dreading using ZCC to clean my cymbals again. 😣
If you like old/patena sounding cymbals? I have found if you just clean the bell, top and bottom, it will give you more volume, projection and clarity, but will keep that old/patena sound. I've also found that just soap and warm water does a good job of cleaning excess dirt without totally ruining the patena.
Don't do this on top of a carpet if you're using Brasso. I did it once and left a nice black circle on the carpet. Mom was thrilled.
I just found that out on a big $2k silk rug last night 🤦🏼♂️ oops.. nice black crescent moon there now lol
DOH!
You should do it on concrete instead, so that the edges and top surfaces get scraped up real good.
I did the same thing😂
Thanks for the comparison test. It. has definately helped me decide to use cymbal polish for my cymbals.
Glad I could help!
I heard the difference too
I just cleaned my hi hats with bar keepers friend .it really works.thay sound brighter and crispy thair from the 70’s 😀👍
Very cool!
What would we do without UA-cam?? 😅🎉 great test!
I think BKF and then buff them with a drill and buff wheel or my bench buffer. Cool video, thanks.
Coke seems really good. I cranked the treble on my monitors and the clean ones seem to have a bit more sustain
I heard a slightly crisper sound in the headphones but I didn't think it was enough to get excited about. The way I figure it, the cleaner version does not sound worse, so why not have clean cymbals if you;'re going to play out somewhere, right?
I thought I heard it too, but that could just be confirmation bias.
Huge sound difference, much brighter more clear when cleaned.
Agree
Totally agree! Maybe Victor doesn’t have good headphones?
Of course there is a difference. Clean HH sounded a lot nicer. Bright tone with great, bright attack as well. I hear a big difference.
I hear the difference as well! Much brighter!
The huge difference in sound is the "feeping" overtone freequencees that are completely missing in uncleaned condition recording. With good headphones and audio device u should ezly hear that. Or you cant here those frequences any more. I experienced the cleaning sound enhancement the first time by surprise.. didnt do it for acoustic effects but I heard it imediatly and was amazed.
Next time you can use original Zildjian cymbal polish. I use it for a few years and this polish is only cleaner i ever use on my Planet Z Zildjians..makes miracles on cymbal surface
it's probably filled with lemon juice. lol
I have been using Twinkle Brass & Copper Cleaner for over 50 years. It works Great!
Just FYI all of these are using acids to clean the surface. Lemon = citric acid, also ketchup, vinegar = acetic acid, bar keepers friend = oxalic acid, which is also wood bleach. However, wood bleach at say Home Depot is 100% oxalic acid so I wouldn't actually use it without testing, gloves, goggles, and OUTSIDE and expect it to possibly ruin item. Salt is probably leaving a residue on the brass. And green is from the copper in the brass that is oxidizing i.e. combining with oxygen. You've seen the green that results from copper left outside in the rain.
The lemon is a special kind of acid with some cool properties. I knew 'Massengill,' a feminine product, was something one of my neighbors raved about to clean off the oils on her Schnauzers that were always getting into action with skunks (skunk oil-nasty stuff,) and while I had to remove 18 skunks from under the tool shed, I had first hand experience with skunk oil. Three 'adults' and then all their lil skunk kin that had set up shop under my shed, an unruly bunch - had let me know in their special way that I wasn't welcome - imagine, my own tool shed, just using my vice was an infringement on their space, the nerve ! Well, enough was enough. I ordered up a dedicated skunk trap - and removing skunk #14 became traumatic in that s/he sprayed the inside of my trap (without permission,) and some got onto my finger and nearly knocked me over when I took a quick sniff (HCL acid!) it is seriously nasty up close, took me a good 2 hours to get my head to function properly - well.., Hydrochloric acid is one of the active ingredients - to avoid whenever possible. While I didn't have any Massengill, I remembered there was citrus in it and I did happen to have a lemon. And lemme tell you all - it cut right through the skunk oil, I rubbed it all through the skunk trap and the oil was completely neutralized - you couldn't smell it whatsoever. And one of my cats, more social than most, was socializing with a skunk too not long after, and he didn't mind me at all rubbing lemon throughout his tufts - he rather liked it, much better than the alternative. SO, (the moral of the story,) IF IT CUTS THROUGH SKUNK OIL - it will have NO TROUBLE cutting through whatever it is that soils our cymbals! But again, it's acidic (the lemon, that is,) so don't leave it on the metal any longer than you need. I just cleaned all my Zildjians, a 19" ride, twin 14" hi-hat cymbals, and the First Act which was a real mess, must have been owned by one very grubby, runny-nosed kid even before I got my filthy mitts on it! lol Rubbed fresh lemon into them, both sides then rinsed em off within a minute and hand soaped them down quickly - clean as whistle. THE ALMIGHTY LEMON! MMmmm
I am wondering if you still HAVE cymbals after soaking them in coke for an entire week.
Haha - good point! I didn't end up soaking them that long. They looked good enough after an overnight soaking and a barkeepers friend brush up. :))
Never dull is the best
Good video and showing the differences; seems you stained the one with the vinegar left over time; chemicals and air have an effect on metal, sometimes permanently as you can see here; I am cleaning mines with apple cedar vinegar, no soaking time needed, just put it on, leave it for few seconds and rinse all done with a smooth sponge or paper towels to work the fingerprints off, but then again my cymbals that I am doing this are a set of HHX Evolution and a set of Paragons, both sets are new relatively and have been played on only a handful of times, they were more covered in dust from left setup than anything. I do have the cleaning products but I want the logos to stay, so it is apple cedar vinegar to the rescue, after a good rinse it does not smells at all.
Perhaps the combination of lemon and salt might be a good option.
To me the clean cymbal sounds a bit brighter.
I noticed a very insignificant difference myself but I will say that I thought it sounded better after the polishing.
What about using barkeepers friend and putting on with lemons?
coke is working but with ketchup, it does a good job. The thing is do NOT leave the ketchup more the 20min MAX. I know what I'm talking about. I forgot about more then an hour and I totally ruin my cymbal.You can see kind of ketchup strips all around the cymbal. It doesn't go away. so it does a good job for really cheap but MAX 20-25min
Had the same experience with it. Just forgot it and than... Sh.t. 😂
the vinegar vapors are stronger due to oxygen maybe try vinegar on bottom and suspend cymbal on top just using the vapor to clean
I have some 1970 Zildjian k they are ugly dirty.. but cost me so much I'm afraid to clean them. Will it ruin them? Or am I safe to try the bkf?
I have 70s Zildjian‘s also. I use barkeepers friend. The way I use it is, I lay a towel in the tub, Lay the cymbal on the towel, Splash warm water on the cymbal, Spray liquid barkeepers friend all over the entire cymbal, generously sprinkle powdered barkeepers friend all over the cymbal, I use a soft dish rag to gently wipe the entire cymbal as if you were washing a dish for about three or four minutes. Then, I’ll let it sit and marinate so to speak for about 15 minutes. Then, I will gently wipe the cymbal again as if I am washing a dish. The more you wipe, the cleaner and shinier it gets. Rinse the cymbal off very well with warm water, and then clean the other side the same way. After it is clean, dry the cymbal off with a soft bath towel. It will be so clean, that you will almost feel the need to use white gloves to touch it. Lol.
bar keeps looks best so far
From my phone I think I could hear a higher pitch when it was clean. I think I like the dirty one better.
Great tips, if you’re in the UK you can get BKF from Lakeland 👍😬
bar keeps friend woorks the best
It's really great!
the vinegar kinda had a cool look to it
You could have just put something big into the tubs to displace the liquid so it covers the bell.
How about Bar Keepers Friend with a lemon instead of the sponge?
mixing chemicals when you are not a chemist can lead to death, or a boom, then death
Watch at Playback speed on 1.5x.
You’re welcome
My guess by looking at the lathing is that these hihats are made in Italy at the Tosco factory in the 70s, perhaps a CB-700. What does the stamp indicate?
I don't know about the factory they were made in, but based on the accuracy of your description of the "Made in Italy" and "CB700" I would bet you are correct! They indicate both of these things, and I purchased them in the 80s, so your estimation of the date of manufacture is most likely spot on too. Did you work for Tosco? I am very impressed with your knowledge simply based on a video. I have the best audience on UA-cam!
TSG Ch 2 The lathing is very indicative and the most common model of that particular look is CB700. I just bought some of these like yourself and did the research online. After over 10 years of learning, researching, buying / selling. .....you tend to learn some things :)
)
@@TSGChannel2 i would ask what cymbals they are...cos i loved the sound of them...now that i know the answer...its explained...these are very good cymbals...especially the hihats...i was told that Stewart Copeland used a pair as his hihats, for years...before the Paiste era.
I’m looking to buy some bar keepers friend tomorrow. Can anyone confirm that using BKF is good on my (1960’s, 1970’s) Zildjian A’s cymbals is okay? Thanks.
Let us know how it works out!
TSG Ch 2 Hey man. Just finished using them on my cymbals. And they’ve turned out great. It took a lot of elbow grease to get rid of the patina on them. Probably due to them being from the 60’s and 70’s.
That's great! I'm glad it worked for you!
4 months now. How do they look? I've destroyed my first set of cymbals brilliant finish due to using a harsh polish years ago and I only noticed the damage some time later. I'm really hesitant now to try anything other then that brands cymbal polish. Would this work on traditional finish as well? I don't want to take the risk with expensive high end Zildjians
Interesting but i think both still look really dull after the entire process, perhaps they need polish now?
OK. Not sure what you are looking for, but the improvement is pretty dramatic from how they started.
Different way of cleaning cymbals I guess. I've seen so many people use these quick fixes and they do a pretty good job, but to get an absolutely fantastic finish you really gotta put in some elbow grease with cutting/ polishing.
@@TSGChannel2 Just wondering if you guys have a product like one we have over here in Australia, called Brasso? It's a thick liquid like someone stuck a tube of toothpaste in a bottle of water and mixed it all up. I haven't tried it on cymbals but I have seen it clean the absolute shit out of a trumpet or a doorknob. Maybe see if you have an equivalent over there?
i heard that Ajax powder works
Bar keepers friend seems best.
I like it! The lemon was also great. It smelled the best for sure!
Hello, I just clean my cymbals with bar keeper and the results was a mess, my cymbals have a lot of stains and wipe marks in a tarnish color, any suggestion?
You're using too much and not rinsing well enough with warm to hot water.
Hi, how often should l clean my cymbals?
clean them every minute.
I feel like using that brush with the bar keepers was not right...should have sponged it
Try cymbol polish or brasso polish
Thanks for sharing
uncleaned is a little bit warmer. . cleaner, more brilliant.
I use Cameo, copper/porcelain and brass cleaner... It's non abrasive, There's no awful order and It works... E.L.K.
Slightly brighter sound after cleaning
I thought so, too. I like shiny looking cymbals. Some argue that removing the patina damages or ruins the cymbals. I disagree. I think they look and sound a lot better when they are polished.
Or you can just use Groove Juice and a sponge and in 2 minutes your cymbals will look like new.
brasso works as well
I like the sound of dirty cymbals
I like the sound of polished cymbals :))
How did the week-long coke soak go?
I ended up cutting it short and finished them off with Barkeeper's Friend toward the end of the video.
tsgmultimedia good to know. I am slightly concerned that I will rub off the decals if I use BKF, which I have under my sink. I wonder if the liquid BKF has the same result as the powder.
@@deviationblue , yes Liquid BKF is the best and slightly less abrasive . Your logos are baked on ink . Dont ever clean your cymbals with hot water . It will smear the ink and take the logo off . Go lightly with a sponge when going over the logo. Always go in the direction of the groove lines . No small circular buffing patterns or going cross the grain / groove lines. . Room temperature or cold water the is the best . If you want to use a brush make sure it has very soft bristles and if so go very lightly over the logo . Always rinse with cold water . Pat dry over the logo and then dry and buff in a circular pattern with a clean dry towel .
Always handle cymbals with your palms on the edge / NOT with your fingers like you see others do .( this makes me cringe.) . Tip : when transporting them to a gig use individual clean white pillow cases this will protect them from rubbing together. If you ever need help or some tips , find me on Facebook.
Troy Oakes
Try mother's metal polish
I used it to for a long time. Then I noticed they would start getting that green tarnish on em within a week or so. I found that it strips the protective laquer off of the cymbal so I stopped using it. In the long run that stuff destroys cymbals, it does shine em up real good but in the end its Not worth it, avoid Barkeepers Friend!
I don't know what kind of cymbals you have, but mine didn't turn green at all. I will use Barkeepers Friend again next time.
omg... dude...use groove juice and cut it 1/3 with water... it takes just a few minutes.
Lemons work the best
because it oxidized in the air
I prefer Pepsi myself.
I prefer RC but Pepsi is a close #2.
Ketchup
I use beer to clean my cymbals.
I bought a 12 pack of Stella’s for this very reason… ended up getting drunk and forgot about cleaning my Paiste’s.
1 minutes on, and wipe off!
I think the reason the lemon doesn’t work as well is because it isn’t an abrasive.
But the lemon does work well.
look at Lance Campanu to learn how to clean a cymbal
His name is Lance Campeau and he works miracles with cymbals.
the tubs need to be air tight
Is that the problem? I'm not sure I have an air-tight one that's big enough to hold a cymbal. Looks like lemons and Barkeeper's friend will be my go-to cymbal polishing approaches.
I can see no scientific reason why. Can you provide me with some kind of back up to that unsupported statement?
Ketchup!
Ya, imagine - Ketchup and Coke!, especially Coke, man, who know what the flavor factories in New Jersey put into Coke - along with all the sugar, lemon and lime.. (the lemon and lime are probably fine if it's real lemon and lime - those are probably all you need for the cymbal cleaner) but the sugar - all the Red13 and chemicals in Ketchup -- yikes, I wouldn't eat a burger anywhere near my precious Zildjians! LEMON is the answer, a brief rubdown works great then rinse quickly. Soap it down quickly, rinse and dry quickly and get back to playing asap. Within 4 to 5 minutes the whole process.
That's not a wire brush your using is it
I am surprised I have to answer a question like that. Of course not! It's a soft nylon brush, kind of like a soft toothbrush.
Sarcasm I hope.
Vinegar is an acid and I wouldn't use it. Liquid bar keepers friend and Pledge metal polish are pretty darn good.
They're all acids. Vinegar=acetic acid, Lemon=citric acid and BKF=oxalic acid.
Totally agree! Liquid BKF with a little bit of water and a sponge worked a treat for me on my Agops. Avoid logos though if you wanna keep 'em...!
Cola...lol .. :)) !!
The bkf
Never use abrasives on cymbals. Never sorry Bar Keepers Friend
It worked like magic. I will use it again if I need to!
@@TSGChannel2
Listen from a pro. Whoever uses abrasives on a cymbal is an rank amateur. A rank amateur and should not be around drum teching.
Next you'll be telling me that laying drums on the bearing edges is good for them.
Each cymbal is machine or hand hammered and the grooves and the weight of the cymbal make the sound. When you use abrasives the slightest layers of metal lost in the rubbing does change the sound of the cymbal.
Don't ruin good cymbals cleaning them with abrasive. You have clean cymbals but they won't sound like they used to.
Would you tune a piano with a machine gun?. Never use abrasives on cymbals. Never
@@navyflyer7465 Show me your qualifications and information. I'll decide if you're a pro. Your analogy is awful.
@@TSGChannel2
With all due respect, I'm giving you my humbel professional opinion. If you want to go and fuck up good cymbals, you go right ahead. Use Ajax cleanser on them for all I care. Go lay your drums on the bearing edges for all I care. You're Mister know-it-all. Maybe you have money to burn. Good luck.
@@navyflyer7465 With all due respect I'm asking for your qualifications because you called yourself a professional and you don't sound like one at all.
Bar keepers looks better
Vinegar needs oxygen.
Just use the Barkeeper's friend and quit screwing around wasting time, effort, Coke & vinegar. Geez.
You destroy hi hat sound and look. All cymbals have protect cout and don't clenining na that way. Not good.
They sounded better after polishing them.
@@TSGChannel2 I know, sounds higher and brighter but for two years sounding the same exact like old cymbals, like cheap and dirty peace of simple metal from the kitchen. Below me i know. I am playing profesional in Europe more of 30 years drumming experience and play paiste signature cymbals for most cariere. I try evrything with cymbals. Simple dishes washers is' the best for all cymbals, non shretch burt none abrasive and doing the job.
@@zoranvrucinic8013 And I have been playing for 40 years. Thank you for your concern.