A while ago I sat in at an open mic and got to play on the house drum kit. It actually belongs to Bill Gates (he’s not THE Bill Gates; he’s A Bill Gates). The cymbals on this kit looked like molten gold.
I’m a fan of shiny cymbals. I know a lot of the drummers out there say never clean your cymbals because it affects the sound. If you let the natural patina build up – not to mention the grime that will accumulate in the tonal grooves – it mellows out the cymbal and makes it sound warmer. That’s all fine and everything, but it’s not for me. I like my cymbals shiny and bright sounding. It’s just a personal preference.
I asked Bill Gates what he used on his cymbals and he told me about a metal polish called Blue Magic. I’ll write up a more in-depth walkthrough on using this stuff but in the meantime here are some before and after shots of my hi-hat cymbals that I used Blue Magic on.
Sabian AAX 13″ Studio Hat Top – Before
Sabian AAX 13″ Studio Hat Top – After
