There are a million drummer jokes on the planet. Face it, guys who hit things for a living are pretty much begging to be made fun of. And while the following news seems like a gag that someone once told a drummer to do, thanks to cymbal manufacturer Sabian, it's now a reality.
We're talking about the wives' - er, drummers' - tale that if you bury your cymbals in the ground for a few months, they'll sound better. See what we mean? Who the hell would shell out, like, $1,400 for a set of cymbals only to shove them in the ground and let 'em rust?
Well, Sabian tried it and it actually works. The New Brunswick company that supplies pretty, crashy things to skinsmen such as Phil Collins, Neil Peart and thousands of hopefuls grabbed 100 of their best pieces, dug a hole and let the lot sit underground for eight months. On Monday (June 15), the the cymbals were unearthed and Sabian chairman Bob Zildjian took a whack at them to test the theory. He happily reports that it worked.
"The old Bob Crosby Band, the drummer was Ray Baduke and he used to bury every cymbal in his mother's backyard," Zildjian told CBC News. "It does something to the metal... the high register seems to be a little more dominant. When you play it, the edges of the cymbal are wavering."
Still, if you're interested in hearing what those cymbals sound like - perchance owning one - you'll have to give it a go on your own. Each of the 100 pieces has been retailed off for $800 with proceeds are going to the Children's Wish Foundation in honour of Zildjian's grandson Harry who survived leukaemia several years ago.
We're talking about the wives' - er, drummers' - tale that if you bury your cymbals in the ground for a few months, they'll sound better. See what we mean? Who the hell would shell out, like, $1,400 for a set of cymbals only to shove them in the ground and let 'em rust?
Well, Sabian tried it and it actually works. The New Brunswick company that supplies pretty, crashy things to skinsmen such as Phil Collins, Neil Peart and thousands of hopefuls grabbed 100 of their best pieces, dug a hole and let the lot sit underground for eight months. On Monday (June 15), the the cymbals were unearthed and Sabian chairman Bob Zildjian took a whack at them to test the theory. He happily reports that it worked.
"The old Bob Crosby Band, the drummer was Ray Baduke and he used to bury every cymbal in his mother's backyard," Zildjian told CBC News. "It does something to the metal... the high register seems to be a little more dominant. When you play it, the edges of the cymbal are wavering."
Still, if you're interested in hearing what those cymbals sound like - perchance owning one - you'll have to give it a go on your own. Each of the 100 pieces has been retailed off for $800 with proceeds are going to the Children's Wish Foundation in honour of Zildjian's grandson Harry who survived leukaemia several years ago.