How often do you clean/ polish your cymbals?

[Telestrastic]

never

[JMR]

never have. not for any real reason, though.

[Merlin Coryell]

Originally Posted by vinniewannabe

Short of have a spooge of goo on a particular cymbal, I hardly ever buff them down. I think is kind of a mind {censored} that taking off fingerprints or dust on cymbals really brighten them up. I think we THINK they brighten them up because they are clean and shiney. No hate mail please, what I mean is, unless there is a some visibly caked-on goober on there, fingerprints and dust just isn't going to make the cymbal audibly different. I think most of us do clean them for OCD and peace of mind reasons. It "freshens" everything up. "Ahhhhhhh, I can play now....." which is valid....

Id say your are half right. The preference is pretty much just that, preference. I sure dont think that polishing A Customs or AAX cymbals, MAKES them brighter, it just keeps them that way. Their lathing and weights MAKE them brighter. And full on patina is far different than a month's dust and finger smudges, you are right on there.

I personally love the glimmering look of most of my cymbals under stage lights. However, I wouldnt mid getting ahold of some TRK DRK or Stagg Dark Metal cymbals and the like, that unfinished, blackened look is also crazy cool.

[BarneyGumbel]

Usually once per year with chrome polish. I don't scrub away at the logos because I like keeping those intact. The reason I clean them is every time they get touched, a little oil from the fingers gets on them. My theory is if a lot of that builds up, it can compromise the sounds of the cymbal. Truth be told, the difference is probably imperceptible.