HAND-HAMMERING and RE-CREATING CYMBALS

[Johan VDS]

Would it be wise for me to ask for a translation ????

[mariollo]

In general the sound results quite dark and the cymbal seems less responsive. The rides seem to have too little ping. Certainly a great job and I congratulations again, but I guess these cymbals are only for drummers of certain taste(style). In my opinion modifying some cymbals is counterproductive(?). Listen to the samples! Some are really beautiful.


P.S: Hey man, you owe me a beer!

[dariogreat]

Mariollo furbetto..ci prova sempre hihih

[mariollo]

Come ci provo sempre?

p.s: eccheccazzo, nessuno di voi bastardi gli traduce!
...per? in effetti la birretta

[dr zoidberg]

I've just seen your job, and that's great!
But, i can't explain myself something.. have you hammered those cymbals at standard temperature, or have you warmed them with a flame based on oxide, before?

[Johan VDS]

Hammering is always done cold, I do it the same way.

[dr zoidberg]

Sorry, i didn't know it., but i saw some stains (uhm good allitteration ) that made me thought about it.

[Johan VDS]

In general the sound results quite dark and the cymbal seems less responsive.

Actually they become much more responsive. Even when played lightly my cymbals open up already. Whereas the original cymbals often need to be played forcefully to display a full bodied sound. May be the soundfiles don't show this clearly.

The rides seem to have too little ping.

If you're talking about the lighter ones there is indeed less ping. But the idea is actually to create cymbals that are not only functional but also create an atmosphere and colour the music. The wash is very important.
But check out my heavy cymbals. These have just as much definition as any other heavy cymbal, but it's a warmer kind of ping than of a factory made cymbal. They also have a nice dark wash, a cushion of sound underneath. Heavy factory cymbals often only have a one-dimensional high pitched wash and have to be hit real hard.

P.S: Hey man, you owe me a beer!

It's in my fridge waiting for you !!

[Johan VDS]

Finished two sets of 15" Jazzhihats.

Again, to hear the soundfiles, copy the whole url to a new browser window because clicking here doesn't work.

15" Light Hihats 798 845 gr.

http://users.telenet.be/cymbzdrumz/1_RE ... ian_Avedis).mp3







15" Hihats 869 1325gr

http://users.telenet.be/cymbzdrumz/1_RE ... ian_Avedis).mp3

[sixwise]

ai dont spik inglish veri uell...sorri men,,,,

[Johan VDS]

ai dont spik inglish veri uell...sorri men,,,,

I'd wish all Italians would speak it a well as you !

[Johan VDS]

By the way, if you should doubt it, I do play my own cymbals !

Here's a little video of me playing (it's in Real-format):

http://jvds.byethost15.com/Solo_from_2002.rm

There I'm playing my self-hammered (rock) cymbals, my self-built snare, my set of Adams drums (great Dutch drums!), an old Pearl hihatstand and a single Adams bassdrumpedal.

The videoclip is a couple of years old, but here's a more recent pic of me:

[IlGiovaneIko]

Holy shit! And pardon my french.....

You do play drums and no bullshit......

Respect, man.

[Johan VDS]

Thanks !

[Johan VDS]

Here's a newly finished 20" Tony Williams "Nefertiti" ride.

Please copy the entire link to a new browser window to hear the soundfile.

http://users.telenet.be/cymbzdrumz/1_RE ... ian_Avedis).mp3





More "Tony Williams" style ride cymbals I hammered can be seen and heard here:

http://users.telenet.be/cymbzdrumz/1_RECREATED_CUSTOM_CYMBALS/5_NEFERTITI_RIDES_and_related/

[Johan VDS]

20" Smooth Jazz Ride 1980 grams

http://users.telenet.be/cymbzdrumz/1_RE ... ian_Avedis).mp3

[Johan VDS]

Two sets of heavily modified Paiste 2002 hihats, now both light jazzy hihats.


13" Light hats :

http://users.telenet.be/cymbzdrumz/1_RECREATED_CUSTOM_CYMBALS/3_HIHATS/13_Light_Hihats_577_775gr_(from_Paiste_2002).mp3








15" Light hats :

http://users.telenet.be/cymbzdrumz/1_RECREATED_CUSTOM_CYMBALS/3_HIHATS/15_Light_Hihats_894_924gr_(from_Paiste_2002).mp3

[time2go]

Hi i think you are genius!!

what can you do to mine old Zildjian Scimitar 20" ride cymbal?? can you make it a little more soft and with a more open sound when crashing?

[Johan VDS]

Hi i think you are genius!!

what can you do to mine old Zildjian Scimitar 20" ride cymbal?? can you make it a little more soft and with a more open sound when crashing?

Yes, certainly. I can make a professional cymbal of it and change it in many different ways.

[Johan VDS]

20" Bright Medium Complex Ride 2210 grams:


http://users.telenet.be/cymbzdrumz/1_RECREATED_CUSTOM_CYMBALS/2_CRASHES_and_RIDES_18_inch_and_bigger/20_Bright_Medium_Complex_Ride_2210gr_(from_Sabian_AA).mp3

[Johan VDS]

Here's a new special effects cymbal I hammered. I called it the 18" "Ripple Trash" for obvious reasons. It's 1850 grams and has several sounds. It can be used as a china-like cymbal but also as a ride.

http://users.telenet.be/cymbzdrumz/1_RECREATED_CUSTOM_CYMBALS/4_SPLASHES-CHINAS-EFFECTCYMBALS/18_Ripple_Trash_1850gr_(from_Ufip).mp3






Also a newly hammered 24" Tony Williams ("Nefertiti") ride 2985 grams.

http://users.telenet.be/cymbzdrumz/1_RECREATED_CUSTOM_CYMBALS/5_NEFERTITI_RIDES_and_related/24_Dark_Complex_Ride_2985_gr_(from_Zildjian_Avedis).mp3








Some more new cymbals, including hihats and effects, can be found on my site (cf my signature beneath).

[Johan VDS]

Now for some brighter stuff.


14" Bright Crisp Hihats 903-1130gr

http://users.telenet.be/cymbzdrumz/1_RE ... e_2002.mp3






18" Bright Dry Ride 1530gr

http://users.telenet.be/cymbzdrumz/1_RE ... e_2002.mp3

[Roger-It]

your project looks cool, congrats, friend.
and welcome here, enjoy your stay !

[Johan VDS]

Thank you !

[Roger-It]

you're welcome Johan
why don't you give us some info about you ?
where are you from, whaddaya do in life .. and so on

keep on rockin !

[SteMito3]

Johan you're a great cymbals modifier!

why don't you make a photo of your "hammering place"? In particular i want to see what kind of hammer you use to modify this cymbals!

Thank you very much! (i'm sorry for my bad english...)

[Johan VDS]

why don't you give us some info about you ?

Actually I told you most what there is to know already .

I'm a self-taught drummer from Bruges, Belgium. You know that place they call the Venice of the north...
After a few years of drumming I started to modify my drums and hardware. Then I started to build my own snaredrums and hammer cymbals.

Just like with drumming I learned to do everything by myself just by experimenting.

I've always been very concerned with sound and have always looked for ways to improve it. I never was quite happy with the things one can buy in the shop.

I've also been making floating suspension for my toms before RIMS appeared on the market. Just by modifying the tomholders.

But now I'm focusing on cymbals since people from all over the world send me cymbals to hammer.

[Johan VDS]

In particular i want to see what kind of hammer you use to modify this cymbals!

I don't have pictures now, but there's nothing special about the hammers. They are just a few "ball-peen" hammers going from rather flat to round.

[time2go]

what I have to do to let you modify 2 of my cymbals??
I have to send it to you?
give me your e-mail so we can make an accord!

bye

[Stephen Daedalus]

Hi Johan, that's some swell stuff you've got going on! Hats off, mate

Listen, how long does it take you - on average - to modify a cymbal? I might pop over in September for a couple of weeks to hang about with my best friend (and partner in drumming crime ) in Brussels, so unless the shit hits the fan I think I should manage to bring you a Paiste 2000 14" hi-hat which I wish were darker-sounding (and looking ). That sound feasible?

Cheers, lads