SALVAGING S'MORE SIZZLERS

HOLD ON TO YOUR HATS, HOMBRES, THIS POST IS GONNA BE RIVETING!!!

That there was a brief experiment.  I acquired a new laptop to work on, and I was testing out a new photo management program I now have that allows me to organize my pictures into photo albums, create video compilations, add visual effects and whatnot.  Yeah, I know it's nothing that everyone else hasn't been doing for decades now, but give me a break.  I'm old and technologically challenged.  In another ten years I may figure out how to set up a YouTube channel.

ANYWAY, this post is nothing more than a blatant attempt to show off my collection of "Sizzle Cymbals," which are cymbals that have small holes drilled into them so that little metal rivets may be inserted to create a sustained rattling sound.  Not an annoying, buzzing sound but (in most cases) a pleasant decrescendo of subtle fizzing and crackling reminiscent of bacon frying, a cold carbonated beverage being poured or perhaps the after-effects of a large wave crashing upon a beach.  Am I conveying the concept here?  I've used up all the suggestions in the Thesaurus at this point.  As one would obviously assume.....they SIZZLE!

This type of cymbal used to be quite popular with jazz musicians in times past but not so much with drummers these days.  So I, being the maladjusted misplacedmtnman who tends to veer the opposite way from modern trends, make it my insignificant, inconsequential mission to find these old cymbals on Ebay and snatch them up.  Since they are a bit beyond their time as I am, usually this means these cymbals have the holes but not the rivets, and have what clever sellers like to describe as "antique patina."  In reality this just means they are old and dirty, but it also means they are typically much cheaper than the newer, shinier cymbals.

Cleaning, repairing and restoring these old treasures is not extraordinarily difficult, it just takes more time and effort than most people are willing to invest.  Since I don't have a life or any friends, I have plenty of both to dedicate to returning these interesting instruments to their original splendor.  That's just the kind of guy I am.

Taking a closer look at my cleaned-up collection, I currently have a 19-inch and two 18-inch Sizzle Crash/Rides.  The nineteen has a "Brilliant" finish that makes it look extra smart - pardon my redundancy - and if one was truly interested in the fine details, one eighteen has six rivets spaced evenly around the circumference of the cymbal, while the other has two groups of four rivets opposite to each other.  This doesn't make any noticeable difference in the sizzle sound, it's just a visual difference.  The really cool thing about these big boys is their versatility.  They sound great as a ride or a crash, hence the nomenclature "Crash/Ride" (obviously).  I enjoy evoking a wide range of sounds from these, from the bell to the bow to the edge.  It's all good.

The next type I want to feature here is the "Sizzle China."  This 17-inch made by Wuhan should have six rivets, but one has fallen out.  As I have been unable to find a match for the remaining five, I decided to just not worry about it.  So what is the sizzle enhancement for a China cymbal?  Well, let's see if I can describe it.  Have you ever heard one of those fireworks that goes "Pow!" and then has an extended crackling effect afterwards?  Yeah.  I guess...kinda like that.  You have the initial harsh, sharp crash of the China and then the loud rattling of the rivets afterwards.  The "sizzle" effect in this case is less "pleasant" and more of a noticeable extenuation of the abrupt China sound, which is precisely the point when using this type of cymbal to highlight accents in the music being played.  It is the reverberations of the explosion that just occurred.

You know, it would be really cool if I took the time to make videos demonstrating my points.  Nah, it'll be fine.....

Moving on, the last genre of "Sizzle Cymbals" I will present here are these "Sizzle Hats."  Yes, just as the name implies, these are Hi-Hats with rivets installed in the bottom cymbal.  Here in this photo I have displayed only the bottom cymbals.

Wow!  What a crazy cool configuration for your hi-hat cymbals!  I bet those sound super kewl!

Well......I thought they would.  Turns out, however, rivets - even many rivets like I have installed in this one on the left (a total of 12) - don't really have a chance to make a difference with hi-hat cymbals.  The reason is - at least with my style of playing - I find that most of the time I have the hats "closed," which means the rivets are not rattling.  When I do open the hats, even for an extended period of time, I can't really hear the rivets creating much of a racket, and are quickly stifled as soon as the hats are closed anyway.  So unless I open the hats and smash 'em like a crash, I don't really hear a discernible sizzle effect.  I definitely wouldn't pay extra for rivets in my hats in any case.  These two pairs I have already had the holes drilled and I installed the rivets myself at very little cost.

THE "PERCUSSION FORTRESS" BLOG WILL RETURN AFTER THIS BRIEF VIDEO MESSAGE:

Okay, so I admit this post fell far short of riveting, and I apologize.  However, I felt it was important to give a voice to these marginalized cymbals who have been forgotten, pushed to the side or ignored altogether.....and at the very least, are rarely heard in music today.  I brought them back.  I found them, cleaned them, rammed rivets into their holes and began beating them with a stick again, just as they have always deserved.  You should thank me.  I bid you good day, sir.