Cymbal alloys
Cymbals are made from four main alloys, all of them copper-based. These are: Bell Bronze, Malleable Bronze, Brass and Nickel-Silver.
Bell Bronze is the traditional alloy used for fine cymbals and also many gongs. It is normally stated to be one part tin to four parts copper, that is 20% tin, but there is some variation to these proportions and some use of small but significant amounts of other elements, notably silver, gold and phosphorus. It is a two-phase alloy, meaning that some of the tin is not dissolved in the copper grains but exists between them. This makes the metal harder and more brittle than a single-phase alloy,
and also affects the way the metal responds to hardening by
hammering and lathing, and greatly restricts the use of mechanised techniques. Major orchestras generally use bell bronze cymbals, which are capable of a greater dynamic range than any others.
Examples: Bosphorous, Istanbul, Meinl Byzance, Paiste Signature and Traditionals, Paiste 602 and some Exotic Percussion, Sabain HH and HHX, Sabian AA and AAX, most Sabian Signature, Saluda Mist and Glory, Saluda Voodoo and Voodoo EX, Ufip, Wuhan, Zildjian A and A Custom, Zildjian K and K Custom, Zildjian Z Custom.
Malleable Bronze is an alloy of tin and copper containing no more than 8% tin. It is a single-phase alloy and can be cold rolled into sheets, unlike bell bronze. It is readily available as commercial sheet metal in many grades and thicknesses. Most student cymbals are made from a malleable bronze, which is a good choice. Good quality malleable bronze cymbals can be mass produced giving good value for money, and being less sensitive than bell bronze they are easier for a beginner to play. From the mid 20th century there were attempts to make top quality cymbals from malleable bronze, and the best of these now approach and some claim equal the best bell bronze cymbals in quality. They are especially favoured for extremely loud playing, and withstand abuse relatively well.
Examples: Meinl One of a Kind, Meinl Custom and Amun, Meinl Lightning and Raker, Meinl Classics and Generation X, Meinl Trooper and Cadet, Meinl Meteor and Marathon B18, Orion Solo Pro and Solo Pro Master, Orion Viziuss, Paiste 2002 and some Exotic Percussion, Paiste 802 and Alpha, Paiste 502, Sabian B8 and B8 Pro, Sabian Pro Sonix, Zildjian ZXT and ZBT.
Some of the finest gongs and china-type cymbals are made from brass, but other than this it is used mainly for toy and beginners' cymbals, and notably for the "show" cymbals provided by some drum kit manufacturers for use in shop window displays. The normal brass for cymbals is about 38% zinc in copper, which is very easily worked, readily available as sheet metal, and is easily the cheapest metal stock normally used for cymbals. The tone tends to be warm but dull compared to any sort of tin bronze, and very few drummers exploit it.
Examples: Meinl Marathon M38, Orion Twister, Paiste 302 and some Exotic Percussion, Pearl, Royal.
Nickel-silver is an alloy of copper and nickel (but normally no silver), and an alloy with about 12% nickel is used for some beginners' cymbals. A very few specialised high-quality cymbals are also made from nickel-silver. It is malleable and available as commercial sheet metal, and gives a bright tone but without the shimmer and sensitivity of tin bronzes. In the early to mid 20th century nickel alloy cymbals were far more widely produced and used, and so many older recordings were probably made using cymbals with a significant nickel content.
Examples: Some Foremost, Meinl Streamer and Marathon N12, Paiste 402 and some Exotic Percussion, Sabian Signature Glennies Garbage, some Zilco.
In past centuries the alloys used by some cymbal makers were closely guarded secrets. Modern chemical analysis has made this a thing of the past, but despite this some cymbal literature still makes such claims. There are still many secrets in cymbal making but the composition of the alloy is not one of them.