Everything I Know About Bearing Edges

It began decades ago, when I noticed that the profiles of a lot of bearing edges didn’t seem to match the profiles of plastic drum heads that were available. So I began playing around with bearing edges, and have continued to study their role in a drum’s sound.

Here’s what I think I've learned so far.

Close To The Edge
In the beginning, bearing edges were a nice-to-have, but not that big a deal. “Close enough” was close enough because calf-skin heads would always fit themselves to the drum. Plastic heads are not so accommodating. It's also not uncommon for a vintage drum to have somewhat irregular bearing edges, perhaps due to low tolerances at the factory, uneven shrinking of the shell material or physical damage. Such drums will be hard to tune unless given a bit of TLC.

Not All Created Equal
Modern drums are better suited to the profile of plastic drum head collars, but good design and quality control are not a guarantee of bearing edge excellence. You're right to expect perfection in a $1000+ instrument. However in the lower price tiers, the edges will naturally have received less attention. There’s a cost attached to bearing edges, and the labour costs will be reflected in the price of the drum. That said, a reasonably well made drum can often be 'up-cycled' by giving it a good bearing edge treatment just as a modest acoustic guitar can be improved with a high quality bridge saddle. The bearing edge is, after all, the drum's 'bridge'.

I'm So Confused
And so you should be. Options you may hear about bearing edges include: round-over, 30 degree, 45 degree, dual-45, reverse 45,  45 with round-over, bull-nose, baseball bat, vintage round-over. There are also different theories, applications, claims, boasts, and myths. 

Yes, It Really Does Matter
An uneven bearing edge can be a nightmare, but a 'proper' bearing edge may not be right either. The edge profile can have a significant effect on tone and other factors, including: resonance, brightness, tessitura, sustain, body, and volume. Most drum makers these days tailor the bearing edges to the style and economics of the drum -- e.g. vintage style edges on vintage style drums -- or perhaps they finish them to a house standard, “That Great Gretsch Sound” being one example. Some companies even offer a choice of bearing edges.

My advice is to not worry about it unless there are visible defects in the bearing edge or you're befuddled by a drum's behaviour. You can find a lot of information about bearing edge properties online. There are also videos that can show you how to check your bearing edges, and if there is an issue, a drum tech can help. It's also not that hard an exercise for a do-it-yourselfer ... again, lots of videos on this.

Photo by Gfilms

 

Cymbal Guarantees

Most quality products come with a guarantee or warranty these days. Cymbal companies too have warranties on their products. That means, if it breaks, they first of all want to know about it, and if it’s a quality issue they'll very likely send you a new cymbal.

But the breakage has to be their fault.

At one time, cymbal breakage was rare. People just plain played much less aggressively. And, to some extent they seemed to value their instruments more than seems to be the case with quite a number of contemporary players. Most companies will guarantee a newly purchased cymbal against certain types of breakage, but it ends there. If a player breaks a replacement cymbal, all love is lost and the cymbal will not be replaced. The rational is that the owner/player must be doing something wrong or just plain abusing their bronze.

If you find you're breaking a lot of cymbals, have a look at your cymbal set-up and how you hit. Your cymbals should be the correct size and weight for your music, and set up so that hitting with a glancing blow is the default.

Cymbal abuse comes in many forms, but the biggest issues are:

• Improper mounting,
• Too light for the job,
• Over-playing leading to fatigue,
• Hitting too hard,
• Hitting directly on-axis. 

Warranty Statements
Warranties are always limited. In the case of a cymbal, the maker will replace it if it is a manufacturing fault. There’s also a time limit, usually one or two years from the original date of purchase. That's pretty decent considering you're going to be beating these things regularly.

Sample Cymbal Warranty - from https://www.trurootcymbals.com. (Edited for length and clarity; emphasis added)

• Limited 1-Year from the date of purchase
• After inspection, [if] it is determined that your cymbal failed under normal use, a replacement will be provided. Typically, if a crack appears along the lathe lines it would fall under the scope of [the] warranty.
• Warranty does not cover any misuse. If a crack appears cutting through the lathe lines, it would fall outside of the warranty, as the damage would have been caused from misuse.

To Claim A Warranty
If you feel the failure was due to defects in the material or workmanship, pack up the cymbal and dig the receipt out of the shoe box. Take both to the place of purchase or to another authorized dealer for that brand. The rep at the music store should be able to guide you through the process, and can arrange for the cymbal to be sent for evaluation and possible replacement.

The Reject Pile
Your claims may be rejected for any of the following reasons:

• Excessive force or abuse (multiple cracks, edge cracks and cracks around the bell)
• Improper transport or storage
• Cymbals that have been dropped
• A product that has been altered in any way

So take care of your cymbals and chances are your cymbals will take care of you.

Photo by Tompet80,  Dreamstime.com