It might sound like the simplest tip in the world — and maybe it is. But there’s actually a right way and a wrong way to measure the cymbals on your drum kit.
Measure from the underside
When measuring the diameter of your cymbal, you should do it from the underside. And if you think about it for a second, you probably already know why.
The underside is the only place where you can get your measuring tape, ruler, or whatever you’re using, to lie completely flat across the cymbal — giving you a straight-line measurement.
If you measure the cymbal on the top side with a tape measure, you’ll get a slightly longer distance from one side to the opposite side, since the cymbal is curved.
So remember: flip your cymbal over so you can measure it from the underside, next time you need to find its exact diameter.
Tip
If you’re using a flat tape measure, lay it out on a table. Then place the cymbal on top, top side up, positioned so the left edge starts at 10 cm — then read off the right edge and subtract 10 cm at the end. That gives you an easy and precise measurement.
