Warranty
Warranty Terms
WARRANTY
Red Cymbals carry a 24 month warranty against manufacturing flaws, for the original purchaser, from the date of original purchase.
However the Warranty is considered void if the logos have been removed or if there is evidence of the use of tape of any kind on the cymbal as this inhibits the true resonance of the cymbal.
It is a condition of sale that a cymbal, subject to a claim under our warranty, is returned to us by the original purchaser (and at their cost), with a copy of the original dated receipt and a completed warranty claim form, for review within the warranty period. The original purchaser is also responsible for the return freight cost of any successful warranty claim.
All cymbals, regardless of brand or manufacturing differences, have a natural life expectancy. A cymbal, by the nature of its use, is beaten. As such, eventually beaten metal will thin out, weaken, and then give way causing the cymbal to crack and/or break bringing the cymbal's life to its natural end.
Red Cymbals are professional instruments designed to be used in a professional manner and for the purpose for which they were designed. Misuse occurs when cymbals are selected and/or used inappropriately, and/or played by people who do not know how to use, set up, or care for the instrument properly. Cymbal care includes: maintaining cymbal sleeves and felts, using cymbal stands that are properly operational, mounting cymbals low and angled towards the player.
LIFE EXPECTANCY
Several things negatively impact on the life expectancy of a cymbal:
Manufacturing flaws
A cymbal with a hidden manufacturing flaw, will reveal that flaw when placed under stress, which is usually within the first few hours of use. If a cymbal has been used for several hours, on several occasions and has retained its sonic integrity, any future breakage will more-likely be user-error, misuse, and/or or overuse, rather than a legitimate cymbal manufacturing flaw.
Overuse
Cymbals used more frequently will break sooner than a cymbal that is used less frequently over the same warranty period. Overuse occurs when the usual life expectancy of a cymbal is shortened by multiple users using the same cymbal more frequently and in different ways than a single player would. As such, it would simply be unfair to overuse a cymbal causing it to break prematurely and then make a warranty claim, claiming that it was the cymbal's fault that it failed.
Misuse
Using a cymbal (including positioning a cymbal, it's angle, or hitting a cymbal in a manner different to how a cymbal was designed to be used) will cause premature breakage. Breakages from misuse often occur when in-experienced (and experienced) drummers play, setup or treat cymbals as they have been influenced (or out of control), rather than learning how to set up and play a cymbal properly (under control) in the manner and for what is was designed.
For example: buying a 'jazz cymbal' to use for heavy rock, or heavy metal will cause the cymbal to break prematurely as a result of a mismatch in purpose and use. Much like a drummer using their favourite heavy 2B drumsticks on a 22" jazz ride used for a crash, with poor technique causing the cymbal to break sooner. Both circumstances are ‘mis-use', as a jazz cymbal is thin and was not designed for heavy playing or heavy sticks.
OUR WARRANTY
Our warranty is therefore based on the legal principles of "quality", "fairness", and "fit-for-purpose", and therefore only protects the original purchaser: against the unknown presence of manufacture flaws (which usually appear on the first or second time the cymbals is used), and only while the cymbal is being used for the purpose for which the cymbal was designed, and as such, does not cover cymbals that have signs of misuse, or which have been knowingly overused.
As such, a cymbal's warranty is void, and/or significantly limited (at Red Cymbals’s discretion), where:
i. The original purchaser is not the claimant;
ii. The cymbal shows signs of misuse, and/or overuse;
iii. The item has been purchased for hirer, and/or to be used by multiple users, who are unsupervised and/or have not been properly instructed on the proper use, setup, and care of cymbals.
Where a cymbal is purchased by a group, for hire, for a House of Worship, or other multi-user purpose, they should be aware of the increased risk of damage, or breakage to cymbals, as multi-users introduce multiple and prolonged stress on the cymbal, and usually have differing expertise or skill levels. Therefore, standard warranty periods may not apply in such circumstances.
Furthermore, player issues like: bad hand/stick/stroke technique, heavy hitting, using drumsticks that are too heavy for the cymbals being played, improper treatment or misuse of cymbals, stacking or inverting cymbals, incorrect cymbal selections or setups, bad player habits/setup and/or inexperience, and poor playing techniques will all prematurely damage cymbals.
Cymbals misused, overused, or subject to any of the above circumstances will reveal damage in the following ways:
1. Edge cracks, sections of broken cymbal and dents (waving) around the edge of a cymbal, are mostly from misuse or hitting a cymbal with the stick at an angle other than parallel to the bow of the cymbal.
2. Key holing - is usually wear at the cymbal hole area from metal rubbing on metal, which if left unattended can also result in a bell cracks.
3. Flea bites, are usually from dropping a cymbal on its edge. This shocks a cymbal and causes a shattering effect to the metal, much like panel of laminated or safety glass being dropped on its edge. A dropped cymbal will break sooner.
4. Bell cracks, which are around the base of the bell area are usually caused by restricting a cymbals movement and then hitting it in a way that causes cross stress or centrifugal forces to snap the cymbal in this area,
An item, claimed under our warranty, will be replaced with the same or similar stocked item, of equal or lesser value, at the sole discretion of Red Cymbals. Furthermore, it should be considered, prior to purchase, that Red Cymbals manufacture cymbals 'fit for purpose', and therefore in all fairness, can only warranty cymbals that are used in the manner and purpose for which they were designed.
Cleaning: Wipe/buff your cymbals with a microfiber or soft cloth after use. Do not use Brasso, Windex and citrus based or abrasive cleaners. This will void your warranty and may remove the logo on the cymbal.
Playing technique: We suggest playing the cymbals mounted lower and on a slight angle toward the drummer as well as playing with a sweeping motion across the cymbal rather than hitting down on the cymbal. Mounting the cymbals high and flat or angled toward the audience may cause exertion of irregular force on the edge of the cymbal, potentially causing them to crack prematurely.
Any questions about our warranty can be addressed to info@redcymbals.com