Hi Manuel,
This is one of our favorite subjects and there are a lot of factors to consider. What happens afterwards depends most on the tempering of the metal- the quench. The B20 bell bronze is heated to a specific temperature and then plunged into cold water essentially hardening the metal while still leaving it malleable for cold work (hammering & lathing). Tempering freezes the crystalline structure in the metal and preserves it. The physicist is correct to this point, but bell bronze vibrates and nothing vibrates at the cyclical rate that cymbals do without some effect on its internal structure. It is our belief that the crystals begin to break down over a period of years making the cymbal sound more brittle in its tone. Not to say it is fragile, just less full in its response and coverage of the frequency band. Think of a new cymbal like you would a new pair of stiff leather boots. Over use and time they free up. A good cymbal will do the same. A natural finish cymbal will break in gradually with use and even after a few days of playing it can generally be stated that the pitch will drop slightly and feel looser.
Perhaps you and others in your group have experienced knowing when a cymbal is about to break as I have. It sounds dull and feels very loose and you know its only got a gig or two left before a crack appears. Cymbals are under tension due to the shape and tonal grooves and so eventually that tension will relax. But, we don’t want to confuse this effect with the metal’s structure which we do believe changes over time and use. Giving a cymbal a brilliant finish heats the metal back up to several hundred degrees F and this has the effect of a mild annealing of the metal. In layman’s terms: they’re broken in right out of the bag. The pitch will drop very little and you will feel the cymbal is looser than the natural finish version of the same model. This is why Evolution and Xplosion models only come in brilliant. That feel and sound is possible because of the buffing process and is an important part of that recipe. I hope this has been of some help and I wish everyone in the forum a Happy New Year full of gigs and unbroken cymbals!
Cheers,
Christian Stankee
Global Artist Relations Director