To those who think a cymbal can't be improved, the following short story...
In the end the sixties of the former century I was visitng a large percussion shop in Rotterdam, named Hakkert. At the time Duke Ellingtons Big Band would be playing in the concert hall over there. (I was at the concert :) Most drummers don't carry their equipment around the world, so they 'lend' from shops. Ellingtons drummer was there, made his choise for a good set of cymbals, asked for a wooden plate and took out a little hammer. He searched using the wooden handle of the hammer ticking on the cymbal for the right spot, marked these using ashes from his cigaret and hit the cymbal several times, firm, but very controlled. And the cymbal sounded wonderful! The shop sold these very expensive to special costumers
Wout