I am a gigging drummer, playing about 8-10 dates a month, all one-night-stands. It is my only source of incomes since being laid off, so there isn’t much extra money for things.
I have a fiber trap case that has a slot for cymbals, but I was not happy that they were stored on their edges and were unprotected. I decided to make my own cymbal bags, since I figured I could do it CHEAP!
My idea was to take beach towels (usually big sizes and thick pile) and sew them up.
For my 20” ride and 18” crash, I made one bag with two pockets.
To do this, you’ll need a beach towel that is at least one inch wider than the width of the biggest cymbal, and 4-6” longer than THREE TIMES the width.
Fold the towel length-wise into a “Z” shape with three equal panels. This will form two pockets with a top, bottom and middle layer of towel. Pin three edges (bottom with no folds and two sides each with one fold) and test fit your larger cymbal. If it will slide in easily, sew those same three edges. If not make adjustments until it fits.
When finished, slide the larger cymbal into one pocket and the smaller into the other. They should “nest” nicely with one thickness of towel in between. Fold over any excess at the top opening to form a cushion for the edges to rest on.
I also made a smaller one for my 14” hi-hats, and both bags work great! It is possible that with smaller cymbals, you could do more than two per bag. You are only limited by the size of towels/fabric you can get, and the thickness you can sew through.
Not only are my cymbals protected by soft terry cloth all the way around, the towel keeps them clean and provides a soft surface for the edges to rest on.
Now is a good time because beach towels are on sale many places.
