You are right. Even though I have never been happy with the sound of a repaired cymbal, some people have ended up with a sound they still liked.I will say I have never heard a cymbal sound better after being repaired than it did before, so a repaired cymbal to me will always be worth much less than one that had not cracked.So yes, it is still usable, but I would not buy it unless it was priced less than a new cymbal.I should have said it is less desireable as a musical instrument now.I don't want extra holes in my cymbals any more than I would want extra holes or repairs in my drums.If I had a cymbal that cracked, I would try to fix it simply because I already own it. I would not purchase a cymbal that already had cracks, and most likely Mel Lewis would not have either.