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Donnie Buckley V.I.P. Cleveland, Ohio 1123 Posts |
It has always confounded me that street magicians prefer such heavy cups.
I've never worked as a street magician, but it seems to me that I'd rather carry the lighter weight aluminum cups (big ones for maximum visibility) rather than lugging around a pound and a half of copper. Not only is aluminum light weight, it's also less expensive. So if your cups get dropped, dented, or whatnot, it's less expensive to replace them. Of course, if you are banging a wand on them to get attention, then that will make a difference, but you could bang quite a lot of things other than the cups. |
pabloinus Inner circle 1683 Posts |
Are you thinking in expanding the use of aluminum in other cups?
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Nutz4Tutz New user 54 Posts |
I use aluminum. Not only because they're cheaper and I use them alot. But because I use a black mat and with the way I dress it just seems more "modern" for my set up. I could just be crazy, but the copper/bronze color just feels out of place. lol.
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Donnie Buckley V.I.P. Cleveland, Ohio 1123 Posts |
I understand that completely.
Copper is a lovely metal, but these days I prefer chrome over copper. It's much less maintenance and the silver color looks great. |
pabloinus Inner circle 1683 Posts |
Maybe the taditionals or Thompson cups in Aluminum?
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Donnie Buckley V.I.P. Cleveland, Ohio 1123 Posts |
I've never done that, I spin the Traditionals in .064" copper (that's thick and heavy). They certainly could be spun in aluminum.
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pabloinus Inner circle 1683 Posts |
I vote for traditionals in shiny aluminum, Donnie, Could you think about it?
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Donnie Buckley V.I.P. Cleveland, Ohio 1123 Posts |
It used to be that Rings-N-Things spun everything out of aluminum. I certainly can spun those cups from aluminum. I have a customer who wants a set of those cups spun out of steel as well. Next time we set up for those cups I'll do it. Inventory is low on Traditionals right now, so they need to be made soon.
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Tom Fenton Inner circle Leeds, UK (but I'm Scottish) 1477 Posts |
Perhaps the reason for a Busker's preference for heavier cups is due to high winds blowing lighter cups over.
Just a guess as I have never busked.
"But there isn't a door"
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Donnie Buckley V.I.P. Cleveland, Ohio 1123 Posts |
I always thought the same thing Tom, but a wind that strong is going to wreck havoc with the balls, the table and the crowd. The cups aren't going to be as susceptible to the wind as much.
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Nutz4Tutz New user 54 Posts |
Tom, I believe it's the sound they make. A lot of buskers use the cups (and slam the wand) to draw a crowd. That's what cups do, they are definite crowd drawers (can't think of the right word, but you know what I mean). I have noticed on my heavier cups vs my aluminum, even just the stacking of the cups, the heavier ones are quite a bit more noisey.
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Tom Fenton Inner circle Leeds, UK (but I'm Scottish) 1477 Posts |
Wrong again!
There was me thinking I was being intellectual. I am sure that both of you are correct.
"But there isn't a door"
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Donnie Buckley V.I.P. Cleveland, Ohio 1123 Posts |
True enough, aluminum does not have a nice tone when clattered against other aluminum - or against anything. Like I said above though, you could blow a horn, bang a tamborine, bang the wand on your table, or just about anything other than pounding on a set of 300 or 400 dollar cups.
For the best tone though, I recommend steel cups. They sound better than brass and will take a beating more than any other metal will. |
yin_howe Special user Malaysia 981 Posts |
I have a set of Aluminum Mendoza's and I quite like them. Although not as heavy as copper, I was still surprised that they have a little weight to them.
I guess most people's experience with Aluminum cups are from the really cheap beginner sets, which are really really light.
"Talent without passion is talent wasted.."
https://www.youtube.com/user/yinhowe80/ |
Pete Biro 1933 - 2018 18558 Posts |
If you look at Tom Frank's posts on Facebook, showing buskers... you will note almost all are using big, copper cups and almost all are BANGED UP.
STAY TOONED... @ www.pete-biro.com
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Donnie Buckley V.I.P. Cleveland, Ohio 1123 Posts |
Tom's collection of photos that he posts to his Facebook account is amazing. I've seen it. It's not just the cups, it's also the cards.
And Yin Howe, that's true about the Mendozas, and you are probably right about the general perception of aluminum. Aluminum is THE lightest metal in the periodic table. There is no other element that makes a solid metal as light as aluminum. I suspect that it is very valuable all across the universe for this reason and that in 1000 years, it is aluminum that we are mining on other planets. Hey, it could happen... |
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