3 reasons why your gong driver wears out

Your chime driver no longer produces the desired sound and you don't really know why? One of the most common reasons is that the friction ball has hardened due to improper use or storage. This not only changes the contact between the ball and the gong, but also the damping properties of the flexible natural rubber. A sound spectrum like the one you experienced at the beginning with the newly acquired reamer is then no longer possible. Today we want to explain how premature wear can occur and how you can avoid this.

Why does my gong driver no longer produce the desired sound?

One of the most common problems is that the rubber ball of the reamer has hardened - and this means that you can no longer produce the desired sounds on your sound instrument. It is not uncommon for this hardening to only become apparent after one or two years. It is then usually too late to reverse the whole thing. To prevent this from happening in the first place, we have put together a few simple tips for you.

How hardening occurs on your grater and what you can do about it

1. residues of cleaning or polishing agents are on your gong

This happens: Residues from cleaning or polishing agents have remained on the gong and have collected on the rubber ball. These dirt particles can easily collect on the surface of a roughened gong driver ball.

How to avoid it: Clean a nickel silver gong with a warmed-up microfiber cloth before every game. You can wipe a TamTam or Feng Gong with a damp, soft cotton cloth and then rub it dry. We also advise you to only use cleaning agents that are specially designed for sound instruments. You can also brush your gong driver with a root brush or nail brush after every second or third time you play the gong.

Note: Bronze gongs such as the TamTam or Feng Gong have an irregular surface, which makes them all the more likely to accumulate deposits. We therefore recommend that you clean a bronze gong regularly with a cleaning stone.

2. dust or dirt on your gong

This happens: Dust and dirt have accumulated on the gong and have been picked up by your mallet or grater while playing. This also happens if your gong is protected in your house or apartment. Wipe the surface with a soft cloth and you will notice that the material of a gong really attracts dirt particles from the air.

This is how you avoid it: Again, cleaning your gong regularly and brushing your gong driver - as described in point 3 - will solve the problem. You can also store your gong in a high-quality gong bag. However, we recommend that you wipe it down before every play, as dust or dirt can also collect in a bag and stick to your gong.

Note: A discolored, usually yellow or black layer on your gong driver is anything but normal. Rather, it is a very clear indication that you urgently need to clean your gong driver.

3. damage due to unprotected storage

This happens: Due to unprotected storage of your gong driver, dust and dirt have accumulated on the rubbing ball or UV radiation has damaged the material.

How to avoid it: Always store your grater well protected. You can store our gong graters in the zipper bag supplied. Also choose a place that is as dark as possible and where your tools are well protected from sunlight.

Note: If there is already slight hardening on your grater, there is a simple method using hot water to get rid of it effectively. You can find helpful tips on cleaning a gong grater and other interesting tips on care in our article.

As you can see, avoiding hardening on your gong reamer is not that difficult. The correct storage of your tools and the regular and proper care of your gong are decisive for the lifespan of your reamer. If you stick to these simple rules, you will find that Olli Hess gong grinders are reliable and, above all, extremely durable companions for your sound practice.