Hi guys is there much difference between aluminium and brass cups and balls? The aluminum ones are cheaper so I was wondering if maybe they're not as good as investing in brass cups and balls.

Thanks in advance,
Maxim.

For the street in my opinion Copper is actually your best bet. It wears better than brass. The aluminum cups are really a bit light for street work and can actually be blown over in a stiff breeze.

Best,

Dan-

Also, the aluminum will eventualy get a black,dirty looking tarnish that rubs off in your hands making them look dirty too.

Danny's right on the weight, and brass looks bad when tarnished, but the copper gets a very nice looking "heirloom" tarnish that makes them look very old.

Greetings and Salutations Max,

I've got an aluminum Morrisey cups-and-chop-cup combo, and they work great! With them I learned a couple of simple routines and some bits of business. I also learned that they are too light from me and they don't have the load capacity I'm looking for, but I'm not giving them up -- I've got a venue or two where they may work just fine.

Listen to Dan. You'll be happy with the weight and look of copper cups. In my younger days I polished a lot of brass, and polished brass looks cool, but unless you're willing to polish the cups daily, I'd pass on brass.

YMMV

Joe in KC

Shiny cups just don't seem right to me. The balls are the heroes of the trick, and the dark lustre of copper cups with a great "ancient" patina show the balls off the best.

The heavy copper cups make the noise that draws a crowd, but then sit in the background for the balls to have all the attention.

Part of the problem with aluminum cups is that they just don't make as much noise, and the noise they make isn't very attractive. Copper cups have a rich and pleasant heavy sound.

The pros use copper. I'd stick with copper.

I would agree with copper or brass over alluminum. I'm using brass cups which are heavy and beautiful, but I don't think I'd be happy if they smacked the street. My normal conditions are still a little controlled. I might want something else for pure street performance.

Cups with weight to them add some authority to your moves-- and they look more interesting.

Being a young man on a tight budget, are there any good, low priced copper cups out there to get me started.

I have come across the Bosco copper cups, big size, and under $80. What do you all think. the link is below.
http://www.harriesmagic.com/engelsk/katalog.html#cups

Copper it is!

kasper777, there are some copper cups on http://www.topsecretmagic.co.uk for £30, that's about $50. Dunno if this is a good price or not.

Maxim.

Greetings and Salutations Kasper,

I just recieved the Bosco cups, the total bill was $96 US, which includes the shipping to KC. It took about two weeks for them to arrive.

Payne and Danny recommended the cups to me on the "Cups & Balls Advice" thread when I was searching for new and better cups. I'm glad they steered me away from the more expensive Phoenix cups, not that Phoenix cups are bad cups, but the Boscos are going to be great for me and my show -- I perform at Renaissance Festivals, and they have a very good period look, they sound great, and they fit my hand well.

Being an old man and burning my way through my yearly magic budget at an incredible pace, I also have a set of Pete Biro Galli Galli cups on order and am expecting them by the end of the week. I can't wait to compare the two sets.

Whatever you do, go with the copper, Whit's right, they just sound so much cleaner ... think of the difference of a bell or gong compared to a pair of empty soup cans banging together.

That's my two cents. YMMV

Joe in KC

I picked up a BEAUTIFUL set of copper cups just recently. They look exactly like Paul Fox cups and they're very well made. They aren't the cheapest cups but I like the way they tarnish as opposed to my Johnson brass cups. Take a look here:

http://www.jesmagic.com/

I think the Bosco cups are a good idea in the under $100 range. If you are really tight on cash, e-mail themagicwarehouse. Its not on the site, but Howard will sell you the large Morrisey coppers for $39 + shipping. Import copper for $35. Neither will be as heavy as the more expensive ones
but are very servicable, and great for practice.