The cymbal-making process is a dramatic one that employs ancient techniques from the early 17th century. Red-hot discs are forged in great, fiery ovens. These discs are made of bronze, a metal which is not found in the earth. Rather, it is an alloy fashioned from a mixture of tin and copper. The magic of Turkish Cymbals starts here. Our smiths demand only the finest quality bronze. Once the alloy passes their strict quality standards, they melt it down, and pour hot, liquid bronze into a mould shaped like a cymbal. Upon cooling, the disc is reheated in a traditional oven stoked with wood & coal. Rolling mills are fed these red-hot castings. As each casting hardens, a cup is added, and this becomes the bell of the cymbal. Our smith then retrieves the cymbal, and begins hammering it by hand. The tone, as well as the pitch, is created in this way. After each disc is hammered and coaxed into perfection, it is ready for the final step in the process. The new cymbal is spun upon a lathe until it is perfectly round. The lathe may also cut grooves to add character. Finally, our cymbal is either left with a natural finish, or refined with a mirror-like, high polish. As with every other step in the process, the polish is added with care and devotion by hand. Now our creation is ready to be played!
OUR PHILOSOPHY
Rare and magical instruments, our cymbals each have unique voices that will continue to sing for as long as you own them. Quite naturally, they unite the ancient past of Istanbul with the future of music all around the world. And they are made to enchant the ears, unlike the mass-produced trinkets that our competition dares to call cymbals.
QUALITY MATERIAL
At TURKISH, we create individual works of art. Our cymbals are either perfect, or they are thrown onto the rubbish heap. There are no "factory seconds." If a cymbal bares our logo, it has attained perfection. This is hard, labour-intensive work, and relies on the skill and experience of our craftsmen. But it's worth it for the individual sound that drummers find when they test our cymbals. You, too, will be delighted to find many different sound characteristics in our range. At the Turkish Cymbals Company our goal is to provide the sound that all drummers want and need--a unique offering for the modern musician.