Nothing, same method of production. No computers, no modern machines. No ISO 9001,
Because the sound wouldn't even come close, that's why.And nobody still there there used to work in the K zildjan factory either. Agop is dead.
Mehmet is still alive.
Just one question: which exactly Istanbuls you've owned/ played?
Small correction, Agop and Mehmet discontinued customisation possibility. Bosphorus still does.
Nothing, same method of production. No computers, no modern machines. No ISO 9001, Mehmet is still alive.
But Mehmet isn't Agop. And you earlier specifically recommended the Istanbul Agop Traditional as an old K substitute by claiming that somebody at Agop had previous experience in making cymbals in the old K foundry, which they do not.
Just one question: which exactly Istanbuls you've owned/ played?Small correction, Agop and Mehmet discontinued customisation possibility. Bosphorus still does.
Agop Special Edition series and Agop 30th Anniversary. And why do you need to know that?
Drumaholic, Just to end our small "clash"...both guys worked for old K factory, and they run together Istanbul up to 1996. I mentioned Agop as I think that they are little bit closer to pre-split istanbul quality then Mehmet.
I know that secret is the alloy, and you sonically are not able to recreate the sound with any cymbal brand nowadays. But for me Istanbul has a suprisingly good sounding "trying to achieve that K sound" cymbals. So their reffering to Istanbul cymbal founders work experience for K Factory is with some reason. At least few guys who seen process, established their own business. Who do You think is able to get close to the legend that the guys who were working there?
It's my opinion, maybe my ears are Dumbo type, but I rely not only on alloy percentage, but also respect to old manufacturing methods.
Nice cymbals you own, I will go for anniversary in the future.
I think the K sounds a little drier...and all-around a little better, but this one sounds fairly similar: http://www.ebay.com/itm/280889774802?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649#ht_6394wt_1169. This is a 22" cymbal, he's also got a 20" listed that may sound a little closer to the K. I didn't really do a "side-by-side" comparison of this one with the K, though.
I've only recently become aware of Matt Bettis Cymbals. Does anyone have any first-hand experience/knowledge of these? They are beautifully hammered, including the bell. The files I've heard sound pretty good.
Just throwing out ideas...
Lynn
Nobody here going to admit to knowing me or my work? George? Bill? None of you dudes?
Bastardguys! =)
That's cool.....
I dig.
I'll just have to speak up for myself.
I make cymbals by hand, starting with raw blanks from the Silken foundry. I make mostly 20" and 22" crash rides that actually do both well. I make them one at a time, and am not rushed, so they are all nicely turned out. The quality is what you would expect from a craftsman that does the work himself and then puts his name on it.
Here's an example of my work, a 22" at 2295 grams....
[IMG]http://www.rarevintagecymbals.com/ebay/2012_2295_stamp_Bettis.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://www.rarevintagecymbals.com/ebay/2012_2295_da_Bettis.jpg[/IMG]
Sounds like this...
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npH250uE7Qo&list=UUxAjBzehGyOHHuyKZlurI_A&index=8&feature=plcp[/ame]
Making cymbals is my full-time occupation. I don't do it to make a bunch of money. I do it for the love of music, great cymbals, and a craftsman's art.
Thanks,
Matt
Your cymbals are absolutely stunning! I love the picture of the finished cymbal being supported by a freaking log and a hammer too! How cool is that, seriously? That has so much mojo, it is almost beyond description actually, at least to me. Cool1
You are very talented!
toodles
drumhack The BandMallet Player2x-mas2Jump For JoyExcited
Yeah, I shoulda.
I make cymbals by hand, starting with raw blanks from the Silken foundry. I make mostly 20" and 22" crash rides that actually do both well. I make them one at a time, and am not rushed, so they are all nicely turned out. The quality is what you would expect from a craftsman that does the work himself and then puts his name on it.Making cymbals is my full-time occupation. I don't do it to make a bunch of money. I do it for the love of music, great cymbals, and a craftsman's art.Thanks,Matt
Matt,
Thanks for speaking up. I was unaware that you were a member here, as I'm pretty new to the forum. As I mentioned before, I think your cymbals are beautiful - aesthetically and sonically.
Do you think you'll be making many crashes in the 18" and 19" range? I've heard some of the qualities I like in a crash in all of the 5 cymbals of yours that I've heard (only in sound files). I love a very thin, dark, trashy crash like the old Sabian HHXtreme crashes. Unfortunately, they stopped making them like that and the old ones are hard to find. I've always been a Zildjian guy and have found two 18" crashes that that are dark and trashy, but I'm always looking.
Anyway, I believe you could make some awesome crashes that would make me forget about the old HHXtremes. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Lynn
Nothing, same method of production. No computers, no modern machines. No ISO 9001, Mehmet is still alive.Just one question: which exactly Istanbuls you've owned/ played?Small correction, Agop and Mehmet discontinued customisation possibility. Bosphorus still does.
This thread started, about a specific cymbal that someone really liked and it became about finding another that was similar.
All of the hand made cymbal brands mentioned here could conceivably be similar, due to variables in the blank(alloy,impurities,rate of cooling),the milling,firing, tempering,hammering,bell conformation,lathing or not AND the stick being used for the soundfile.
Two Ks with very similar weights, can sound remarkably different and so can these more modern cymbals , without them being regarded as necessarily inferior.
I import custom weight cymbals from a small Turkish factory that pours their own blanks and I can tell you that some of them , you would swear are old school K's, and some of them you would swear aren't, because they are still being made with similar variabilities(albeit a little more controlled,perhaps) that the old K's were created under.
Isn't that what makes all of the above mentioned cymbal makers great? That you are offered the priveledge of discovering their uniqeness, that they haven't completely gone over( some more than others) to the mass market mantra of consistency as their one and only guiding principle?
Hi Matt, I was going to mention your cymbals until I read down the thread and you beat me to the punch. I've been watching them on E Bay. I don't know that they fit what I'm playing out at this time but for jazz/big band and so on .......WOW!
