Who makes the most "natural" hand hammered cymbals nowadays? With a beat up unfinished look and rad sound? I recently got a good deal on a Wuhan ride thats "hand-hammered", "hand-lathed" etc.
But what is the most most organic naturally made cymbal that's affordable?
[email]joshthekook@gmail.com[/email]
There are a couple I know of. First of all, a company called "Cymbal And Gong" makes THE BEST. Next, I'd offer up Amedia as an option. After that, Istanbul would be a distant 3rd...
DIRIL......( not Murat Diril-that's a cousin I think and I don't know much about them). This is a direct lineage of initially, artisans but subsequently skills transfer/apprenticeship, to a real hands on small Turkish cymbal maker, who ended up helping to develop the Meinl Byzance line.
Closest thing to a real old K. you will find because they are made the same way.
Recently, because of the market conditions he has introduced a number of lines that have all the cosmetic gizmos of the majors----unlathed,etc. but the ones I am referring to are the Jazz and Traditional lines. They differ only in weights.
I sell these but I am not pumping them because of that-----I sought them out to sell because they were so good.
There is a crude video on youtube called Making Diril Cymbals or something like that. He will do custom weights as well.
They are the Real Deal( price too!)
I'm not crazy about the current Wuhan's. But, the original ones were flat out smoking. I had an 18 c/r that did everything except butter the cat. I really like the Byzance Trad series. ... and some of the Dreams ... and some Sabian HH's ... and some Byzance Jazz series ... and a few K Const (very few) ... and some Isty's ... and those Diril's ... etc etc etc
Well, you get the point. There are lots of choices out there. It's just a matter of seeking the ACTUAL cymbal out and listening to it.
I'm not crazy about the current Wuhan's. But, the original ones were flat out smoking. I had an 18 c/r that did everything except butter the cat. I really like the Byzance Trad series. ... and some of the Dreams ... and some Sabian HH's ... and some Byzance Jazz series ... and a few K Const (very few) ... and some Isty's ... and those Diril's ... etc etc etcWell, you get the point. There are lots of choices out there. It's just a matter of seeking the ACTUAL cymbal out and listening to it.
Good Good point. The cymbal industry has increasingly gravitated towards branding and style and consistency within those parameters. The truly artisanal made cymbals are each unique and you have to listen to each one of them. When I order Diril cymbals, I give a weight for each one based on my experience with his pies. I'm refining my knowledge and getting closer to nailing down a sound based on size and weight but every now and then there is a ringer, one that doesn't conform anywhere near to my expectations; I can only assume it's because something changed in the mix on that one. ---impurities,cooling time, millspeed or pressure,hammering,annealing, bell pressing, the god-damned delivery bozo that drove over the shipment when he was leaving( sorry, that one is fake)....... nevertheless, it is a good cymbal and someone will love it .
