Istanbul cymbals
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Istanbul is the name of two brands of cymbals, Istanbul Agop and Istanbul Mehmet, made in Istanbul using traditional cymbal making methods.
Istanbul brand cymbals are not the same as Avedis Zildjian Company's 'Istanbul' cymbals. Zildjian K Istanbul cymbals, for example, are simply Zildjian K series cymbals made in Turkey. The term "Istanbul" is used to distinguish them from other Zildjian K series cymbals, which were made in the USA. Cymbals have been made in Istanbul for centuries, and there are many other traditional cymbal works there currently, including Masterwork, Anatolian, Turkish and Bosphorus. Byzance (a subsidiary of Meinl Percussion) is located in Samsun, Turkey.
[edit] History
The Istanbul brand name was adopted by a cymbal works established by two cymbalsmiths, Mehmet Tamdeger and Agop Tomurcuk. These cymbals were first exported to the U.S. in 1984, first under the name "Zildjiler", and soon afterwards as "Istanbul". Both craftsmen signed each cymbal. Some of these cymbals are now collectors' items. Following Agop's death in 1997, the company split, with Mehmet forming his own company and making cymbals sold as Istanbul Mehmet, and Agop's sons Sarkis and Arman forming their own company and making cymbals sold as Istanbul Agop.
Mehmet claims to have learnt his art from Mikhail Zilcan (sometimes spelled Zildjian), the grandson of Kerope Zilcan after whom the Zildjian K series is named. In the 1950s, he worked in the K. Zildjian factory in Istanbul. Agop was the plant foreman at Zildjian K factory.
Some but not all of the current ranges of Istanbul Agop and Istanbul Mehmet overlap. Both have lines called Traditional, Turk and Sultan, and within these lines many but not all models are in common. Both also have models and whole series of cymbals not duplicated in the other's catalog at present. Agop also makes newer line of cymbals under name Alchemy Cymbals and creates a number of signature series, including the Mel Lewis series, Agop series and SE Jazz series. Istanbul Agop relocated to a newer and larger facility in 2007 where it combines its manufacturing of hand made professional and machine made student cymbal lines at one location.
They continue to be well received by drummers seeking the sound of traditional handmade cymbals.
