Anyone familiar with the lesser known Turkish cymbals?

[jgziegler]

Hi,

I'm going to Istanbul next week and hoping to get a factory tour. In my research (by that i mean from wikipedia), I came across some other cymbal makers (Istanbul, Anatolian are pretty well known here, and I even own a few).

So my question is, does anyone know anything (beyond what you can get grom google) about these makers? At the very least, I expect stores there to carry them...

1. Amedia
2. Masterwork (they have some very interesting looking effect cymbals)
3. Samsun
4. Symrna

Thanks!

[jmastrodimos]

I had a ride cymbal custom made for me by Amedia. It's 21" hammered, dark and dry. I had given them a sound bite of a cymbal I liked on YouTube, and they matched it perfectly. Total cost was $350 dollars. Not bad for a custom made cymbal! The only drawback was that it took 3 months to receive, but it was well worth the wait.

[jgziegler]

thanks...where are you located? did you communicate only via email or did you go there? why did you choose them? I'm super excited to go, the only issue is i dont have tons of time so i want to make sure the drum time is well spent!

Thanks!

[jmastrodimos]

I found an ad for Amedia Cymbals in the classified section of one of the popular drum magazines. I live in the Lake Hopatcong area of Northern N.J. Amedia's distribution center is in Verona, N.J., about a 35 minute ride for me.

I drummer friend had a Paiste dark ride that I fell in love with. He bought it new for $600 dollars. I decided to bite the bullet and buy the cymbal. I soon discovered that the cymbal had gone out of production. A double-whammy!

I went to Amedia in hopes of finding a ride that was close in tone to my own. No luck!

Dominick Gagliano heads the Amedia distribution center. I played him a YouTube link of the Paiste Cymbal. Three months later I received a cymbal hand-made to my exact specifications.

Three months later I was the grateful owner of a Paiste Cymbal.

[jgziegler]

Thanks for the answers. If I can make it to their factory, perhaps things will go quicker. Anyway, I take it you're happy with the cymbal. North Jersey, I was born in Union, didn't live there long tho...

Have you heard any of their other cymbals? They've got some really cool lines...

[jmastrodimos]

I have a good friend who is a professional drummer. He is endorsed by Amedia. That is all he uses. His cymbals sound great!

[pcs90]

I've heard some Masterwork cymbals in recordings and they sounded great, never played any in person though. The smaller brands of Turkish cymbals are usually hard to find here. Someone is selling a Samsun cymbal on local Craigslist but the price is extremely high and so I have no interest in checking that one out.

[jgziegler]

I've heard some Masterwork cymbals in recordings and they sounded great, never played any in person though. The smaller brands of Turkish cymbals are usually hard to find here. Someone is selling a Samsun cymbal on local Craigslist but the price is extremely high and so I have no interest in checking that one out.

Yea, this post was more directed at our european chatters, to be honest, based on my experience when i was stateside in november, you're better off going for the major brands in the US, the price is the same and generally speaking I feel the major brands have better cymbals (although they do lack a bit in different lines).

Now to push my friend to arrange a factory tour!

[jgziegler]

Going to the Amedia factory/store Friday, hoping to hammer my own cymbal which is awesome awesomeness awesomely awesomed!

[jmastrodimos]

Tell Dominic that John Mastrodimos says hello. He will remember me if you tell him that he matched the ride cymbal I bought from him to a sample of a Paiste cymbal on YouTube.

[EyePea]

Going to the Amedia factory/store Friday, hoping to hammer my own cymbal which is awesome awesomeness awesomely awesomed!

Awesome. That sounds awesome. Have an awesome time.

[jgziegler]

Tell Dominic that John Mastrodimos says hello. He will remember me if you tell him that he matched the ride cymbal I bought from him to a sample of a Paiste cymbal on YouTube.

ok, how long ago was this?

I really hope i get to hammer my own!

[eric_B]

I have several Masterwork cymbals (custom and iris series), I like them a lot.

BTW: a Greek friend of mine visited the Masterwork factory some years ago (you can find the video on YouTube).
Small company, all handmade, high quality, not cheap.

[longgun]

Have fun and be careful............Istanbul can be a pretty dangerous place nowadays

[jgziegler]

Have fun and be careful............Istanbul can be a pretty dangerous place nowadays

Thanks, I'm not worried, a bit more worried what trouble my friend there will get me into!

[drumstix]

I've got a set of cymbals made by a mob called Impression. Fantastic cymbals.

[BackStreetDrums]

Amedia is taking the USA by storm...two drum stores in Atlanta now carry them, were a big hit at this years and last year NAAM shows...check them out

[pcs90]

No stores in my area have them yet, hopefully that will change.

[BackStreetDrums]

Amedia is a great Turkish cymbal maker, and Dominick does a great job with the USA distribution.

I am strictly a Bosphorus player, for years, but have spoken to Dom a few times..a pro drummer who knows his cymbals....and he will work with you to get the sound you want.
For the last 2 years at NAAM, Amedia was a crowd pleaser...prices are good too for such Turk quality.