Istanbul Agop Cymbals
Encyclopedia
Istanbul Agop Cymbals is cymbal producer based in the Republic of Turkey
.
Its products are well respected for their unique sound, which is formed by the method and the alloy
used, the formula of which is known only to the owners of the firm, Arman and Sarkis Tomurcuk. It is one of two companies that formed after the split of Istanbul Cymbals
.
The art of Turkish cymbal making dates back to the 16th century, the time of the Ottoman Empire
. The very first cymbals manufactured in Turkey were actually bell
s, created for the use in churches. Later on, as the story goes, cymbal
s were produced for the Ottoman military band
. In the 20th century, it had become well known that Istanbul had evolved into the cymbal-making capital of the world. Generations of master cymbalsmiths developed, refined, and redefined this art in their endless search for perfection. They formulated the most musical alloy and developed and tested hand-crafting methods which had been used for centuries. As the 20th century drew to its close, the traditional Turkish method for hand crafting cymbals had all but been abandoned due to the efficiencies and mass production
facility provided by machines. In 1980, the first Istanbul Cymbals began to be produced by Agop Tomurcuk, who had been working in the business of hand-made cymbal manufacture since the age of nine and had worked at the original K factory in Istanbul as the foreman until the factory's closure in 1978, and his partner Mehmet Tamdeger, under the name "Zilciler". Shortly afterwards the company Istanbul was founded.
During the following years, they also developed many original designs, while still employing the traditional methods. Many of these inventive designs are in their production-line today. In 1996 Agop Tomurcuk died in an accident, and as a result the company began to be pulled in two separate directions. It was determined that the company must be split. Agop's sons, Arman and Sarkis, continued their way by following in the footsteps of their father, and Mehmet was free to run his own separate company as he saw fit. Both companies had the benefit of the well-respected "Istanbul" name, but differentiated by the addition of "Agop" and "Mehmet", which can be seen on their respective logos.
. The main difference between Istanbul Agop and Alchemy Cymbals is the finishing process, which gives Alchemy Cymbals a brighter look and a distinct sound. Alchemy Cymbals also has low-cost cymbals in its production line for beginners and semi-professionals. http://www.alchemycymbals.com
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
.
Its products are well respected for their unique sound, which is formed by the method and the alloy
Alloy
An alloy is a mixture or metallic solid solution composed of two or more elements. Complete solid solution alloys give single solid phase microstructure, while partial solutions give two or more phases that may or may not be homogeneous in distribution, depending on thermal history...
used, the formula of which is known only to the owners of the firm, Arman and Sarkis Tomurcuk. It is one of two companies that formed after the split of Istanbul Cymbals
Istanbul cymbals
Istanbul is the name of two brands of cymbals, Istanbul Agop and Istanbul Mehmet, made in Istanbul using traditional cymbal making methods...
.
The art of Turkish cymbal making dates back to the 16th century, the time of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
. The very first cymbals manufactured in Turkey were actually bell
Bell (instrument)
A bell is a simple sound-making device. The bell is a percussion instrument and an idiophone. Its form is usually a hollow, cup-shaped object, which resonates upon being struck...
s, created for the use in churches. Later on, as the story goes, cymbal
Cymbal
Cymbals are a common percussion instrument. Cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys; see cymbal making for a discussion of their manufacture. The greater majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sound a...
s were produced for the Ottoman military band
Ottoman military band
Ottoman military bands are thought to be the oldest variety of military marching band in the world. Though they are often known by the Persian-derived word mahtar in the West, that word, properly speaking, refers only to a single musician in the band...
. In the 20th century, it had become well known that Istanbul had evolved into the cymbal-making capital of the world. Generations of master cymbalsmiths developed, refined, and redefined this art in their endless search for perfection. They formulated the most musical alloy and developed and tested hand-crafting methods which had been used for centuries. As the 20th century drew to its close, the traditional Turkish method for hand crafting cymbals had all but been abandoned due to the efficiencies and mass production
Mass production
Mass production is the production of large amounts of standardized products, including and especially on assembly lines...
facility provided by machines. In 1980, the first Istanbul Cymbals began to be produced by Agop Tomurcuk, who had been working in the business of hand-made cymbal manufacture since the age of nine and had worked at the original K factory in Istanbul as the foreman until the factory's closure in 1978, and his partner Mehmet Tamdeger, under the name "Zilciler". Shortly afterwards the company Istanbul was founded.
During the following years, they also developed many original designs, while still employing the traditional methods. Many of these inventive designs are in their production-line today. In 1996 Agop Tomurcuk died in an accident, and as a result the company began to be pulled in two separate directions. It was determined that the company must be split. Agop's sons, Arman and Sarkis, continued their way by following in the footsteps of their father, and Mehmet was free to run his own separate company as he saw fit. Both companies had the benefit of the well-respected "Istanbul" name, but differentiated by the addition of "Agop" and "Mehmet", which can be seen on their respective logos.
Alchemy Cymbals
Alchemy Cymbals is a brand of hand-made cymbals belonging to Istanbul Agop Cymbals; the brand has its own production lineProduction line
A production line is a set of sequential operations established in a factory whereby materials are put through a refining process to produce an end-product that is suitable for onward consumption; or components are assembled to make a finished article....
. The main difference between Istanbul Agop and Alchemy Cymbals is the finishing process, which gives Alchemy Cymbals a brighter look and a distinct sound. Alchemy Cymbals also has low-cost cymbals in its production line for beginners and semi-professionals. http://www.alchemycymbals.com
Current endorsers
- Cindy BlackmanCindy BlackmanCindy Blackman is an American jazz and rock drummer. Blackman is best-known for recording and touring with Lenny Kravitz...
- Lenny WhiteLenny WhiteLeonard White III, better known as Lenny White is an American jazz fusion drummer, who is best known for playing in Chick Corea's Return to Forever.-Biography:...
- Return to ForeverReturn to ForeverReturn to Forever is a jazz fusion group founded and led by keyboardist Chick Corea. Through its existence, the band has cycled through a number of different members, with the only consistent band mate of Corea's being bassist Stanley Clarke... - Joey WaronkerJoey WaronkerJoseph "Joey" Waronker is an American drummer and music producer. He is the son of record producer Lenny Waronker and singer/actress Donna Loren; his younger sister is musician Anna Waronker; and his grandfather is record executive and professional violinist Simon Waronker. He has three other...
- Matt ChamberlainMatt ChamberlainMatthew Chamberlain is an American drummer, producer and sound engineer. He is currently based in Los Angeles, California.-Early life:...
- Brendan CantyBrendan CantyBrendan Canty is an American musician, composer, producer and film maker, best known as the drummer for the band Fugazi....
- Fugazi - Idris MuhammadIdris MuhammadIdris Muhammad is a jazz drummer. He changed his name in the 1960s upon his conversion to Islam. He is known for his funky playing style. He has released a number of albums as leader, and has played with a number of jazz legends including Lou Donaldson, Johnny Griffin, Pharoah Sanders and Grover...
- Poogie Bell
- Matt McDonough - MudvayneMudvayneMudvayne is an American heavy metal band. Their work is marked by the use of sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate visual appearance, which has included face and body paint, masks and uniforms...
- Mike Clark (jazz musician)
- Kliph ScurlockKliph ScurlockKliph Scurlock is an American musician. He is the drummer for the alternative rock band The Flaming Lips.He was born Clifton Thomas Scurlock in Topeka, Kansas, the son of Roger W. Scurlock and Linda Louise Rokey . His love of music was inspired by his mother...
- The Flaming LipsThe Flaming LipsThe Flaming Lips are an American alternative rock band, formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1983.Melodically, their sound contains lush, multi-layered, psychedelic rock arrangements, but lyrically their compositions show elements of space rock, including unusual song and album titles—such as "What... - Alexei RodriguezAlexei RodriguezAlexei Rodriguez is a Puerto Rican drummer, once known for his time in Canadian heavy metal band, 3 Inches of Blood and the metalcore band Walls of Jericho. He is currently the drummer for the Los Angeles-based band, Prong....
- James Culpepper - FlyleafFlyleafFlyleaf is an American alternative metal band, formed in the Belton and Temple, Texas regions in 2000. The band has charted on mainstream rock, Christian pop and Christian metal genres. They performed around the United States in 2003 until releasing their eponymous debut album, Flyleaf, in 2005....
- James GadsonJames GadsonJames Gadson is an American drummer and session musician. Beginning his career in the late 1960s, Gadson has since become one of the most-recorded drummers in the history of R&B music....
- Joe PlummerJoe PlummerJoe Plummer is an American drummer from Portland, Oregon. Since 2004, Plummer has been a member of the indie rock band Modest Mouse and performed on their album, We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank...
- Jeremiah GreenJeremiah GreenJeremiah Martin Green is a founding member and drummer of the indie rock band Modest Mouse from 1993 to March 2003, and again from July 2004....
- Joe Russo (musician)Joe Russo (musician)Joe Russo is an American drummer and half of the Benevento/Russo Duo. He plays with a number of other bands, including A Big Yes and a Small No, Fat Mama, Robert Walter's 20th Congress, Danjaboots, Bustle In Your Hedgerow, Electron , Younger Brother, Shpongle, Tom Hamilton's American Babies, the...
- Paulo BaldiPaulo BaldiPaulo Baldi is an American rock drummer and percussionist from the San Francisco Bay Area. He is currently a member of Cake, Les Claypool's Fancy Band, Deadweight, The Faraway Brothers, and the Eric McFadden Experience....
- Jeremy TaggartJeremy TaggartJeremy Ronald John Taggart is a Canadian drummer, best known for playing with Our Lady Peace since 1993.-Early life:Taggart was born in Toronto, Ontario and has two brothers and one sister. Music was a central part of his youth, as his parents were also musicians, and Taggart learned to play drums...
- Scott AmendolaScott AmendolaScott Amendola is an American jazz drummer from the San Francisco Bay Area. His styles include jazz, blues, groove, rock and new music. He is considered central to the Bay Area music scene....
- Brian Vodinh - 10 Years10 Years10 Years is an American alternative metal band, formed in Knoxville, Tennessee in 1999.-Early Years, Into the Half Moon :10 Years was initially formed in Knoxville, Tennessee in 1999 with singer Mike Underdown, drummer Brian Vodinh, bassist Lewis Cosby, and guitarists Ryan "Tater" Johnson and Matt...
- Aki Hakala - The RasmusThe RasmusThe Rasmus are a Finnish rock band that formed in 1995 in Helsinki while the band members were still in upper comprehensive school. The original band members were Lauri Ylönen , Eero Heinonen , Pauli Rantasalmi and Janne Heiskanen...
- Alessandro D'Anna (Jazz musician)