Istanbul : Agop 21" Mel Lewis Ride Istanbul

Dark and warm buttery, with a woody stick definition. A true classic sound.

 

The 21" Istanbul Agop Mel Lewis Ride Cymbal with Rivets is dark, warm, buttery with a woody stick definition. A true classic sound. Each Turkish cymbal is a work of art hand-crafted individually by the cymbalsmith. Variations in color, hammer marks, lathing, labels, etc., are all enhancements that add to the natural beauty, sound, and unique quality of these one-of-a-kind cymbals

 

Mel Lewis was our first endorser. After his death in 1990 and with the blessing of his family, Mel’s chosen cymbals were flown back to our factory and used as models for what would become his Signature Series. Every detail of every individual cymbal has been taken in with exacting detail and replicated by the hands of our cymbalsmiths. These cymbals are our way of paying tribute to Mel’s legacy in the best way we know how.

 

Our founder, Agop Tomurcuk, was born in Istanbul-Turkey in 1941. Growing up in the Samatya neighborhood of Istanbul, he followed in the footsteps of his older brothers Oksant and Garbis, by beginning work as an apprentice cymbal-smith at the age of 9 at the only cymbal factory in Turkey. Here, Agop learned, and later helped to refine every aspect of the cymbal making process, becoming a master at every process and eventually becoming the chief cymbal-smith, until that company ceased production of their cymbals in Turkey in 1977.  In 2009, we have the most musical and diverse cymbal lineup anywhere, supported by a roster of the most influential and compelling drummers of this generation.