How Are Zildjian Cymbals Made?
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About Zildjian Instruments
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The Zildjian company has been making cymbals and gongs since 1623, when the family opened a shop in Istanbul. The first Zildjian to create the company's legendary percussion instruments did so by accident. In fact, he was an alchemist looking for ways to turn base metals into gold when he found that sheets of alloyed metals, including silver, copper, tin and other metals had a lovely ringing sound when hit. Today the Zildjian company has manufacturing operations in North America and Europe, and its instruments are among the most desired by percussionists.
Cymbal Making Prior to 1970
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Until 1970, cymbals were made by a hand-hammered process. The metal alloy was blended in large vats, poured out into circular sheets and allowed to cool. Once cool, cymbal makers manually hammered (with hammers ranging from large to very small sizes) the sheets into the desired shape and size. The hammers were also used to shape the cymbal so that it had a distinctive sound by shaping the center and edges to project a particular pitch.
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The Press Method of Manufacturing
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Today Zildjian cymbals are made not by hand hammering but by a press method. The circular sheets of alloyed metals are heated to almost 1500 degrees Fahrenheit, where they begin to soften. The soft, hot sheets are rolled out by machines. Once the sheets have cooled, they are cut into the exact shape desired. The sheets are placed underneath a hammering machine that replicates the hand-hammering of past production techniques. The machine is programmed to spin and hit the sheets in a precise pattern.
After hammering, the cymbals are placed on a lathe and the top layer of material is removed. Grooves are added to create specific tonal qualities and volume, and the edges are smoothed out and made uniform. Finally, a tester plays each cymbal to make sure it has the Zildjian sound. When a new cymbal passes the play test, it's laser-engraved with the Zildjian name and a serial number. The entire process takes about three weeks.
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