Other Notable Cymbal Makers

Since the Big Four cymbal manufacturers have more than half of the market, at around ¾ of it, other companies still find their ways to drummers – from beginners to professionals ones. Some of these brands are...

Istanbul Agop Series Cymbals

Istanbul Agop is one of the two companies that started working on their own, after the split of the Istanbul Cymbals Company. Other Notable Cymbal Makers

The founder of the Istanbul Cymbals was Agop Tomurcuk, and after he passed away his children took over and formed the Istanbul Agop cymbals company.

Though the company originally only produced jazz cymbals, they expanded over the years.

Now they offer a variety of hand-hammered, traditional, and modern cymbals.

The unique thing about these cymbals is a secret alloy, where only the owners of the company know the formula.

Some of the musicians who endorse Istanbul Agop are Lenny White, Tom Meadows, and Cindy Blackman Santana.  Other Notable Cymbal Makers

Anatolian Cymbal Series

Anatolian is a cymbal manufacturer from Turkey, formed in 1998. All of the cymbals that they make are handcrafted and there is a variety of them.  Other Notable Cymbal Makers

They have 14+ standard series and 10 series for Jazz – all of them made from B20 plus alloy.

UFIP Series Cymbals

UFIP is an Italian musical instrument company, founded back in 1931. This company takes care that their products reach great quality, and the only alloy they use in the production is B20 alloy.

This type of alloy offers tonal character and dynamic range, which is why they want to keep the production of all of their cymbals with precisely this B20 type.  Other Notable Cymbal Makers

Soultone Series Cymbals

Drummer and entrepreneur Iki Levy founded the Soultone Cymbals Company back in 2003.

Although the headquarters of the company is in Los Angeles, California, USA, the cymbals are produced in Turkey.

The Soultone Turkish cymbals are all hand-made and are great for all music styles.  Other Notable Cymbal Makers

Some of the artists who endorse Soultone cymbals are Steven Adler, Nick Smith, Jerohn Garnett, and Eric Seats.

Amedia Series Cymbals

Amedia is a cymbal company from Turkey that produces only hand-made cymbals, and each of those cymbals is one-of-a-kind. The top line from the Amedia cymbals is the Kommagene series.  Other Notable Cymbal Makers

Wuhan Series Cymbals

Wuhan Cymbals and Gongs is a Chinese brand that produces affordable but also high-quality cymbals.

They use some of the cymbal-making techniques that date back to two thousand years old traditions while also using today’s modern methods in production. Other Notable Cymbal Makers

They use B20 alloy to produce their cymbals and are most famous for their china cymbals.

Some of the drummers that use Wuhan cymbals are Neil Peart, Jeff Hamilton, and Chad Sexton.  Other Notable Cymbal Makers

Masterwork Series Cymbals

Masterwork Cymbals, founded back in 2002, is a small company from Istanbul, Turkey. Masterwork has 14 different series of cymbals, each of them hand-made. Other Notable Cymbal Makers

Their cymbals are great for all music styles, and the alloys they use to produce these cymbals are B20 and B25.

What brands of cymbals do drummers prefer?

All manufacturers craft cymbals for different drumming styles and, thus, music styles.

The big four, known as Zildjian, Sabian, Meinl, and Paiste, are all equally popular for the easy type of drummers. From rock to metal, to jazz and pop.

This is because these companies all offer high-quality cymbals for each of your musical demands and are incredible for your preferred setting. All you need to do is experiment a bit and find your groove with the cymbals.

For instance, the two most popular rock bands, Nirvana and Led Zeppelin used different cymbals. While Nirvana used Zildjian, Led Zeppelin drummers use mainly Paise cymbals.

And for the Beatles for instance, Ringo experimented and used Zildjian but also Paiste, as well as Zyin and Ajax.

So even though all these fantastic bands were categorized as rock groups, they almost all used different cymbals and yet delivered incredible work.
What cymbals brand should beginner drummers use?
Just like the previous section, this will also depend on you and your style.

However, the rookies are usually limited in budget, so it is best to seek those more affordable cymbal sets from renowned companies.

Luckily, all mentioned brands have great offers for beginner drummers. Thus, here are my top choices from each of the four leading manufacture cymbal brands  Other Notable Cymbal Makers

Zildjian: Zildjian I and S Series
Sabian: Sabian B8X Cymbal pack
Meinl: Meinl HCS Cymbal set
Paiste: Paiste PST7 Universal cymbal set
From past experiences, which I noticed, I can say that beginners usually opt for Paiste. Paiste might have better entry-level cymbals, so that is the reason why this is a go-to choice for rookies.

On the other hand, Zildjian has incredible cymbals offered for intermediate and professional players. So you can see that pros usually opt for Yildjian bran.

Overall this is not exclusive. This is what I noticed and what might be common but not correct.

Both manufacturers have amazing offers for all levels of drumming. There’s nothing wrong with using both brands.

What cymbal brand do famous drummer use?  Other Notable Cymbal Makers
As I stated above, it really depends on the drummer’s preferences. Many drummers from the same genre use different cymbal brands. However, here are some popular drummers’ opinions about their cymbal brand.

Cindy Blackman Santana has always been a fan of Ziljdian cymbals. She loves the distinct character and presence these cymbals have. It adds to the depth and expression of her playing.

She likes them because they are extremely responsive, so you can easily articulate musical ideas with clarity. As she said, Zildjian has never failed her to deliver anything she thinks of.

Chad Smith, from the rock band Red Hot Chillie Papers, is a big fan of Sabian cymbals.

He said that Sabian excel in handling his energetic playing style and delivers the desired powerful and dynamic sound. As he said, no matter what he is playing, Sabian cymbals always tailor to his style with the perfect projection.

Chris Adler, from the American heavy metal band Lamb of God, is a long-time user of Meinl cymbals. As Chris said, the Meinl cymbals deliver the perfect balance of power, precision, and musicality. He loves that these cymbals have a unique character and that they can easily cut through the mix.