Maker

Bosphorus Cymbals

Istanbul cymbalsmiths, founded 1996

Bosphorus was founded by two smiths trained in the Istanbul workshops, and every cymbal is cast, hand-hammered, and lathed individually. The Master, Traditional, and Turk series cover a range from bright and modern to dark, dry, and unlathed.

Models

  • Bosphorus Turk Series

    Cymbal · Turkey

    Turk cymbals are left largely unlathed with heavy hammering, producing a dry, short, trashy voice with almost no sustain — the cymbal equivalent of a muffled drum, and a studio staple.

  • Bosphorus New Orleans Series

    Cymbal · Turkey

    Built with the second-line and traditional jazz idioms in mind, the New Orleans series is thin, opens instantly, and has a low pitch relative to its diameter.

  • Bosphorus Traditional Series

    Cymbal · Turkey

    The Traditional series covers the widest range of the Bosphorus catalogue, from paper-thin crashes to medium rides, and is the line most Bosphorus players start from.

  • Bosphorus Antique Series

    Cymbal · Turkey

    The Antique series is finished to look and sound old — dark, low-pitched, and quick to open — and is aimed at drummers chasing a 1950s ride sound without a 1950s price.

  • Bosphorus Master Series

    Cymbal · Turkey

    Master Series is Bosphorus at its most classical: cast B20, fully lathed, hand-hammered individually, and weighted toward the thin end. The rides wash rather than ping, which is the point.

  • Bosphorus Black Pearl

    Cymbal · Turkey

    Black Pearl cymbals combine an unlathed upper surface with a lathed underside, giving a dark stick definition over a dry, controlled wash.

Categories

  • Cymbals

    Ride, crash, hi-hat, effects, orchestral, and specialty cymbals, plus cymbal makers and series.

Representative model

  • Bosphorus Master Series

    Cymbal · Turkey

    Master Series is Bosphorus at its most classical: cast B20, fully lathed, hand-hammered individually, and weighted toward the thin end. The rides wash rather than ping, which is the point.