All companies have their history, the Zildjian history starts in 1623
Avedis Zildjian I (the first) was an Armenian alchemist in the city of Constantinople in the early seventeenth century. While attempting to create gold by combining base metals, he discovered an alloy of copper, tin, and traces of silver with unique sound qualities. In 1618, Avedis used his secret alloy to create cymbals of spectacular clarity and power. The sound of the instruments was so extraordinary that the Sultan invited Avedis to live at court (Topkapi Palace) to make cymbals for the Sultan's elite Janissary Bands. As Avedis' reputation grew, the Sultan gave him the name ""Zildjian"" in Armenian (Zilciyan in Turkish), a word meaning ""son of cymbal maker.""
In 1623, Avedis was granted permission to leave the palace in order to start his own business in a suburb of Constantinople named Psamatia. That same business is now nearly four centuries old and has been passed down to Zildjian heirs for fifteen generations. Relocating to America in 1929, Avedis III moved the Zildjian factory to Quincy, MA and then to its current location in Norwell, MA for Zildjian's 350th Anniversary. The business passed to Avedis' son, Armand in 1977 and then to Armand's daughter, Craigie, in 1999. Currently, Craigie and her sister Debbie continue the family tradition in what is recognized as the oldest family-owned business in America.
Brand families from Zildjian
All products from Zildjian
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Article number 1810022
Zildjian 18" A Crash Ride
Light, crisp, subtle, very colorful. Good ride definition.
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Article number 1810034
Zildjian 20" A Medium Ride
Light, crisp, subtle, very colorful. Superb all-around ride.
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Article number 1810227
Zildjian 20" A Thin Crash
Light, crisp, subtle, very colorful. Fast, bright, lively.
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Article number 1810070
Zildjian 21" A Mega Bell Ride
Light, crisp, subtle, very colorful. They'll have to sing louder.
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Article number 1810079
Zildjian 21" A Sweet Ride.
Light, crisp, subtle, very colorful. Beautiful, all-purpose ride with medium overtones.
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Article number 1810210
Zildjian 8" A Splash
Light, crisp, subtle, very colorful. Quick, short crash.
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Article number 1899931
Zildjian AC0801G Gospel Pack
Featuring A Custom cymbals that have just the right amount of brightness and sweetness that Gospel music...
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Article number 1820808
Zildjian 10" A Custom EFX Splash
Effect splash with laser generated “cut outs” that allow it to produce quick, trashy, white noise effects that...
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Article number 1820814
Zildjian 14" A Custom EFX
Fast, colorful, short crash sound. This special effects Crash cymbal has a unique set of laser generated "cut...
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Article number 1820513
Zildjian 15" A Custom Crash
Fast, colorful, short crash sound. Natural, bright, not too high, not too low.
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Article number 1820514
Zildjian 16" A Custom Crash
Fast, colorful, short crash sound. Natural, bright, not too high, not too low.
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Article number 1820818
Zildjian 18" A Custom EFX
Fast, colorful, short crash sound. Unique set of laser generated "cut outs" allow the cymbal to produce a...
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Article number 1820588
Zildjian 20" A Custom Crash
Fast, colorful, short crash sound. Natural, bright, not too high, not too low.
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Article number 1820522
Zildjian 20" A Custom Ping Ride
Fast, colorful, short crash sound. More high-end, stronger "ping" qualities.
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Article number 1820538
Zildjian 6" A Custom Splash
Fast, colorful, short crash sound.
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Article number 1822324
Zildjian 14" I-Family HiHat Pair
For drummers looking for classic, bright hi-hat sound, the 14" I Family hi-hat pair is a great choice.
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Article number 1822336
Zildjian 16" I-Family Crash
A 16" crash is a must-have for any setup because it is such a versatile size, small enough to be fast and...
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Article number 1822338
Zildjian 18" I-Family Crash
This 18" crash delivers a bright sound with a large enough diameter to support a big, expressive washiness.
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Article number 1822368
Zildjian 18" I-Family China
This fast, bright, "trashy" China is ideal for special accents and musical exclamation points.
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Article number 1822348
Zildjian 18" I-Family Crash/Ride
This 18" crash delivers a bright sound with a large enough diameter to support a big, expressive washiness.
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Article number 1822304
Zildjian I-Family Essential Plus Cymbal Pack
The Essential Plus pack features a 13" hihat pair, a versatile 18" crash/ride, and an extra 14" crash to round...
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Article number 1822305
Zildjian I-Family Pro Gig Cymbal Pack (14/16/18/20)
The Pro Gig Pack expands on the standard sizes, adding a second crash for maximum expressiveness. A 14" hihat...
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Article number 1822303
Zildjian I-Family Standard Gig Cymbal Pack (14/16/20)
The Standard Gig Pack features all the standard size cymbals you need! A 14" hihat pair, 16" crash and full...
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Article number 1810858
Zildjian 10" K Splash
Full-bodied, quick, short, dark sound.