V-Classic

Vintage-Inspired Turkish Cymbals

by Michael Dawson

V-Classic cymbals are the brainchild of Torab Majlesi, a Turkish session drummer and industry vet who’s had an affinity for traditional cymbal sounds since purchasing his first set of old K’s back in 1989. (The V in the company name stands for vintage.) Majlesi’s motto for V-Classic is “one model, one cymbal,” so rather than putting out dozens of variations of splashes, crashes, rides, and Chinas, the company has focused on creating one or two basic models for each type (there are two weights of hi-hats: Light and Classic) that best encapsulate the sweet old vibe that Torab—and many other cymbal enthusiasts—treasure so deeply.

Group Specs

We were sent a complete setup of V-Classic cymbals consisting of 8″ and 10″ Vintage splashes ($99, $123), 14″ Classic hi-hats ($345), 15″ Light hi-hats ($390), 16″ and 18″ Vintage crashes ($204, $252), an 18″ Vintage China ($271), 19″ and 20″ crash/rides ($288, $342), and a 22″ Classic ride ($399).

All V-Classic cymbals are made of cast B25 bronze (25 percent tin and 75 percent copper) and feature a unique finish that gives them an aged look with a noticeable patina. The surface of each cymbal also appears to have been smoothed out a bit with a light sanding process. (You can see slight circular markings emanating from the bell.) The crash/rides and rides are hammered and lathed from bell to edge, while the Chinas, crashes, hi-hats, and splashes aren’t hammered on the bell. The Chinas have a few bands of wide hammer marks on the flange, and the splashes have a single band of wide marks where the bell and bow meet. Advertisement

Click here to listen.

 

For the complete review, check out the September 2012 issue of Modern Drummer.