Six New Rides Added to Zildjian's K Constantinople Series
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July 22, 2003
Celebrating its 380th anniversary, Zildjian has traveled back in time to its roots in Constantinople to revive sounds sought after by jazz enthusiasts for decades. Making their debut at the Summer NAMM show in Nashville, the new K Constantinople Rides offer six models in total and are available in 20" and 22" sizes, Medium-Thin High, Medium-Thin Low and Thin High.
Created through feedback from Zildjian Artists and customers, the new K Constantinople Rides have plenty of give, texture, and a remarkably soft, buttery feel. They have a combination of articulation up top and some nice spread at the bottom providing a clear, articulate stick sound, according to the company. The designations of High and Low refer to the profile of the cymbal, and ultimately the pitch, and provide even more tonal options from which to choose. The first Ride cymbal available in a thin weight in the K Constantinople range, the Thin High model speaks immediately with 'stick sound'; usually not found in a thin cymbal.
"Both the 20 and 22's are very lively and responsive. If you get rolling and shoulder them, you can still come right back to ride them and hear some definition...no easy find in a cymbal these days. They shimmer with a wonderful airy quality", said Adam Nussbaum.
Joe LaBarbera commented, "I took out all five of my old K's from the 50's and 60's and played them side by side, and the Medium-Thin High seemed to capture some element of each one. The stick sound is very good, the bell is clear and the decay time is the same."
The "K" sound had its origin in the city of Constantinople, late in the 19th century, when Kerope Zildjian put his name on the family's cymbals during his tenure as keeper of the Zildjian flame. During the 50's and 60's the great drummers of the Bebop era found the warmer, darker tones of the Turkish made K Zildjian cymbals ideal for their music. The "K" sound became legendary having been captured on the many classic recordings of the time featuring such greats as Max Roach, Art Blakey, Philly Joe Jones, Tony Williams and Elvin Jones.
Zildjian first revived this classic sound in 1998 under the direction of Armand Zildjian himself. Since then Zildjian's Sound Lab has continued to research and reproduce the techniques that helped craft Kerope's cymbals.
For more information, visit their web site at www.zildjian.com. | 
