Masterwork 18" Verve China Cymbal
Our thoughts:
The topside is unlathed and the bottom is lathed, providing a subtle trashiness and earthy warmth that defines this series.
This 18" Verve china is a powerful asset to any drummer's setup, allowing for expression outside of typical types of cymbals. Chinas are typically disproportionally loud in relation to the rest of a drummer's cymbals, however, this china breaks that rule, sitting much more sensibly in the mix, just above most crashes. It's darker for a china cymbal but it cuts through enough to be used in metal contexts. Overall, it's an incredibly balanced china and one of the nicer ones we've tried. It's definitely worth checking out if you're looking for one!
Masterwork Cymbals:
Cymbals were unknown in Europe until the Turk raids first introduced them. The story began in Istanbul in the 15th century with the Zildjian family which were used predominantly within the military. The first European music written with cymbals dates back to the late 17th century. It took another 200 years before they were introduced in modern music genres. Nowadays numerous factories in Turkey produce unique cymbals using traditional methods passed from father to son. Masterwork cymbal smiths are the artists who use these ancient technics to produce cymbals of a high quality. Masterwork Cymbals use the B25 alloy to produce their cymbals. This secret formula is the key to the musical tone and qualities that define Masterwork's sound. The Masterwork Cymbals factory was established in 2002 in Istanbul and is now owned by cymbal smiths Yucel ULUC and Cetin LIMONCU. Masterwork Cymbals produce 14 different lines of cymbals, each with their own unique qualities that define them.