Reviews
"Another delicate and dry cymbal, but with more wash and finesse. These have your most expansive range of uses. Great for jazz, and if you like a darker and more defined ride sound. With lots of stick definition and controlled sustain, these cymbals sing. A great crash that decays quickly makes them great for live settings and recording." - Nick Cesarz
"You’ll notice that all the cymbals in the Istanbul Agop Signature have a darker appearance. This appearance is typical of dry cymbals, and these are some of the driest cymbals you’ll find in Istanbul Agop’s lineup. However, I found them to be quite warm as well, giving you a fantastic blend of the two qualities. You’ll find much drier cymbals from other brands, whereas these are a bit more universal in their use. The cymbals are hand-hammered, so they’re highly responsive to dynamic playing. The lightest touches will bring out the purest tones, which is an incredible quality." - Brett Clur
"The lathing makes it sound very controllable indeed and thankfully the flat profile adds a dark and very mellow vibe to it. The big bell sounds well integrated and doesn`t cut. I like that it`s not so agressive. It got a lot of trashy qualities. Mixed with that buttery wash and woody stick definition that makes a magnificent sound. Especially the crash sound brings out the mellow trashiness." - Drummer Karl
"I've recently had the pleasure of trying this out. This ride is 22" and is immediately distinguished from some of the brighter rides that I often hear. While it does have a nice high end, it's smoother than most. It also has a lot more high midrange than I'm used to hearing, and in fact, often seems it has a really dark sound and can really fill up space. Depending on what you're going for, this may or may not be a good thing. I'd say slower-paced jazz stuff can really benefit from this type of sound as it's full and can continue to provide a good ambience throughout a tune. Even lighter rock and folk would really sound nice." - Moose Herman
"For my taste this is one of the best dark rides ever. It has a nice dark embroidery definition, a dark overall tone with a nice wash - but which is always controlled. A really great ride. For all those who want to call up the entire spectrum even with soft tones, just right. I would actually see it in many styles of music - due to the low weight and the design, it would certainly be more for pop, soul, etc. If you are looking for a more clear stick definition, you would rather go for the medium version, which is also heavier. Conclusion on the sound: round and very warm basic tone, dark and woody stick definition - controlled sustain and a nice wash. super crashworthy - which looks really good on the set." - Vitus
"If you like a ride with a strong bell and a lot of ping, you're in the wrong place here. The Signature ride cymbals have a good stick definition, but there is always a very present portion of wash mixed in, which can also lead to crash-like sounds when played more vigorously. Struck at the edge, a relatively short, hissing, dark crash sound is heard. The bell sounds very subdued. The ride cymbals are also fun in a jazz context, but due to the overall very deep pitch, they could lack some presence in a musical context." - Christoph Behm
"The reason we now have a model that's the Agop Signature with green logos is that was Agop's favorite color. So Arman and Sarkis' dad loved green and thought it looked nice on the cymbals, so that's how he liked to make them. After he passed away, they made that Agop Signature series cymbal from a collection of notes he had from cymbal construction, like "How to Make the Perfect Jazz Cymbal" based on feedback from a lot of drummers he had worked with through the years, some of whom are endorsers, some of whom are just really great drummers who visited the factory. Lots of guys, jazz musicians, would pass through Istanbul all the time and they would often stop and visit the factory, check out some cymbals, buy some cymbals, offer feedback. Agop always meticulously kept record of this stuff, and he would keep the records around. After he died, his sons made the Agop Signature Series from his notebooks, and as a tribute to their father gave the series his name along with the green ink." - Scott Liken
