11/29/2017 Crash Clash: The Shared History of Zildjian and Sabian | Reverb News

https://reverb.com/uk/news/crash-clash-the-shared-history-of-zidjian-and-sabian 1/3

Published Mar 21, 2014 by Matt BiancardiGear History

Not only are cymbals an integral and nuanced component of any serious drummer’s rig, they are

also one of the oldest instruments in human history, found buried within the tombs of the

pharaohs. The story of cymbals, however, is far more relevant to today than old discs of metal

from thousands of years ago. One of the greatest family sagas in music history lies at the entwined

heart of two of today’s biggest cymbal manufacturers, Zildjian and Sabian.

The history of Sabian cannot be told without the history of Zildjian. Through 14 generations of

cymbal makers, the still family-owned Zildjian cymbals traces its origins back to 1618. This clocks

the company in at just under 400 years, making it one of the oldest operations on earth still in

existence. The legend stands that the creator of the Zildjian name, Avedis, was an alchemist

searching for the recipe for gold when he happened across a metal mixture and lathing process

that gave musical qualities to the metal while remaining durable. When his cymbals gained

traction at military and royal ceremonies, the Sultan Osman II granted Avedis the title Zildjian, a

combination of the Turkish words zil (“cymbal”), dji (“maker”), and -ian (“son of”). From that point

on, Zildjian spent centuries distinguishing itself as an authority on cymbals.

Fast forward 300 years and 10 generations of Zildjians to the births of the architects of modern

Zildjian and Sabian: Armand Zildjian in 1921 (whose 21” namesake ride this author plays) and

Robert Zildjian in 1923. Their father, Avedis III, emigrated from Turkey to America in 1908,

leaving the Zildjian company to his cousins in Istanbul. Traditionally, the �rst-born male of a

Zildjian generation is heir to the manufacturing secrets and operations, and because Avedis III’s

father allowed the line to pass to his brother, didn’t consider himself eligible. However, in 1927,

Avedis III’s uncle Haram wrote him a letter from Turkey asking him to return and assume control

of the business after bungled management by his sons and relatives. Avedis III managed to

Crash Clash: The Shared Historyof Zildjian and Sabian Cymbals

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11/29/2017 Crash Clash: The Shared History of Zildjian and Sabian | Reverb News

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19" Avedis Zildjian Ride, 1950's

20" Sabian Flat Bell Ride, early 1980s

convince his uncle to come to Boston where he lived, and in 1929, just months before the Great

Depression, Avedis Zildjian Co. was created in Quincy, Massachusetts.

The next 40 years saw a number

of struggles for the �edgling

American standard. Due to Aram

Zildjian (Avedis III’s brother)

signing over distribution and

namesake rights of the Zildjian

brand to the Fred Gretsch Co.,

Avedis Zildjian Co. fought for

decades in order to carve out a

niche in the American market. The

Avedis Zildjian brand was able to

remain a�oat and ahead of the curve because of its close relationship with its artists, an industry

standard today pioneered by the company over half a century ago. Finally, in 1968, the Zildjian

brothers managed to convince their relative still operating in Turkey to sell K. Zildjian to the family

and also struck a deal with Gretsch for the Zildjian trademark distribution rights.

This development led to the creation of a new factory for the creation of Zilco cymbals (a more

cost-effective type of cymbal made by Zildjian) in 1968 in the town of Meductic, New Brunswick,

Canada. While initially created and used for these more cost-effective cymbals, the demand for

Zildjian eventually swept the economic need for Zilcos and the Meductic factory began producing

Zildjian cymbals in the early 70’s. Meductic was originally scouted and decided upon as the

factory spot by Robert Zildjian, who, at the mention of a WWII friend, went to Meductic to work

through his PTSD and after-effects of the war. Meductic would again be a place of refuge for the

Sabian founder before the decade was over.

In 1979, Avedis III passed away,

leaving an acrid legal battle�eld

between his sons for control of

the Zildjian company. While

Armand was the elder son and

considered the rightful heir to

control, Robert Zildjian felt

slighted. After 2 years in court,

Armand retained the Zildjian

factory in Quincy, and Robert

inherited the factory in Meductic

where he founded Sabian. Not much has come to light over the feud between the 2 brothers in the

time between their father’s death and the creation of Sabian cymbals in 1980. Needless to say,

ties were severed and 2 of the behemoths of the cymbal industry went their separate ways.

In the past 30 plus years, both companies have established reputations as forerunners in cymbal-

making and are synonymous with the word “cymbal.” Armand died in 2002, with his brother

following him just last year. Both companies are still headed by heirs to the Zildjian name and still

compete for the title of largest cymbal-maker in the world. Regardless of where you side on this

family divide, the story of the Zildjian lineage is still one of the oldest and most fascinating (and

sadly, least known), in all of music.

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11/29/2017 Crash Clash: The Shared History of Zildjian and Sabian | Reverb News

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