Istanbul Agop Picture-Fest

Here's another shot of the 22", 2439g '06 Limited Edition high bell ride.....

IMG_0861.jpg
 
Here's another shot of the 22", 2439g '06 Limited Edition high bell ride.....

IMG_0861.jpg


I really wanted to hear this version Bill the high bell as it's called. The local Agop distributor had only early samples of the 06 low bells actually 5 when I tested them in the Summer. He had no high bells for reference. I'll gather from the shape and size of the bell they deliver quite a different wash and stick sound than the low bell {jazz bell model}.
 
bikay:

That 22 jazz Ride and the Signature 23 - nice!
I have one Alchemy pictured here. Right now it's sitting on a HQ drum mute on top of my 14x14 tom (I have no cymbal stands yet - those parts for my rack system are on order) and I'm playing it between cowbell, snare, hi hat (Mel Lewis 14's and muted toms) - it sounds great. I love that solid "bell" sound and it really sounds nice while getting into the faster latin/funk rhythms! I know - it's a little different, but hey, it's all I can do for now - and I'm having fun with it and at the same time building on my "chops" - I'm a little rusty after not playing for 31 years!

HERE I HAVE THE 10" ALCHEMY BELL,
20" TRADITIONAL ORIGINAL RIDE
AND THE MEL LEWIS 18" CRASH RIDE
 

Attachments

  • Alchemy 10 inch Bell.JPG
    Alchemy 10 inch Bell.JPG
    93.6 KB · Views: 7,641
  • Trad Orig Ride 20 inch.JPG
    Trad Orig Ride 20 inch.JPG
    117.8 KB · Views: 7,556
  • Mel Lewis 18 crash ride.JPG
    Mel Lewis 18 crash ride.JPG
    95.5 KB · Views: 7,420
I really wanted to hear this version Bill the high bell as it's called. The local Agop distributor had only early samples of the 06 low bells actually 5 when I tested them in the Summer. He had no high bells for reference. I'll gather from the shape and size of the bell they deliver quite a different wash and stick sound than the low bell {jazz bell model}.

The high bell is a bit drier than the low bell I had, but it certainly isn't a dry cymbal. The beauty of the low bell was that it was remarkably "in tune" with itself, meaning that the blend of the undercurrent was very harmonious and was balanced with the stick. However, it needed to be played more gently than I wanted to play it (think piano trio). The high bell can take more of a beating, with the stick remaining on top.
 
bikay:

That 22 jazz Ride and the Signature 23 - nice!
I have one Alchemy pictured here. Right now it's sitting on a HQ drum mute on top of my 14x14 tom (I have no cymbal stands yet - those parts for my rack system are on order) and I'm playing it between cowbell, snare, hi hat (Mel Lewis 14's and muted toms) - it sounds great. I love that solid "bell" sound and it really sounds nice while getting into the faster latin/funk rhythms! I know - it's a little different, but hey, it's all I can do for now - and I'm having fun with it and at the same time building on my "chops" - I'm a little rusty after not playing for 31 years!

HERE I HAVE THE 10" ALCHEMY BELL,
20" TRADITIONAL ORIGINAL RIDE
AND THE MEL LEWIS 18" CRASH RIDE

Very nice collection, KONA!
 
The high bell is a bit drier than the low bell I had, but it certainly isn't a dry cymbal. The beauty of the low bell was that it was remarkably "in tune" with itself, meaning that the blend of the undercurrent was very harmonious and was balanced with the stick. However, it needed to be played more gently than I wanted to play it (think piano trio). The high bell can take more of a beating, with the stick remaining on top.


Thanks for the feedback Bill. Sounds like in some ways closer in character to my 20.5" 25th Anniversary ride. Would love to hear the 06 high bell in the flesh sometime down the road based on your description.

I use my 06 jazz bell pretty much exclusively in acoustic piano trio situations where it's blend is superb so your observations and comments follow suit with my experience with the cymbal and it's general character very well.
 
Thanks for the feedback Bill. Sounds like in some ways closer in character to my 20.5" 25th Anniversary ride. Would love to hear the 06 high bell in the flesh sometime down the road based on your description.

I use my 06 jazz bell pretty much exclusively in acoustic piano trio situations where it's blend is superb so your observations and comments follow suit with my experience with the cymbal and it's general character very well.

I would characterize my 1858g 25th Anniversary ride as closer to the low bell than the high bell- kinda washy.....

Agop25thAvvinersaryRide60-1858ga.jpg
 
I would characterize my 1858g 25th Anniversary ride as closer to the low bell than the high bell- kinda washy.....

Agop25thAvvinersaryRide60-1858ga.jpg

I was thinking of the smoothness of the wash and the higher degree of clarity of attack and clear musical bell coming from the 25th Bill. Yes my 25th has alot of wash too but compared to my very harmonically complex dark and evil sizzling 06 with it's high pitched cutting but musical bell I have the 25th is pretty pure in attack in direct side by side comparison. I would imagine then that the 06 high bell is less harmonically complex and more in line with the direct smoothness of sound of the 25th but with the stick sitting more on top than the 25th with a little more meat on the bone sound and clear lower pitch bell to boot. I guess that's what I was trying to get across. Makes sense or no Bill?.
 
This Vezir has piano trio written all over it. I've had a few quiet and woody Agop rides but this is the one I kept- I just can't let this one go!

I'll show some of the ones-that-got-away.....
 
22", 2320g Agop Special Edition Jazz ride

Agop22SE2327Top.jpg

Agop22SE2327Bottom.jpg


This was one of the quiet ones I sold. I gravitated toward heavier Agop rides.
 
Awesome thread! Some really great pies included here. Here are some of mine... sorry the pics aren't as good as the others in this thread!

In order of appearance: 14" sultan hats, 15" sultan hats, 12" alchemy power splash, 24" alchemy professional raw ride, 22" agop trash hit, 21" Mel Lewis rivet ride (10" trash hit underneath it), 22" alchemy pro china. I also own a 12" trash hit, not pictured.
 

Attachments

  • overleftside.jpg
    overleftside.jpg
    48.3 KB · Views: 6,695
  • trashhit.jpg
    trashhit.jpg
    44 KB · Views: 6,703
  • rawride2.jpg
    rawride2.jpg
    91 KB · Views: 6,869
  • alchemysplash.jpg
    alchemysplash.jpg
    81.7 KB · Views: 6,853
  • 15sultanhats.jpg
    15sultanhats.jpg
    88.6 KB · Views: 6,805
  • 14sultanhats.jpg
    14sultanhats.jpg
    42.8 KB · Views: 6,909
  • overrideside2_jpg_w560h415.jpg
    overrideside2_jpg_w560h415.jpg
    40.8 KB · Views: 6,691
Awesome thread! Some really great pies included here. Here are some of mine... sorry the pics aren't as good as the others in this thread!

In order of appearance: 14" sultan hats, 15" sultan hats, 12" alchemy power splash, 24" alchemy professional raw ride, 22" agop trash hit, 21" Mel Lewis rivet ride (10" trash hit underneath it), 22" alchemy pro china. I also own a 12" trash hit, not pictured.

Awesome collection! How do you like your Alchemys? Do you have any soundfiles of your cymbals?
 
Awesome collection! How do you like your Alchemys? Do you have any soundfiles of your cymbals?

I love the Alchemy's! They are definitely underrated cymbals. That 24" raw ride is simply killer. It was in AGOP's booth at NAMM in January and I had to have it. Everyone loved that ride when they tried it out. The china is what I was looking for for some time. The perfect trashy-china sound! I haven't recorded anything in some time (been really busy), but maybe one of these days I can free up a weekend to get some good files. I'll post them if I do.
 
Did you guys lose interest already?

22", 2600g Istanbul Agop Special Edition Jazz Tony Williams ride:

AgopTW22-2600g-d.jpg
 
Did you guys lose interest already?

22", 2600g Istanbul Agop Special Edition Jazz Tony Williams ride:

AgopTW22-2600g-d.jpg

Quite to the contrary Bill. Nice to see a few others join in and waiting to see what other newcomers have to show of their Agops once they come across this thread.

Nice TW by the way as is your entire Agop collection.
 
Back
Top