History

The Zultan Story

It all started without a name

Introducing any new product is a special event and we gave our first Zultan cymbals a special launch at the beginning of the third millennium. Naked, you could say. Still without a brand or product name, we presented our first cymbals in Frankfurt, Germany, at the world’s largest trade fair for musical instruments at that time.

To ensuring that nothing would prejudice the drummers who gave their opinions on sound and quality, we decided to keep the origin and maker of our cymbals a secret.

Thankfully, the response was positive across the board. Even disregarding their price point, these cymbals held their own in terms of finishing, quality and sound when compared to cymbals by renowned makers.

That was the first chapter of the Zultan story, written before our cymbals even had a brand name.

When planning the market debut and distribution strategy for our cymbals, we chose to forge our own, less worn path. When we decided 20 years ago to offer our cymbals only online, many thought the internet was a poor sales medium for cymbals. It was no surprise that many drummers were sceptical. But that spurred us on towards an approach that was radically new at the time: make cymbals audible on the internet.

Zultan was the first brand in Germany (and probably worldwide) to offer audio files of its cymbals as part of the product description content. This was before YouTube even existed. From that point on, we have continually extended our cymbal range. Currently this encompasses 12 different cymbal series as well as attractive accessories, with each and every product displaying consistently high level of product quality despite the exceedingly attractive pricing.

Zultan Cymbals AEON Series
Zultan Cymbals Orchestra Series
Zultan Cymbals F5 Series
A Cymbal is born: from Istanbul to the stages of the World.
After melting the copper and tin, the “hot lava” will be filled into small pots for our Zultan Cymbals.
After melting the copper and tin, the “hot lava” will be filled into small pots.
Heating Zultan Cymbals
The blanks will be squeezed and heated repeatedly to get the right size and thickness.
The press shapes the Zultan Cymbals
The press shapes the cymbal and presses the bell into to center of the cymbal.
The hole for the cymbal stand is drilled
The hole for the cymbal stand is drilled.
Hammering the cymbal
The number of hammer marks and the position the hammer hits the surface, the cymbal achieves its unique character and sound.
The milling process for a cymbal
In the milling process the cymbal will be given its shape and look of the surface and it can also be made thinner.
Polishing the cymbals surface
The polishing protects the cymbal’s surface from dust and dirt and provides a longer life.
Zultan logo printed by hand on each cymbal
The Logo is printed by hand on each cymbal
A Cymbal is born
Casting
Squeezing
/ Heating
Bell Press
Drilling
Hammering
Milling
Polishing
Logo Printing

A Cymbal is born

A Cymbal is born: from Istanbul to the stages of the World.

Casting

After melting the copper and tin, the “hot lava” will be filled into small pots for our Zultan Cymbals.
After melting the copper and tin, the “hot lava” will be filled into small pots.

Squeezing
/ Heating

Heating Zultan Cymbals
The blanks will be squeezed and heated repeatedly to get the right size and thickness.

Bell Press

The press shapes the Zultan Cymbals
The press shapes the cymbal and presses the bell into to center of the cymbal.

Drilling

The hole for the cymbal stand is drilled
The hole for the cymbal stand is drilled.

Hammering

Hammering the cymbal
The number of hammer marks and the position the hammer hits the surface, the cymbal achieves its unique character and sound.

Milling

The milling process for a cymbal
In the milling process the cymbal will be given its shape and look of the surface and it can also be made thinner.

Polishing

Polishing the cymbals surface
The polishing protects the cymbal’s surface from dust and dirt and provides a longer life.

Logo Printing

Zultan logo printed by hand on each cymbal
The Logo is printed by hand on each cymbal

The first series was christened the Rock Beat series. As is typical for a debut release, the range was limited in terms of the breadth of its appeal. Consequently, the new cymbals weren’t able to satisfy all tastes.

Louder cymbals such as the Q and F5 were added to the portfolio, named after nature’s fiercest storms. Over time, we extended our Rock Beat and CS series, incidentally one of the world’s only cymbals made using B25 bronze.

Zultan Cymbals Dune Series
Zultan Cymbals Orchestra Series

Our passion for making great cymbals drove our product portfolio forward – as did our curiosity and sense of adventure! We expanded our portfolio with top quality series like the dry, open feel of our Dune cymbals or the refined overtones of the Orchestral series

The know-how and expertise of local artisans and their experience with traditional manufacturing enables us to offer an enticingly diverse range of cymbals delivering sonic and aesthetic variety thanks to a multitude of different processing techniques and tools.

 

In 2020, we celebrated our 20th year making quality cymbals available to players on any budget with a special, handmade Anniversary set that showed our ongoing commitment to the traditions of artisanal workmanship. Needless to say, this limited-edition set sold out very quickly.

Our Series

Zultan Mellow Series

Due to the special perforation, the Mellow series is up to 30% quieter than conventional cymbals.

Zultan Cymbals AEON Series

Our Aeon series is the perfect combination of bright, voluminous sound and earthy character.

Zultan Cymbals 20th Anniversary Set
Zultan Cymbals 20th Anniversary Logo

Our 20th anniversary special cymbals series in limited quantity.

Zultan Cymbals Dune Series

The Dune Series cymbals are hand hammered and made of B20 bronze alloy.

Zultan Cymbals Heritage Series
Zultan Cymbals Heritage Series Logo

The Heritage series was created to honour the legacy of genius cymbal makers of the past. Each cymbal is meticulously hand-crafted according to ancient traditions and meets the highest standards.

Zultan Cymbals Raw Series

The RAW series was introduced in 2016. Instead of being milled, these cymbals are left in their raw state after an elaborate hammering process, resulting in their extraordinary look.

Zultan Cymbals Dark Matter Series

The Zultan Dark Matter series was introduced in the autumn of 2013. The cymbals receive their extraordinary, dark look from submerging them in a special liquid, before the resulting layer is polished with bronze fragments.

Zultan Cymbals Caz Series

The Caz cymbals are somewhat thinner and lighter than traditional Turkish cymbals. They offer a rapid response and rich harmonic content yet their volume range is not overpowering.

Zultan Cymbals CS Series

There are only a few cymbal makers who possess the ability to process B25 bronze in a way that results in cymbals equally as durable as B20 cymbals.

Zultan Cymbals f5 Series

The F5 series was named after the classification system for the wind speed and destructive force of tornadoes. This series contains Zultan’s loudest cymbals, perfect for drummers who love to let it rip.

Zultan Cymbals Q Series

The hand-hammered cymbals of the Zultan Q series are easily distinguishable from regular cymbals by their looks.

Zutlan Aja Series

As the name “Aja” suggests, the cymbals of this series are the only Zultan cymbals produced in China.

Zultan Cymbals Rock Beat

The Rock Beat series was the first series of cymbals offered under the Zultan brand.

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2023
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