This excerpt is taken from the complete review that appears in the October 2015 issue,
which is available here.

Product Close-Up

V-Classic Hi-Hats, Crashes, Rides, and Jingle Splashes

Steeped in history and tradition while keeping an eye on the future.

V-Classic is a Turkish company, founded by eighteen-year-veteran cymbalsmith Torab Majlesi, that specializes in bringing the warm, dark tones and soft, buttery feel of cymbals made in the 1960s into present-day applications. These new designs stay true to the classic aesthetic, while being updated for use in most soft to medium-loud musical styles, including jazz, fusion, classic R&B, Latin, and light pop/rock. They’re also excellent for recording situations, where you want to keep the cymbals from overpowering the microphones and washing out the mix.

Helping to explain their old-school tone and worn-in feel, V-Classic cymbals are made from ancient-formula B25 bronze, which has 5 percent more tin than the more common B20 alloy. They were just as expressive and rich sounding when played at lower volumes as when hit with full strokes, and they responded very well to brushes, mallets, and even bare hands. Aesthetically, they had an antique appearance that was developed via a proprietary maturation and coating process. The coating also helps to improve stick definition and squelch excessive overtones and sustain for a slightly drier voice.

Our review batch of V-Classics included more conventional models (15″ Light hi-hats, an 18″ crash, and 20″, 22″, and 24″ rides), as well as more adventurous and innovative options (20″ Light sizzle crash, a 22″ ride with three 2″ holes, and 6″ and 8″ jingle splashes). Advertisement

Michael Dawson

For more on these cymbals, check out the complete review in the October 2015 issue, which is available here.