Our thoughts: The topside is unlathed and the bottom is lathed, providing a subtle trashiness and earthy warmth that defines this series. This guy belonged to a local jazz drummer who regularly rotates his collection and it's time for it to move on. These Verve 22s are paper thin, washy and basically very good. This one sounds akin to the ones we've previously had pass through – dark/trashy wash, some fizz on the bell, earthy and complex all over. They're super versatile and exceptionally well behaved. Condition notes: For unknown reasons, the mad lad used nail polish remover to take the topside labels off which has caused a caramel/brown tinge to the original darker/bluer look. This practice only affects the appearance of the cymbal in a profound way. No cracks/keyholes/fleabites. Masterwork Cymbals: Cymbals were unknown in Europe until the Turk raids first introduced them. The story began in Istanbul in the 15th century with the Zildjian family which were used predominantly within the military. The first European music written with cymbals dates back to the late 17th century. It took another 200 years before they were introduced in modern music genres. Nowadays numerous factories in Turkey produce unique cymbals using traditional methods passed from father to son. Masterwork cymbal smiths are the artists who use these ancient technics to produce cymbals of a high quality. Masterwork Cymbals use the B25 alloy to produce their cymbals. This secret formula is the key to the musical tone and qualities that define Masterwork's sound. The Masterwork Cymbals factory was established in 2002 in Istanbul and is now owned by cymbal smiths Yucel ULUC and Cetin LIMONCU. Masterwork Cymbals produce 14 different lines of cymbals, each with their own unique qualities that define them.
