Istanbul Agop Cymbals 16" Alchemy Power X Crash Cymbal - Made in Turkey (APXC16)

Istanbul Agop Cymbals 16" Alchemy Power X Crash Cymbal - Made in Turkey (APXC16)

Power-X cymbals have definitely been designed to operate in rocky territory. Like all Alchemy cymbals they are individually cast from B20 bronze then hand-hammered and lathed. In common with other Alchemy models they sport a brilliant finish.

Each cymbal features a mixture of surfaces, beginning with a large unlathed area which stretches from the centre hole across the bell and onto the bow. This blends into a section of wide lathing bands which cover roughly another quarter of the radius, which in turn leads to a final tightly-lathed portion that continues all the way to the edge. The undersides are finely lathed all the way across to the unlathed bells.

Evidence of aggressive hammering is found all over the bows of the cymbals and is especially visible on the unlathed area close to the bells. The bells themselves are untouched by hammers and their smooth curves are free to shine in an almost gloss-like manner.

The smallest of them - 16" - was the first to submit to a stick and it teemed with high frequencies, bursting into life at the moment of contact before quickly subsiding into a warm decay. Trashiness was present in the note which added a shimmering quality.