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Fantastic, beautiful colours and time-honoured Turkish hand-hammering.

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• Review

For half a century Meinl epitomised the European style of so-called sheet bronze B8 cymbals. In order to penetrate the American market, Meinl took a crucial step in 2000 and opened a factory in Turkey, home of the traditional cymbal. And in 2001 Meinl launched its Byzance range.

Byzance cymbals were a radical departure for Meinl, entailing time-honoured Turkish hand-hammering skills and cast B20 bell-bronze alloy. Byzance cymbals are transported back to Meinl's HQ in Germany for finishing and marketing.

The selection we have here are 2010 additions to what is already an extensive range. This range encompasses six sub-series: Jazz, Traditional, Dark, Brilliant, Extra Dry and Vintage.

The review cymbals fall into three of these categories: Traditional, Dark and Extra Dry.

Build

Byzance cymbals have remarkable looks. First there are the 18" china and 20" Raw Bell ride from the Dark series. The ride's main surface is completely mottled with dimpled hammerings over a lathed golden brown (top and bottom), while the un-hammered bell has splashes of chalky green, yellow and mauve. Apparently this has to do with "the various re-heating and cooling processes during the production".

The 18" Dark china is just as wild - a mixture of pink and brown, top and bottom!

Turning to the three Extra Dry models - a 20" Thin crash, 10" splash and 18" china - they are similar to the Dark series on the top surface, but are lathed to a shining bronze-gold on the underside with larger hammerings.

The mottled tops again have all sorts of colours - browns, golds, olives… the splash even looks purple in certain lights.

The two remaining cymbals are Flat chinas from the Byzance Traditional series and are more conventional in appearance with the familiar B20 rich golden-bronze colour, completely lathed surfaces and very light hammering. As the name suggests, they have relatively flat profiles with just a slight upturn and no bell.

Hands On

The 20" Dark Raw Bell ride has indeed a raw feel to it, quite a hard stick sound. There's no great spread, the stick sound being clear and dark. It's a medium-heavy cymbal you can lay into and it will go with you, powerful but not washy, with good projection.

The crash is full and sweet but doesn't impede the forward movement. The bell is penetrating, sitting comfortably with the overall sound. This is a versatile ride which both rock and jazz drummers will warm to.

The 18" Dark china has the deepest pitch of the four chinas here. The sound is ominous, Oriental, thick, deep and meaty. You can get umpteen variations by striking at different places on the surface - from the edge whoosh to the clanking upturned brim to the brighter centre and the tinkling small bell.

The Traditional series 16" Flat china is abrupt, great for biting accents, with a high-pitched, coruscating smash, like dropping a large saucepan lid on a tiled floor. The 18" is similar but deeper with more sustain, although still relatively terse. With more mid frequencies, the timbre is smoother.