Questions we hear often

Murat Diril is a cymbal smith. Born in 1974 near Trabzon on the Black Sea coast — the region where the first hand-made Turkish cymbals were forged — he learned the craft from the masters Mehmet Tamdeker and Agop Tomurcuk in Istanbul.

Between 2000 and 2006 he forged more than 100,000 cymbals for Meinl — the Byzance and MB20 lines. From 2006 to 2008 he developed the Twenty series for Paiste, unveiled at NAMM 2007. Then he chose his own workshop in Samsun — and chose against volume. The market has called him one thing ever since: The Father of Cymbals.

Murat Diril Cymbals was founded in 2000. In the early years the workshop mainly forged cymbals for other brands. In 2008 the Renaissance series became the first series under Murat’s own name. Today there are six series and around 90 models — all from the same bronze.

In Samsun on Türkiye’s Black Sea coast. Every cymbal is cast, hammered, lathed and checked there. Murat runs the manufactory together with his daughter.

For Europe we keep a warehouse in Germany: stock items ship from there to the EU within a few business days.

Because he does not want to. For years Murat produced in large quantities — more than 100,000 cymbals for Meinl, plus the development of a series for Paiste. He knows how volume production works. He decided against it because it does not match his standards as a craftsman.

The consequence: B27 instead of B20, hand work instead of machines, small numbers. Every cymbal that leaves the workshop has passed through his hands. That cannot be multiplied at will — and it is not meant to be.

Four things that belong together. First, the alloy: all our cymbals are made of B27, a bronze with 27 % tin that no other maker in the world uses. Second, the hand: every cymbal is hammered for hours, not pressed — the hammer marks you see are the sound you hear.

Third, the check: Murat picks up every cymbal himself before it leaves the house — the red square on the cymbal is his mark for that. Fourth, the attitude: we want you to be happy — not to buy just anything. That is why you talk to people who understand cymbals, for as long as it takes until the sound is right.

No. They are two independent brands. Diril Cymbals is run by Murat’s brother Ibrahim Diril in Istanbul — with its own series, models and endorsers.

A picture that explains it: it is like Istanbul Agop and Istanbul Mehmet — related origins, two separate houses. No conflict; the brothers occasionally work together. If you are looking for our cymbals, look for the full name: Murat Diril.

Murat is a craftsman and maker, not a consultant — his time belongs to the cymbals. Advice comes from people who know his instruments inside out: our team and the artist managers. Tell us what you play and what you are looking for; we answer personally, usually within 24 hours.

B27 is the bronze every single Murat Diril cymbal is made of: 27 % tin, 73 % copper. The number after the B is the tin content. The highest standard in the industry is B20 — that is where the professional series of all major brands sit. We go beyond it, with an alloy no other maker in the world uses.

The tin content of the bronze in per cent. B8 means 8 % tin, B20 means 20 %, B27 means 27 %. The rest is copper. More tin means a richer, longer tone — and a more difficult, more expensive production. Few drummers know what this number means. Yet it decides what you hear.

Because tin is the part of the bronze that carries the tone — and the expensive part. Seven percentage points more mean higher material costs on every single cymbal. They also mean the furnaces have to be calibrated for this alloy, and the bronze becomes more brittle. Hammering it without losing it takes years of experience.

The result is a cymbal that sounds quieter and finer than comparable instruments. The tone carries further without pushing to the front. Nobody takes this route because it is the easy one. Murat takes it because it is the better one.

B27 — always has been, for every series. We have never used B20 or B22. Those figures come from third parties and are simply wrong; we are working to have them corrected. What counts is what you read here: 27 % tin, 73 % copper.

Yes. Slightly quieter and finer overall, with a tone that carries long and leaves room for everything else in the mix. Very thin, fine cymbals of exceptional quality — hard to beat for jazz, and just as much at home in rock, fusion or gospel.

But the alloy alone is not the whole story. Just as important are Murat’s hammering, the shape and the way the cymbals vibrate. B27 is the material — the sound comes from his hands.

Yes — and that is one of the reasons for the single alloy. Renaissance, Artistic, Superior, Chameleon, Dizzy Bell and the gongs are all made of B27. So you can put a Renaissance crash next to a Superior ride and it fits: in volume, in overtones, in character.

With makers who use several alloys it is different: their entry series does not just sound worse, it sounds different and hardly combines with the professional series. With us a set grows over the years — piece by piece, without a break.

Because they make less work. Where other cymbals have to be treated in the mix, ours often need nothing but an open microphone: overheads can stay open, little or no equaliser is needed. That saves time — and preserves what actually happened in the room.

Think about it: a studio records with the finest microphones — and all that effort is undone by the cymbals the drummer brings along. Many never even notice the contradiction. Whoever walks into a studio with Murat Diril Cymbals shows they are serious about it.

Because we do not make cymbals to fill shelves. Every cymbal is hand-hammered and personally checked by Murat — in small numbers that will not stock a rack in every town. So we mainly sell directly: through this website, through our endorsers and through sessions in their cities. We work with dealers where they do the brand justice — with matched sets on display rather than a few cymbals in the window.

Being hard to get is not a distribution problem for us — it is the consequence. You will not find our cymbals on every corner. What you get instead is one that works for you.

Because your cymbal usually only comes into being once you order it. Whatever is in our EU warehouse in Germany reaches you within a few business days. Whatever is not in stock is hand-hammered in Samsun after your order — usually four to six weeks. The figure is shown on every product page.

We could be faster if we pressed cymbals for stock. We do not. A cymbal you wait a few weeks for has been in Murat’s hands — for you.

Every cymbal carries a laser-engraved, unmistakable serial number. It makes your cymbal a specific piece — not one of many. Hand-made cymbals vary in weight, and weight is part of what decides the sound. That is why, for Masterpieces and in every Matched Set, we state the serial number and actual weight of each individual cymbal: you buy exactly this instrument, not a model.

Murat’s mark of approval. It is applied by hand to every cymbal and means one thing: he checked this instrument himself — looked at it, listened into it, released it. The same red square closes our logo. You will find it on your own cymbal.

A tailored suit — complete, down to waistcoat, shoes and pocket square. A Matched Set is a finished, fully tuned collection: the cymbals were measured against each other, not picked one after another. Each cymbal is described individually, with serial number, weight and video. You buy the set as a whole and can add further cymbals later — all from the same bronze.

And if a single cymbal does not make you happy at home after all: you can exchange it, we close the gap. We would rather the set stayed untouched because it is right. The offer is a signal of trust, not an expectation.

A Masterpiece already exists. Murat forges it outside the catalogue, when a blank allows something no series offers. There is exactly one, with serial number, weight and video — and you can buy it right away. When it is gone, the next one comes.

Custom Made does not exist yet. You describe the cymbal you want — the sound first, then size, weight and surface — we talk it through, and Murat forges it. Custom Made is never bought directly; it always starts with a conversation.

In three steps. You describe how the cymbal should sound and what you need it for — that matters more to us than measurements. Then we talk: we propose, you decide, we settle price and payment. Then Murat forges your cymbal, usually in four to six weeks. Almost anything is possible, from surface and weight to FX shapes and holes.

Currently to every country of the European Union, from our warehouse in Germany. Shipping costs are shown at checkout before you order. All prices include VAT. Living outside the EU, in Switzerland or the UK for instance? Write to us — we will sort out the route and the costs with you.

Yes. As a consumer in the EU you have a 14-day right of withdrawal. Playing a cymbal to try it is perfectly fine — gigging it for weeks is not. Better still: talk to us beforehand. We take the time until the sound is right, so you never need to send anything back.

A manufacturer’s guarantee for material and workmanship defects: two years on hi-hats, rides and bells, one year on crash, china, splash and FX cymbals. Murat reviews every case personally from your photos. If a manufacturing defect is the cause, we replace the cymbal. Important: do not keep playing a damaged cymbal — cracks must be at an early stage to be assessed.

250 endorsers from 38 countries — from jazz clubs to arenas. Among them Harvey Mason, for whom we make the Chameleon Collection. Poogie Bell put it this way: “Drummers are human. So why are you playing cymbals made by machines?”

More than a discount. Your own terms, agreed personally in a Letter of Intent. An artist manager who knows you — and offers a conversation every three months without being asked. Better availability than the open market. Early access to pre-series and custom models. Your own profile on muratdiril.com, which you maintain yourself. And the chance to bring a session to your city.

Three things. You play Murat Diril Cymbals exclusively in public. You recommend: at least three drummers a year find their way to us through your code. And you contribute — a video, a photo, a word when we ask. There is no obligation to buy. You are not a salesperson. You are a musician recommending what you play.

Apply through the website or approach us. The responsible artist manager looks at who you are, what you play and where. Then we talk in person. If it fits, we put the partnership down in a Letter of Intent, set up your profile and arrange the first consultation. Commitment counts more with us than fame.

An endorser brings Murat Diril Cymbals to their city. A rehearsal room with ten drummers is enough. We send the cymbals — around 30 pieces, which the endorser selects from the range — and they present them to their community. Whoever plays can buy, through the host’s referral code. A session needs about six months’ lead time.