MusicRadar Verdict
Seeking to fuse the best parts of its high-end cymbals, and broaden its involvement in world music. The Samba series are capable of much more than just Latin music too.
Pros
- +
Well-made. Suitable for Latin music, but much more flexible, too.
Cons
- -
Not much.
MusicRadar's got your back Our team of expert musicians and producers spends hours testing products to help you choose the best music-making gear for you. Find out more about how we test.
Istanbul-based cymbal-maker Bosphorus have sent a Samba Series crash/ride and hi-hats to play with.
Build
"They were developed firstly specifically for Brazilian music but have a wider appeal."
The Samba Series cymbals are a 20" crash/ride and 14" hats, which have an unlathed section from the bell until halfway across the bow, and then a sort of spiral groove lathed section to the edge. They were developed firstly specifically for Brazilian music but have a wider appeal.
Bosphorus says that the range is aimed at those jazz players looking for that classic Turkish sound, but owing to the sizes available it hopes to see players in other genres giving them a go.
Apparently the rides have been developed to work well as large crashes in rockier music, and Bosphorus has even developed 16" hi-hats and a 26" ride - time to start buying new cymbal bags and give the postie a raise!
Hands On
The Samba ride sounds open with a brighter fundamental compared to the recently-reviewed Black Pearls (which we had on test at the same time), but still at the darker end of the spectrum. Surprisingly, the bell isn't as defined as expected, but this is made up for by the articulation it is possible to evoke, quite complex patterns staying well under control.
The Samba hats are bright and, while dry, cut through to the point that they could be used as your main pair. They 'bark' well when struck open and quickly closed with the foot, and rapid sticking remains discernible with ease.
“Chinese Democracy was a boring record. But calling it Guns N' Roses was not honest. It was totally a solo record”: GN’R’s ex manager takes aim at Axl Rose
“Instead of labouring over a perfect recreation, we decided to make an expanded counterpart”: Chase Bliss teams up with Mike Piera for Analog Man collab based on the legendary King Of Tone
“It’s about delivering the most in-demand mods straight from the factory”: Fender hot-rods itself as the Player II Modified Series rolls out the upgrades – and it got IDLES to demo them
