Some of the world's greatest rock bands have used Sabian cymbals, and, if you look closely, you can see their logo on the drum kits of many rock ‘n’ roll legends.
But did you know they are made in the Maritimes?
Bob Zildjian started producing drum cymbals in a small New Brunswick town in 1968. The company is now called Sabian -- run by his son, Andy.
“In essence, what we're doing is making a spring,” said Andy Zildjian, Sabian’s president. “How to make that spring sound different and how to make sure that the energy traveling through it travels through in a different way than any other cymbal.”
The company's situated in Meductic, N.B., where his father liked to hunt and fish. Nature and the St. John River are still visible from one of their oldest facilities.
A cymbal starts with a casting. Castings are made of a mixture of silver, copper and tin. They are heated and rolled several times, before the shape is pressed in, and a hole is drilled in the centre.
Artisans then hammer the metal discs, before they're cut, buffed and tested.
The company has an “Area 51,” which houses one-of-a-kind cymbals, including ones that have been played in Super Bowls, shredder cymbals, and cascara bells.
Employees say it's the handmade factor of these products that set them above the rest.
“Every stroke of the hammer to that cymbal is making a sound you can definitely tell, being a player, you can feel and hear the difference for yourself,” said Joshua Freeman, a product specialist at the company.
Sabian often works with clients to customize their gear.
“Sometimes it's effects cymbals, crash cymbals, high hats,” said Mark Love, Sabian’s director of research and development. “There's really no rules, but it's always something unique in things they want to achieve that nobody else has.”
It's something Zildjian takes to heart and something he believes his dad would be very proud of.
“Being in closer contact with performers and players and consumers of all levels, I think he'd be really happy with that,” Zildjian said.
In this small village along the St. John River, Sabian keeps the beat going on and on.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Jessica Ng.