Zil Flat Top Cymbal

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Company: Avedis Zildjian
Country: United States
Group: Ride
Type: Flat Top
Size: 16" 18" 20" 22"
Series: A Zildjian
Weight: Medium?
Used Prices: coming soon
Years of production: 1970 for just one year
Sound file: unknown
Description: The Flat Top Cymbal is known by a few nicknames like Cowbell ride and Big Bell. Despite the name it is not a Flat Top Ride. It is a cymbal with a larger than usual diameter bell (7"). The bell is flat on top. The low number of Flat Top Cymbals is because they were only produced for one year.

Flat Top Cymbal

What makes them important for research purposes is that all known examples have what we call the 60s stamp. Because of their short duration of production they provide one line of evidence which suggests that

The so called 60s stamp was still in use in 1970
The so called 70s stamp didn't come in to use until later in the 1970s
Or was in use at the same time as the 60s stamp.

Here is a 20" example which does have the original model ink saying Flat Top, and it also has Medium Ride ink for good measure. For even better measure there is also a picture of the bell taken from the undersize which shows the diameter as


  • Flat Top Model Ink

  • Medium Ride Ink

  • Bell Measured

  • 60s Trademark Stamp

  • Top View

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