Zildjian: Delighting Drummers Since … 1623

The Avedis Zildjian Company, nowadays simply known as Zildjian is one of the most well known brands in the music world. Zildjian was founded in 1623 during the Ottoman Empire in Constantinople (present-day Istanbul, Turkey) by an Armenian alchemist who discovered how to convert a new alloy of tin, copper, and silver into a sheet of metal that was flexible, strong and offered a great, bright metal sound that did not shatter (source: Wikipedia). Today, based in Norwell, Massachusetts, Zildjian is still ran by the original family (14th generation). With about 65% of the world market for cymbals, Zildjian is also the largest cymbal maker in the world and the oldest continuously family run business in the United States.

The following video offers a great summary of Zildjian's rich history (note: the video talks about 1622 to refer to the origin, the company, however, was founded in 1623 as indicated in their website):

Music lovers have to thank Zildjian for many innovations in Cymbals. For instance, Zildjian’s introduction of the 15’’ HiHats (which are the foot-operated double-cymbals we typically see next to a drum set) is credited for the emergence of several “chick” and consistent-sounding hits, such as Michael Jackson’s legendary song “Rock With You”...

In this link you can see a drum cover of "Rock With You"... if you click the link you may notice that the drummer, Spencer Reynen, is using Sabian cymbals... Sabian - which is one of the strongest rivals of Zildjian and one of the big four cymbal manufacturers (together with Paiste and Meinl) - was founded in 1981 by Robert Zildjian, which was the consequence of "a destructive sibling rivalry" (in the words of Zildjian's current CEO, Craigie Zildjian, see here).

Despite its nearly four centuries of existence, Zildjian kept relentlessly introducing great solutions for drummers, see some examples from the second half of the XX century (source: Zildjian):

• In the 1940's, after observing that many drummers put nails in their chinese cymbals to give them more sustain, Zildjian was the first manufacturer to add rivets to cymbals and launch "riveted cymbals".
• In 1951, Zildjian decided to satisfy the need of drummers to have lighter cymbals they could carry around. The company patented its Paper Thin Cymbal.
• In the late 1970’, Zildjian introduced 15’’ Quick Beat HiHats, those used in Michael Jackson’s legendary song “Rock With You”.
• All in all, in a list of the 21 best, most innovative and functional cymbals of all time, about half of them were developed and manufactured by Zildjian, and the other half by all other manufacturers combined. 

Today, despite new technologies that promise to completely reshape the drums' world (see e.g., electronic drum kits with rubber pads as "cymbals" by companies such as Berlin-based Native Instruments GmbH), Zildjian remains determined to win the Cymbals game and sustain its leadership.

Part of what makes Zildjian an innovative player in the music industry for such a long time is precisely being a family-run company with an impressive legacy. In an interview in 2007 for the Harvard Business Review, Zildjian's CEO Craigie Zildjian said that "there's no question that our legacy keeps us all focused on preserving the business for the long haul." And that means taking risks and keep innovating.

In 2011, for instance, Zildjian introduced the Gen16 Acoustic/Electric Cymbal, the first reduced volume cymbal for for hybrid - acoustic/electric - drum kits. Reviews have been very positive and the launch a success. For instance, MusicRadar wrote that “while electronic drums and percussion have been around for years, this cymbal is a completely new twist that uses established technology to create essentially a completely new instrument.” Gen16 has been awarded the prestigious "Best in Show" award at 2011’s winter NAMM Convention, the annual event of the National Association of Music Merchants.

More recently, in 2016, Zildjian patented a follow-up cymbal that combines authenticity with the possibility to play at low volumes (e.g., for practicing at home). These cymbals will combine a metal plate for pure authentic acoustic sound (in contrast with, for example, rubber pads used in electronic drum sets, which depend purely on electronics to mimic the sounds of an acoustic drum) but, also, several perforations filled with a coating of a resilient material in contact with the metal plate that covers at least a portion of the surface of the metal plate (reducing resonance and volume). 

Source: Google Patents

In sum, no matter for how long you have been around and how well-established you are, it is important to "stay hungry", to keep learning, to remain adaptive and innovative. Tradition and experience do not need to lead to complacency. In contrast, they may stimulate a feeling of responsibility for the long-term performance of the business, thereby stimulating innovation. Zildjian gives an inspiring lesson valuable for companies but also for individuals.

Read More:

• Gardiner Morse (2007), "A Formula for the Future," Harvard Business Review, July-August [link]
• Kim Gittleson (2012), "Trade secrets of oldest family firm in US," BBC News, Massachusetts, June 7 [link]