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The company was founded in 1623 in Constantinople by one Avedis, who, while looking for a way to turn base metal into gold, created an alloy combining tin, copper and silver into a sheet of metal that could make musical sounds without shattering. Avedis took the surname of Zildjian, Armenian for "son of a cymbals maker", and began an industry whose main product remained secretive for generations. It became family tradition that only the oldest son of the company's head would know the manufacturing process.
This tradition ended with Avedis Zildjian III, who, just before his death, passed on the secret to both of his sons, Armand and Robert . This resulted in a family feud and a legal struggle which ended only when Robert left the company to form the rival Sabian cymbals company.
The Zildjian Company moved from manufacturing noisemakers to frighten the enemies of the Ottoman Empire to musical instruments in the 19th century. The company moved from Turkey to the United States in 1929, and set up business in Norwell, MassachusettsNorwell is a town located in Plymouth County, Massachusetts. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 9,765. History Norwell was first settled in 1634 and was officially incorporated in 1849. Geography According to the United States Censu. The needs of 20th century19th century 20th century 21st century more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901- 2000 in the sense of the Gre musicians caused the company to develop newer, thinner, and more melodious cymbals, adding them to drum sets and making them lighter for drummers to incorporate the sound into their music-making.