Zildjian Cymbals

Lore & Background

Iki Levy, owner of The Drum Connection in Los Angeles, had grown frustrated with quality issues from major cymbal manufacturers. In 2003, he founded Soultone Cymbals to address those frustrations. Rather than hanging his first models on a display, Levy placed them on the showroom floor with acoustic drums, letting customers demo them directly. This hands-on approach defined the brand's early identity. Over time, Soultone attracted a roster of artists including Steven Adler of Guns N' Roses, Nick Menza of Megadeth, Dave Goode of Mahogany Rush, Eddy Jones of Head East, Veronica Bellino of Jeff Beck and LL Cool J, Nick Smith of Snoop Dogg, Eric Seats of Patti LaBelle, Ron Allen of SoMo, Jerry Tee of Jerry Tee Live Percussionist, Jerohn Garnett of Mariah Carey, Adrian Peek of Mighty Joe Young and Roy Ayers, Alex Hilton of Kim Betts, Shane O'Brien of I Killed the Prom Queen, Eric Morotti of Suffocation, Jeremiah Stratton of Hed PE, Martin Osborne of Shadow Warriors, Eddie Vallee of Boomer, Rico H. of Stoneman, and Brian Doherty of Making Monsters.

In Their Own Story

In 2003, Iki Levy was running The Drum Connection, a drum specialty shop in Los Angeles. He'd had enough of the quality problems from the big cymbal companies. So he started his own: Soultone Cymbals. Instead of hanging the first models on a wall, he put them right on the showroom floor, set up with acoustic drums. Customers could sit down and play them, hear the sound for themselves. That direct demo experience became the brand's foundation. Soon, drummers like Steven Adler of Guns N' Roses and Nick Menza of Megadeth were using Soultone, and the company grew from a shop-floor experiment into a recognized name in percussion.

Reader's Guide

Soultone Cymbals was founded in 2003 by Iki Levy, based in Los Angeles, California. Levy started the company after struggling with quality issues from major cymbal manufacturers. As proprietor of The Drum Connection, a Los Angeles drum specialty shop, he put his first Soultone models on the showroom floor with acoustic drums so customers could demo them rather than just look at them on a display. The brand's artist roster includes Steven Adler (Guns N' Roses), Nick Menza (Megadeth), Dave Goode (Mahogany Rush), Eddy Jones (Head East), Veronica Bellino (Jeff Beck, LL Cool J), Nick Smith (Snoop Dogg), Eric Seats (Patti LaBelle), Ron Allen (SoMo), Jerry Tee (Jerry Tee Live Percussionist), Jerohn Garnett (Mariah Carey), Adrian Peek (Mighty Joe Young, Roy Ayers), Alex Hilton (Kim Betts), Shane O'Brien (I Killed the Prom Queen), Eric Morotti (Suffocation), Jeremiah Stratton (Hed PE), Martin Osborne (Shadow Warriors), Eddie Vallee (Boomer), Rico H. (Stoneman), and Brian Doherty (Making Monsters).

Did You Know?

• Soultone Cymbals was founded in 2003 by Iki Levy after he struggled with quality issues from major cymbal manufacturers.
• Levy was the proprietor of The Drum Connection, a Los Angeles drum specialty shop.
• The first Soultone models were placed on the showroom floor with acoustic drums so customers could demo them, not hang on a display.
• Artists using Soultone include Steven Adler of Guns N' Roses and Nick Menza of Megadeth.
• The company is based in Los Angeles, California.