Sabian: Encyclopedia - Sabian

Sabian

Sabian - A brief history

Sabian is one of the world's largest manufacturers of cymbals. The company was founded in 1981 in Meductic, New Brunswick, Canada by Robert Zildjian, son of Avedis Zildjian III, the head of the Avedis Zildjian Company. Family tradition had it that the head of the company would only pass its secrets down to the oldest son, but Avedis III gave the information to both of his sons, Armand and Robert. This led to a family feud and a legal squabble, resulting in Robert leaving Zildjian to form the rival Sabian company.

The settlement gave Robert the Canadian factory that at that time produced 40% of the production of the Avedis Zildjian Company, and most notably the entire K Zildjian line, all manufacture in Turkey having ceased by this time. However he agreed not to use the Zildjian name or to claim that his cymbals were the same.

Robert formed the word "Sabian" from the two first letters of the names of his three children Sandy, Billy and Andy, and initially released two lines of cymbals, HH and AA, both of them of the traditional bell bronze alloy.

The HH or "hand hammered" line were widely regarded as being K Zildjians in all but name, and there was nothing in the settlement to prevent this being the case, although Sabian was prevented from claiming that it was true. However it was the other line, only slightly cheaper in price, that caused a sensation.

The AA line were top-of-the-line bell bronze cymbals unashamedly produced by machinery. They introduced a subtly different sound that appealed to many drummers, and also a level of consistency which was at that time new in a line of bell bronze cymbals. Sabian's initiative was quickly copied by other manufacturers but their acceptance as a major force in cymbal manufacture was assured.

Sabian - Series

Sabian - Solar

- manufactured by Sabian under the name of Solar, these are Sabian's bottom line cymbals, and are produced from brass in fairly limited in models and sizes and are alright for the price.

Sabian - B8

- Beginner level cymbals made, as the title denotes, from a B8 Bronze alloy. They are VERY good for the money!

Sabian - B8 Pro

- These are B8 cymbals with a brilliant finish, resulting in a more smooth, bright sound. B8 Pro cymbals have a slightly wider range of models and sizes and are marginally more expensive than regular B8 cymbals.

Sabian - XS20

- One of the most recent introductions to the Sabian range, XS20 are semi-professional cymbals. They are manufactured from a B20 bronze alloy, which is fairly unusual for cymbals of their price (although B20 bronze cymbals can be purchased at even cheaper prices through manufacturers such as Stagg and Wuhan). Whereas B8 produces a very clean, bright sound, B20 cymbal sounds tent to be more noticeable for their character and projection. Therefore, compared to B8 cymbals in the same price range, XS20s have a slightly dry, earthy sound, accentuated by their regular finish and production techniques (cast as molten bronze into a shaped blank rather than cut from a sheet of metal).

Sabian - Pro / Pro Sonix

- The higher of the two semi-professional ranges, Pro / Pro Sonix cymbals are manufactured from B8 Bronze (unlike the slightly cheaper XS20s). As a result, they have a very bright, smooth and glassy sound, more focused on sharp overtones than on the tone of the cymbal itself. Whilst these overtones produces an effective, very clinical and crisp sound in person, they tend not to be picked up very well by microphones (especially cheap ones with small frequency responses) and so are not generally suited to recording / live amplified situations as well as B20 Bronze alloys. The Pro Sonix models are designed to produce a wider range of frequencies for a more full bodied sound.

Sabian - AA

- kicking off Sabian's professional ranges, AAs are cymbals designed to suit a wide range of music styles. Produced from B20 Bronze, AA cymbals are more tonal than the Pro ranges but retain a clean, clear and focused sound, for the most part fairly unobtrusive in character. Because these are professional cymbals there is a very extensive selection of cymbal models and more varied sizes than in the lower ranges. Along side the conventional cymbals in the AA sound palette, there are cymbals such as the 'el sabor' range and 'Rocktagon' crashes (shaped as octagons rather than discs) which are designed to produce more exotic / alternative sounds, and many more unusual features such as large bells and sizzle rivets are introduced to increase variety.

Sabian - AAX

- The difference between AAX and AA is that AAX cymbals sound more distinctive and modern than the slightly more traditional and simple AAs. This sound is achieved in part through Sabian's Auto-Focus Response technology, which helps the cymbals to vibrate at their natural frequency more easily, and creates a fairly complex and more emotional sound than the AAs whilst still remaining very much 'fusion' cymbals (designed for use in all genres of music, rather than one specific style). This basically results in a brighter, clearer sound. Because AAX cymbals are essentially AA cymbals with a more "pure, bright shimmering" (Sabian's words) sound, the range is slightly smaller with fewer experimental / exotic models. AAX do not cost any more than AA cymbals.

Sabian - Hand Hammered

- These cymbals are more expensive than AA and AAX because they are hand made by craftsmen at Sabian's canadian factory. Hand made cymbals tend to be less structurally perfect than ones crafted by automated manufacturer, and the few irregularities in their shape give them more character, resulting in a slightly darker, more esoteric sound. These cymbals are the most traditional of Sabian's ranges, and are designated more for Jazz or other traditional styles of music, although they are still fairly versatile and have proved popular in all genres. They have a dry, complex, very tonal sound. The Hand Hammered range is the most extensive and varied line of cymbals that Sabian manufacture, and cymbals to suit every stlye can be found within their range.

Sabian - HHX

- Much like the AAX and AA, HHX cymbals build on the Hand Hammered range and are essentially an exploration / accentuation of Hand Hammered's characteristics. They are designed for jazz music but are different to jazzy cymbals offered by other leading manufacturers it that instead of trying to recreate the sounds of old jazz cymbal lines, they look to create new sounds and advance / improve upon the more traditional lines. They offer an intense, very dry and shimmering sound which, like the Hand Hammered cymbals, has proved popular not just in Jazz music but in every style due to being very distinctive in their character. Within the HHX line is famous drummer Dave Weckl's HHX Evolution line, very bright and solid in sound. The most interesting of the Evolution cymbals are the O-Zone crashes, which feature 2 inch perforations across their diameter, resulting in a very 'trashy' sound (this is a drumming term, it is not meant literally).

Sabian - Vault

- Introduced in 2005, vault comprises the Vault crashes and the Artisan rides.

Sabian - Signature

- Sabian also produce a large number of siganture cymbals for many different artists such as Chad Smith and Neil Peart. They have sound samples of most of their cymbals on their website (although you should only use this as a rough guide - factors such as the microphone chosen and sticks used to strike the cymbals will affect the sound, and due to the automation processes of cymbals, each individual cymbal will sound slightly different)

Sabian - Paragon

- Paragon is a new range of signature cymbals created in collaboration with Neil Peart, drummer with legendary rockers Rush. Handcrafted from pure Sabian B20 bronze, Paragon offers subtle looks and powerful sounds. Created using automatic AA-style hammering and an innovative mix of sound-defining features from three Sabian series, AA, AAX, and Hand Hammered, Paragon defines a new, closer relationship between power and musicality in cymbals that are dynamically responsive, highly durable, and effective in a wide range of applications. The Natural Finish look of these cymbals is enhanced with logo stamping in a subtle ‘Rich Gold’ ink that is unique to cymbalmaking.

At over 8lbs in weight, the ride (22”) is an extra-heavy model, with strong, clear-cutting stick definition. The hi-hats (13”, 14”) are medium weight, for fast, crisp responses and clean sticking. The crashes (16”, 18”, 20”) are of medium weight, with large bells boosting their volume and power for fast, explosive responses. The splashes (8”, 10”) are very fast, sharp and biting. And there are two very different Chinese models. The 19” Chinese has a small bell, a high bow, and an extremely wide-lipped edge that is HHX-hammered, for a more traditional oriental look and sound. The heavier 20” Chinese is a totally different model, with a drier, more direct response.

Sabian - External link

Sabian's official website

Categories: Percussion instrument manufacturers | Cymbal manufacturers

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Sabian", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki