Sabian AAX Stage Crash 16"

I owned my 16" AAX Stage Crash for a couple years before I sold it off to another drummer.
The sound quality of the cymbal changed dramatically to my ears over the time owned it. I remember buying it and thinking it sounded great, to eventually cringing enough that I replaced it with a different brand of cymbal. I don't know if it was my partially my taste that changed or refined with time, or if it was completely the cymbal's sound degrading with time.

The finish on my AAX started out brilliant and shiny, and dulled dramatically with time, while staying set up in an air-conditioned home and only occasionally being handled to gig out. It seems like just exposure to air, natural light, and skin oils ruined turned the original brilliant finish to a dull discolored appearance, and dulled the sound as well in just a couple short years.

My AAX stage crash was punchy with minimal sustain, and fairly balanced in tone and not too bright. It was perfect for the pop punk rock band I played in as a teenager, ideal for quick syncopated crashes where it could cut through. Later as the finish dulled, it started to lose its glassy high frequencies and took on a more shril brassy sound that made me cringe.

One thing I didn't like was its light weight, as a result playing overly heavy or riding the crash were out- it flopped around like a fish. It was more like an oversized splash cymbal than a hardy crash. I had to rely on my other crash for that type of effect.

I finally grew disgruntled with this cymbal and sold it for 20 bucks to a younger drummer in need. I had only spent $80 on it but until you got into the uber expensive Hand Hammered line I thought this was the best Sabian had to offer and would serve me better than it did. I ended up going with Paiste from there on out and never looked back.

If Sabian has upped the quality of their AAX line in the last 10 years then maybe they are worth checking out, after all I did enjoy mine for a while befopre it went south on me. If finances allow it (and they did for me) I would go for the hand hammered line or not buy Sabian at all.