SeriesSabian HH

Got from some Welsh drum shop (Drum World UK) from a steal at just £170 (RRP £370). Needed new hats as the free brass ones which came with my CB kit were crapulent. Ooh baby! You've never heard such a sizzle when open (apart from on the records) and they are crisp as a packet of Walkers when closed! Beautiful bronze hand made cymbals, maybe the best out there... (except for Istanbuls, but they ain't cheap!) You WILL need a good hi hat stand - these hats are HEAVY!! The stand I got with my kit could barely lift these cymbals, but I solved that problem with a heavy duty Pearl H-800 stand. Never seen better. You can bash them with a sledge hamer and they won't dent or crack. Superb finish, satisfyingly weighty, so precise! Buy them - they're better than yours!!! Hehe, just kidding. They are beauties though. If you need some good sounding crisp hi hats that work for jazz, rock, heavy metal, orchestral and blues(and maybe even good ol' punk), then get these. I think they are worth the RRP (which is quite a lot) but if you see them for less than £250, get a pair! This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

The Sabian HHX performance pack is an interesting idea. Some of the highest end cymbals in the Sabian HHX line packaged up and sold together? I know very few drummers who could afford this. I know many others who could, and would never consider purchasing cymbals in a pack. Usually cymbal packs are for starter kits and people who don't know what they're doing. This is why I was so surprised when I first came across one of these Evolution Packs. I am normally a pretty big fan of Sabian Evolution cymbals, which are geared towards the fusion genre. Clearly Dave Weckl's influence is apparent while he is featured on the box. These are similar to the HH fusion cymbal line, which are also very good. Regardless of the way that they sound, 900 bucks can buy a lot of cymbal these days. I am not so sure that this is the best way that money could be spent. All of the Evolution cymbals are bright and wet, but in a very delicate way. Unlike the other coated Zildjian A's or Sabian AA's, these can be very soft and tasteful. They cut through more than most jazz cymbals, but are not as heavy as rock cymbals. The hi hats are probably the highlight, extremely defined and warm. They have a great sizzle and wash that is unparalleled in this genre. The ride is lso pretty strong, with a good ping and an excellent bell. It never builds up too much wash when riding, but can crash if necessary. I have not played the crash extensively, but it sort of reminded me of an AAXplosion crash I had played a few days before. It was not the strong point of the pack, but was certainly adequate. Overall, these are all great cymbals. If they are all bought at once, some money is saved. If you are planning to buy all these cymbals individually, this is not a bad option. However, I strongly urge everyone interested to look around first and try everything out. Every cymbal sounds different, so be sure to test these before purchase. This price is just too prohibitive to take chances.

The Sabian HH Fusion Hi Hats are excellent cymbals for many reasons. Unlike many HH hi hats, they have a much brighter and more shimmering sound. This cuts through music very well and even fast, light strokes can be heard through the rest of the band. These are like the name says, because they could totally fit in a fusion context. Fusion playing in general demands the extremely high quality and performance of jazz cymbals, but also the cutting power and volume of rock cymbals. These cymbals deliver, but you definitely have to pay for it. The 14" model is very nice all around. If has good stick definition and cutting power, but when opened the wash is very smooth. Sometimes, even with good cymbals, the wash can be overpowering. In the Fusion hats, this is not the case. I really enjoyed the chick sound, because even that was pleasantly bright without being abrasive or lacking musical qualities. When riding with the shoulder of the stick, it produced a surprisingly fat sound that could be played with a lot of power. I could see these hi hats in a variety of musical situations, even when playing more progressive rock and hip hop styles. While this is an excellent cymbal, I do not believe that it is worth its price. Certain dark and dry jazz cymbals are priceless because their sound is unique and absolutely necessary to fit in. These cymbals are extremely expensive but largely worth the cost because there are no substitutes. The bright and coated sound that these Fusion hi hats embrace is not so hard to find. I don't feel that it is necessary to move up so greatly in cost to achieve the sound required. For example, while these are about the best fusion cymbals I have heard, they are not much better than the AA fusion cymbals. The AA's are just as good in my opinion for a lower price.

As a jazz ride, the Sabian Hand Hammered Manhattan Jazz does its job. I first encountered this fine cymbal while talking to the drummer for the Navy Jazz Band. He couldn't say enough about the Manhattan Jazz line, so I was sure to try them out whenever I could. The crashes are excellent, but the rides are the highlight. I have only ever played the 20" myself and I was very impressed. This cymbal has almost all the desirable characteristics of a great jazz ride. The stick definition is very woody and clear, producing a dull, dark ping. Even when the cymbal is crashed, the individual stick strokes can be heard through the wash. The stick rebounds very well and it is easy to play this cymbal musically. Overall, the Manhattan Jazz Rides are dark and very dry. The bell is very hard and produces warm sounds, which is a good compliment to the thin cymbal edges and interior. The cymbal itself looks beautiful. It appearance retains visibly the deep sound characteristics it produces audibly. This cymbal line can be compared to the Zildjian K Constantinople line. Of course, at this high end level all cymbals are great. I am a big fan of the Constantinoples as well, but I prefer this ride to any I have heard in modern Zildjian cymbals. The Constantinoples may have some better crashes, but this is one of the best Jazz rides I have ever played. The biggest downfall is that it is expensive. It is a great cymbal for jazz, but lacks versatility. For this reason, I would only suggest this cymbal to those who expect to play a lot of jazz and aren't afraid to throw down a heavy price. All of its competitors are just as expensive, so it is difficult to hold this as a disadvantage.