Topic: Zildjian to Sabian

[Johno Fisher]

Hey guys. I'm making the move from Zildjian to Sabian, replacing my A Customs with some beautiful AAX Xplosion Crashes. I need to replace my a custom 13 inch hats too, but with what? As well as I want a ride with nice ping, but I am a bit of a ride crasher so a ride I can crash and has a nice wash and is not too heavy.....Any suggestions?

[Bart Elliott]

Why are you making the brand change when you don't know if there are cymbals out there that meet your needs? Just curious. I'm positive you'll find something, but I just didn't understand why you where switching companies ... and if you are were set on brand loyalty. If not, then mix and match your cymbals to your liking; don't worry about the brand. If you like the sound, that's all that matters ... in my opinion.

Zildjian and Sabian are both fine cymbal makers.

[Tim van de Ven]

I find that there is little to no difference going from Zildjian to Sabian (or vice-versa) based on the shared history and manufacturing techniques (they use the same "Zildjian Secret Alloy" and various hammering/shaping/lathing techniques) than you would have moving from Zildjian/Sabian to Paiste, Agop, or Dream (for example). For the record, I'm not slagging either company; both companies were Avedis Zildjian at one point, so differences will be minor in their output.

And as Bart asked: why the switch?

[Johno Fisher]

Hey guys

It comes down to Brand Loyalty and a huge saving. For years I have been playing Zildjian, about 11 years. I have received a Sabian endorsement, and Zildjian cymbals are wonderful. But the company have treated me with little respect and help over the years. It's a Shame, I do love Zildjian, but I played some sabian aax's and they were lovely too.

Just a little annoyed with the way sabian have treated me over the years

So Bart, I guess it comes to brand loyalty!

[Matthew Warwick]

Wait...you're switching TO Sabian, right? I'm a little curious as to why you would switch to a company that, according to your post above, has not treated you properly.

Just a little annoyed with the way sabian have treated me over the years

^By any chance did you mean Zildjian instead of Sabian? That would seem to make a bit more sense to me in light of your changeover from Zildjian to Sabian.

As for your ride, I'm not sure what to suggest in terms of specific cymbals since I almost never crash my ride and I'm a fan of a more dry (less washy) sound with nice crisp stick definition.

The best way to find a cymbal you like is to go to the music store and test them out until you find one. If you can't narrow it down to just one (which is often a problem with me ), ask an employee if you can stick the cymbals side by side if they aren't already or better yet, put them on a drum set so you can see how they sound on their own as well as in the context of a drum set. I need to get new hi-hats sometime and when I couldn't choose between two different kinds, this tactic helped me settle on one when I was looking at hi hats in Guitar Center.

If you don't have a music store near you, it can be tough to get an accurate picture of how a cymbal will sound. Sabian has sound samples and some videos on their website, and while those will provide a general picture of how that cymbal will sound, not every cymbal will sound EXACTLY like the sample. There is a site called mycymbal.com that shows videos of different cymbals in their inventory being played, and you're supposed to be able to order that exact cymbal from the video. I haven't ordered from them, but they seem like a legitimate resource which I may order from in the future.

Either way, good luck with your cymbal search!

[Bart Elliott]

Check out what Dave Weckl is currently using or into. He used to be with Zildjian (now with Sabian) and was really into the Customs. Perhaps seeing what he's drawn to may help give you an idea of what you might also like.

I would also suggest (perhaps obvious) that you go play some cymbals and find what you like. You mentioned finding a ride cymbal with "ping" and "wash" which can be tricky ... since "ping" is synonymous with a thicker cymbal, while "wash" is synonymous with a thinner cymbal. The challenge is finding a cymbal with just the right combination (thick and thin in the right places) to fit what you want to hear. I'm being very general ... but you get the idea.

[DR]

Congratulations on the endorsement deal with Sabian. 

For a darker crashable ride, I like a 20 inch HH Manhattan ride.  (I think these are now branded as HHX Manhattan Jazz rides.)  For a brighter crashable ride, I use a 19 inch medium-thin AA crash.

I like the 14 inch Sabian AA "regular" hi-hats and AAX Stage hi-hats as all-around hats.

My two favorite Sabian cymbals in no particular order: 1) 17 inch HHXtreme crash and 2) a 16 inch medium-thin AA crash. 

Let us know what you get and how you like them.