Sabian- Inside Their Cymbal Production, In-Depth Look At How A Cymbal Is Made 

Zoltan is the best money can buy, hand made turkish b20s are the highest quality cymbals you can get, for Sabina that quality it's $1500, for Zoltan that quality , $300

A lack, relative to what exactly?

Throwing the castings, though it looks really bad in this context, does them no harm. But juxtaposed against 'carefully prepared' it does look rather silly. Video editors should be more sensitive to the relationship between the talk-over script and the video. (LOL)

Yeah I found it funny too

@@MrCherryJuice aadjdjweekwe Emejee

They were not castings for cymbals (which are bronze), they were ingots of tin, for remelting. And in any case, the care of preparation has to do with what is inside a casting: correct metallurgy (the recipe and the conditions in which the constituents melt and combine) resulting in correct crystalline structure and lack of inclusions or gaseous porosity. Noe of this is in any way changed by tossing castings into a heap, because the outer surface is removed during subsequent operations. MrCherryJuice makes what I think is a valid point, though, about the desirability of not distracting from the narrative by poor editing.

There are numerous factors that impact the price of a cymbal (or any artisan piece). There are the practical costs of making the item - acquisition of raw materials, production and management overheads, marketing, shipping...all the typical and identifiable ones (which explains why cymbals made in China cost less than those made in Switzerland). Beyond that the pricing can become subjective and based on perceived value and the willingness of the market to accept certain price points. This is most evident in the art world, where Damien Hirst's stuffed shark carcass, the raw materials for which cost only a few thousand pounds (£) and was priced at several hundred thousand dollars but sold for 12 million (and is now worth about 50 million), those who wondered about value versus price had an excellent example to evaluate. How did the price get to be so high? Hirst was represented by top art personality Charles Saatchi, who (i) had a sales showing of the shark at London's Royal Academy and listed it for sale via a top broker. Each of those - because of the perceived value of their own brands - added millions to the value of the shark, ultimately achieving the $12 million sale. Why would anyone pay so much? (And there are even more questionable examples, like Jeff Koon's (store bought) vacuum cleaner in a glass case selling for $2.6 million.) High prices are driven largely by branding and the insecurity of the customer - insecure customers comfort themselves by owning the 'best' or 'most expensive'). Is a Zildjian worth more than a Sabian? Materially speaking, no. Production costs (higher in Boston) and brand position-wise (#1), yes. Is a Meinl cymbal worth as much as a Zildjian? Materially speaking, yes, but brand-wise no (which will lead some to claim they are too expensive). So one could argue that the real driver of price is the brand, which is the perception held by the people in the market. If the brand is seen to be #1, then people will pay more. If the brand is #2 it can't charge as high a price without risking its potential to be competitive. In the case of the smaller Turkish brands, their often surprisingly high prices (seeing as they aren't effectively branded) have much to do with lower production and sales volume necessitating higher prices in order to stay alive. Are they better cymbals? In many cases they do sound 'better' in the they sound like what they claim to be. But ultimately they are - material- and labour-wise - the same thing. And if their branding were as powerful as, say, Zildjian or Sabian, they would likely seriously challenge that upper end of the market. So next time you see a t-shirt going for $400 or a pair of sneakers fo $800 or some other ludicrous pricing on a designer item, remind yourself that it's a $10 of t-shirt and $390 of brand etc. If you're using Apple products, well, they are a good example of major price markups thanks to powerful branding. Apologies for the length, but your question, simple as it is, has a rather complex answer based more on market psychology than anything else.

Cymbals de alta qualidade. É SABIAN CYMBALS.

From what I know, Sabian uses only tin when it demonstrates the melting process, which is why it looks like 'silver'. This is probably a security measure so other cymbals makers seeing the video can't identify things.

I like old Zildjian's and ALL Sabian's. My favorites are the AAX brilliant models because they are "almost dark".

@@bbeau2023 In my experience, the AAX bright models have a very unique sound compared to the AAX natural models. It could be just me....

Juan Carlos Coto lol i see what u did there...not everyone knows sabian is made by ziljian

Juan Carlos Coto You do know sabian's founder is Robert Zildjian right?

Juan Carlos Coto Sabian's formula is litteraly Zildjian's formula, just more exaggerated.

The crystal grid of the alloy actually does take time to mature

Joseph Harmon I bet at the end of the day he has a serious headache and a serious case of tinnitus. I wouldn’t want that job. I feel bad for the hand hammering guys. That constant hammering must be hell on your entire body including your hearing.

It's a musical instrument. You're supposed to PLAY it, not BEAT it. I have a Zildjian Avedis ride cymbal and a pair of Zildjian Avedis hi hats that I bought new in 1966 and they still have no flaws and sound great. They started out in a garage band and graduated to jazz. This is not to say that Zildjian is better or worse than Sabian. I have both and love them both.

Someone from Sabian or Guruzmedia should be responding to this. It would take someone from the Vault to have an idea as to what it is. It appears to be a crash, but what model - because each is defined largely by shape, bell size and thickness (weight) - is impossible to tell from this clip.

Yes, hi-hats are specifically selected. I realize your question is from 5 years ago, but possibly someone else is seeking the same answer.

This is true of all cymbal companies today. The bottom has been heavier than the top, thanks to Louis Bellson in 1963 when he specified the top one being lighter than the bottom from Zildjian - now known as Zildjian New Beats. Before then, they weights were very close with the profile of the top being taller which gives it a higher pitch. I have a pair of the pre-1963 hi hats from Zildjian in the Avedis model and the bottom one actually weighs slightly less than the top one and has a lower pitch thanks to the difference in the profile. They sound amazing in smaller venues with acoustic instruments, with or without sticks or brushes - the "chick" sound is like a kiss.

Yes, the cameraman should have fixed that. Though it doesn't affect the weighing, it suggests carelessness...though it is a factory setting and such things are hardly a concern.

Your question is 6 years old but possibly someone is still interested in an answer. First, AAX and HHX start life as the same thing: B20 bronze pressed into shape. The difference has to do with that shape, the hammering and the lathing choices. But the key for you as a player has to do with the sound. HHX is darker sounding; AAX is brighter sounding. They are both innovative designs aimed at delivering these dark and bright sounds within modern music, which means they are more dynamically sensitive and response accurate than traditional cymbals. Sabian differentiates their series like this: AA = Vintage Bright; AAX = Modern Bright; HH = Vintage Dark; HHX = Modern Dark. I loved HH until HHX came along, simply because the 'tone projection' concept outperformed traditional designs, and the models were more suitable (i.e. innovative). So, HH = lower pitched and darker; AAX = higher pitched and brighter. The 'better' depends on your preference.

@MortalGamerDC1 85 to each their own tbh with their new price increase and lack of stock. Not my cymbal maker of choice.

That is a silicone ball. Prior to that Sabian used hand stamps that were refreshed on an ink pad. Then the cymbal would be stood in front of fans to dry the ink. Often times the ink was gooey and would stick to the inside of the bags they were shipped in, thus the change to thinner inks and those balls.

You should be able to order one direct. Ask your local music shop, or contact Sabian direct. I believe they will then bill you through the music shop of your choice.

Good point! If it were just dropping hot blanks into water then everyone would know - and have - the secret.

...or unless there is an internal flaw in the metal. That happens occasionally with B20 bronze, where an air pocket or piece of dirt gets trapped within the metal.

That definitely sounds like a fault with the cymbal. Stagg make some great sounding stuff, but as you suggest, they're not all perfect. But that can be true with any brand of cymbal, particularly B20 bronze ones, simply because imperfections can happen inside the metal. The ones on the outside are typically 'erased' using a grinder, but ones inside are invisible. That's where the warranty on the cymbal is important. In some countries there is an automatic 12-month legal warranty, though most companies offer their own warranty program.