Sabian Cymbals at Studio Gears
Sabian cymbals have earned their place in professional recording environments because of one defining quality: they translate. From the crisp wash of a hand-hammered hi-hat captured through a room mic to the controlled decay of a heavy ride sitting cleanly in a dense mix, Sabian builds cymbals that behave exactly where it counts — on tape, in the box, and on stage.
Studio Gears carries over 650 Sabian cymbals spanning the full range of their lineup, from entry-level essentials to professional B20 bronze instruments designed alongside some of the most recorded drummers in the world. Whatever the session demands — jazz brushwork, hard-hitting rock crashes, or funk-focused hi-hat articulation — there is a Sabian cymbal engineered to serve that moment.
The Sabian Story
Sabian was founded in Meductic, New Brunswick, Canada, growing out of one of the most storied cymbal-making traditions in the world. The company built its identity around hands-on craftsmanship, developing proprietary hammering and lathing techniques that allow each series to be voiced with a distinct tonal character — a philosophy that has made Sabian a fixture in professional studios and on international touring stages alike.
Over the decades, Sabian has built deep collaborative relationships with working drummers across every genre, developing signature and artist-input cymbals that reflect real-world recording and performance needs. Their flagship lines — AA, AAX, HHX, and the hand-crafted HH series — represent a tiered approach to tone, with each tier refined around specific sonic goals: projection, darkness, complexity, or cutting clarity in a busy mix.
What Sabian Is Known For
- B20 bronze alloy construction across professional lines, delivering the complex overtones and natural warmth prized in studio recordings
- Distinct, purpose-built series — AA, AAX, HHX, and HH — each voiced for a specific tonal range, from bright and cutting to dark and complex
- Hand-hammering techniques that give cymbals irregular, character-rich surfaces for a more nuanced, musical response under microphones
- Brilliant finish options that emphasize high-frequency shimmer and projection, popular in live and studio contexts requiring definition in dense arrangements
- Artist collaborations with world-class drummers including Neil Peart, Chad Smith, Dave Weckl, Jojo Mayer, Jack DeJohnette, and Terry Bozzio, informing real-world tonal development
- A broad range spanning genres from jazz and fusion to metal and hard rock, with specialized cymbal weights and profiles suited to each
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between the AA, AAX, HHX, and HH series?
Each Sabian series targets a different tonal character. The AA series is a classic, versatile line with a balanced, musical sound that works across rock, pop, and studio work. The AAX series is brighter and more cutting — well-suited to louder live contexts and genres like hard rock and metal. The HHX line leans darker and more complex, with a drier, more controlled response that engineers love for its behavior under microphones and in a mix. The HH series represents Sabian's hand-crafted top tier, with fully hand-hammered and hand-lathed B20 bronze cymbals built for maximum tonal complexity and nuance.
How do Sabian cymbals perform in a recording environment?
Sabian's B20 bronze alloy and hand-hammering processes produce cymbals with layered, musical overtones that respond well to microphone capture. The HHX series in particular is widely used in studios because its darker, more controlled character sits in a mix without overwhelming other elements. Brilliant-finish models emphasize upper-frequency detail, which can add definition and air to a recording. Thin and medium-weight cymbals open up quickly and decay naturally, making them easier to gate and edit in post-production.
Which Sabian cymbals are best for jazz and fusion sessions?
The HHX and HH lines are the strongest choices for jazz, fusion, and dynamic playing where tonal complexity and sensitivity matter most. Artists like Dave Weckl, Jojo Mayer, Jeff Hamilton, and Jack DeJohnette — all associated with Sabian — demand cymbals that respond to nuanced touch and brush work. Thin and medium-weight crashes and rides in these lines open quickly and produce the wash and complexity that define the jazz cymbal sound in a studio context.
Which Sabian cymbals suit rock, hard rock, and metal?
The AAX and AA series are built for high-volume, high-energy playing. AAX cymbals are particularly popular in rock and metal because they cut through dense guitar and bass frequencies with a bright, aggressive attack. Heavier-weight crashes and rides — like the AA Rock Crash and AAX Heavy Ride available at Studio Gears — sustain the stick and mallet punishment of hard rock sessions while maintaining clear, defined edges on each hit. Chad Smith's long association with Sabian reflects how well these cymbals perform in high-output rock contexts.
What does 'B20 bronze' mean and why does it matter for studio use?
B20 bronze is an alloy composed of approximately 80% copper and 20% tin. It is the traditional material used in professional cymbal manufacturing and is prized for producing rich, complex overtones with warmth and depth. Compared to lower-cost alloys, B20 cymbals have a more musical, layered character that translates well through microphones and sits more naturally in a mix. All of Sabian's professional lines — AA, AAX, HHX, and HH — are made from B20 bronze.