Sabian (company) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Sabian is a Canadian cymbal

Cymbal

Cymbals are a common percussion instrument. Cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys; see cymbal making for a discussion of their manufacture. The greater majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sound a...

designer and manufacturer. It is a leading manufacturer of cymbals along with other top companies such as Zildjian

Avedis Zildjian Company

The Avedis Zildjian Company is a cymbal manufacturer founded in Istanbul by Armenian Avedis Zildjian in the 17th century during the Ottoman Empire. At nearly 400 years old, Zildjian is one of the oldest companies in the world...

, Paiste

Paiste

Paiste, a Swiss manufacturer and designer, is the world's third largest manufacturer of cymbals, gongs, and metal percussion. Paiste is an Estonian/Finnish word which means "shine"...

, and Meinl

Meinl Percussion

Roland Meinl Percussion is a leading manufacturer of cymbals and other percussion instruments, based in Gutenstetten, Germany. Their main brand is Meinl.Founded in 1951 by Roland Meinl...

History

The company was founded in 1981 in Meductic, New Brunswick

Meductic, New Brunswick

Meductic is a small village located along the Saint John River in southern New Brunswick, approximately 33 kilometres southeast of Woodstock. The 2006 census data show the village to have a population of 155, making it the smallest incorporated community in the province.- History :Its name is...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

by Robert Zildjian

Robert Zildjian

Robert Zildjian is founder of Sabian Cymbals, the 2nd largest manufacturer of cymbals in the world. Robert Zildjian belongs to the Zildjian family, which brought the technology of cymbal making from their ancestral homeland in Western Armenia to the United States by Avedis Zildjian and then was...

, son of Avedis Zildjian III, the head of the Avedis Zildjian Company

Avedis Zildjian Company

. Family tradition had it that the head of the company would pass the company down to the oldest son (Armand

Armand Zildjian

Armand Zildjian was an American manufacturer of cymbals and the head of the Avedis Zildjian Company.Born in Quincy, Massachusetts, Armand Zildjian was the scion of a cymbals-making tradition that dated back to his ancestor Avedis, who began the company in 1623 in Istanbul...

). After Avedis Zildjian III died in 1979, Armand

Armand Zildjian

(who was President of Zildjian

Avedis Zildjian Company

at the time) became Chairman of the Board. This eventually led to a family feud and a legal dispute between Robert and Armand that resulted in Robert leaving Zildjian to form the rival Sabian company. The companies continue to be rivals, and are both among the world's most popular cymbal brands.

The settlement gave Robert Zildjian the Canadian factory that had been producing the K. Zildjian line (all manufacturing in Turkey

Turkey

Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

having ceased by this time). Armand and Robert had a major dispute over where the K. Zildjian line should be manufactured. As President of the Zildjian Company, Armand had insisted that the K's be made in the United States with input from famed drummers Elvin Jones

Elvin Jones

Elvin Ray Jones was a jazz drummer of the post-bop era. He showed interest in drums at a young age, watching the circus bands march by his family's home in Pontiac, Michigan....

and Tony Williams.

In the settlement, Robert agreed not to use the Zildjian name or to claim that his cymbals were the same. Some say that the most notable difference between Zildjian and Sabian cymbals is that Zildjian uses a softer, mellower sounding alloy while Sabian uses a more tin-based alloy, although this is untrue. The professional-grade cymbals manufactured by both companies use the same bronze alloy consisting of 80% copper, 20% tin and traces of silver. Others state that the cymbals of the two companies can be distinguished by sound somehow fairly easily, stating that Sabians are relatively thicker for their advertised weight, having longer sustain (with some exceptions) than their Zildjian counterparts, and Zildjian having a faster response (or attack) tending to be mellower in sound overall. All those opinions state that the differences depend on the individual cymbal models.

Robert Zildjian formed the word "Sabian" from the two first letters of the names of his three children Sally, Bill and Andy (a nickname for Armand), and initially released two lines of cymbals, HH and AA both of them of the traditional bell bronze alloy

Cymbal alloys

Cymbals are made from four main alloys, all of them copper-based. These are: bell bronze, malleable bronze, brass and nickel silver.-Bell bronze:Bell bronze, also known as bell metal, is the traditional alloy used for fine cymbals, many gongs and, as the name suggests, bells.It is normally stated...

.
Today, Sabian Cymbals' president is Andy Zildjian, the youngest in the family.

Focused

SBr - Short for "Sabian Brass", the SBr series is Sabian's least expensive line of cymbals that succeeds Sabian's Solar line of brass cymbals.
B8 ("Focused Bright")/B8 Pro ("Focused Brilliant") - Student/entry-level cymbals made of B8 bronze alloy (92% copper, 8% tin). B8 cymbals come in a traditional finish, while B8 Pro cymbals come in a brilliant finish. For 2011, B8 Pro cymbals feature a new stylized logo commemorating Sabian's 30th Anniversary.
APX ("Focused Cut") - APX is Sabian's first professional line of B8 cymbals. These cymbals are very bright and aggressive due to their "high-decibel" design, making them a favorable choice among rock and metal drummers. Comes in a traditional finish.

Note: This section was called Bronze Beginnings until 2010, where it was changed to Focused and the APX line was added.

Creative

Vault ("Unique") - Cymbals with added cut due to the addition of silver in their B20 alloy. Comes in a brilliant finish.
- Signature - Cymbals developed in assistance with Sabian-endorsed artists. Price and quality vary by cymbal.
Paragon ("Powerful") - Neil Peart
Neil Peart
Neil Ellwood Peart , OC, is a Canadian musician and author. He is the drummer for the rock band Rush.Peart grew up in Port Dalhousie, Ontario . During adolescence, he floated from regional band to regional band in pursuit of a career as a full-time drummer...

's signature line of cymbals that made their debut at Rush's "R30" tour. Paragon cymbals includes a hand-hammered finish and a brass-colored ink that blends in with the cymbal. Paragon combines elements from the AA, HH, and AAX line of cymbals to create a powerful and versatile sound. These cymbals were originally developed in a traditional finish, but from late 2009 onwards, Paragon cymbals are now available in a brilliant finish in addition to their original finish. All cymbals are sized strictly to Neil's personal preference.

Vintage

Xs20 - Intermediate-level cymbals made of B20 bronze alloy (80% copper and 20% tin with traces of silver). They originally came in a traditional finish, but from 2009 onwards, brilliant finishes are added to the line. These cymbals have recently moved from Modern to Vintage for a more accurate sorting.
HH ("Vintage Dark") - Short for "Hand-Hammered". As the name implies, these cymbals are individually hand-hammered by Sabian's cymbal artisans. Each cymbal has a different style and touch applied to it, and the power and placement of the strokes vary, giving each HH cymbal a different tone.
AA ("Vintage Bright") - Short for "Automated Anvil", these cymbals are completely machine-made. These cymbals project a bright and classic sound that is suitable for many styles of music.
- AA Metal-X - A subline of the AA series aimed for rock and metal drummers. Metal-X cymbals features its "Power Active" design, which gives the cymbals more tone and projection than standard AAs.

Modern

AAX ("Modern Bright") - Cymbals made with the same techniques as their AA counterparts, but features Sabian's "Dynamic Focus", which eliminates distortion and increases the cymbal's clarity, it also makes the cymbal react the same at all volumes.
- OMNI - Subline of cymbals made in conjunction with Jojo Mayer. They are claimed to have both riding and crashing abilities in one instrument.
HHX ("Modern Dark") - Cymbals made with the same techniques as their HH counterparts, but features Sabian's "Tone Projection" design, which increases projection and effectiveness.
- Legacy and Evolution - Sublines of the HHX series designed in conjunction with Dave Weckl
  Dave Weckl
  Dave Weckl is a highly acclaimed jazz fusion drummer. Weckl attended Francis Howell High School in St. Charles, MO and graduated in 1978. He majored in jazz studies at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut...
  
  . Legacy cymbals come in a traditional finish, while Evolution cymbals come in a brilliant finish.

Other

There are also signature cymbals within the other series which aren't part of the Vault series, such as the Groove cymbals designed in conjunction with Zoro. Several innovative products Sabian has released includes the AA Rocktagon Crashes, the X-Plosion and O-Zone Crashes, the X-Treme Chinas, the X-Celerator Hi-Hats, and many others. Sabian has also debeuted the SR2 series which consists of factory renewed B20 cymbals at a discounted price.

External links

Sabian's official website

45°59′37.61"N 67°28′27.08"W

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