Sabian HH ... How Have They Changed Since The Beginning

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You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.You should upgrade or use an alternative browser. Sabian HH ... how have they changed since the beginning ?

• Thread starter BennyK
• Start date Nov 15, 2011
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BennyK

DFO Star

Platinum Supporting Member Joined Aug 6, 2008 Messages 21,226 Reaction score 10,404 I was fooling around with a 20" med. Heavy this evening. It had block lettering and a signature under the bell. Seemed to have a flatter profile and closer to an older K with a gongy cushion. Wondering how old this ride is ? The new HH's are AA's with pronounced hammering. Is this a fair assessment ? Thanks, Benny K.

Sub_Meter

Very well Known Member

Joined Feb 5, 2010 Messages 753 Reaction score 14 Location Phoenix, AZ The HHs/HHXs are still hand hammered, and the AAs/AAXs are still machine hammered. The lathing can be different too but generally it's not. R

retired

Well-Known Member

Joined Apr 21, 2006 Messages 390 Reaction score 19 Location upstate NY HHX's are NOT hand hammered cymbals. Those very big hammer marks are not made by a man holding a gigantic hammer in his hand and shaping the cymbal with it. It is either a manually operated hammering machine or a computerized machine. (The Dave Weckl cymbals, however, are an exception. They have both the big HHX hammering and the regular HH normal size hand hammering.) All HH cymbals are bumped into shape, with a special machine, and then hand hammered on top--you can see a video of this on the Sabian website. Years ago, they used to have some hammer marks on the bottoms also, (corrective hammering for shape), not a whole lot, but apparently this is not necessary anymore. I have a modern 20" HH Ride, and it sounds and plays very much like one I used to have back in the 80's. A very nice cymbal, and not at all like an AA or AAX. RonR This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links like Ebay, Amazon, and others.

Sub_Meter

Very well Known Member

Joined Feb 5, 2010 Messages 753 Reaction score 14 Location Phoenix, AZ

retired said: HHX's are NOT hand hammered cymbals. Those very big hammer marks are not made by a man holding a gigantic hammer in his hand and shaping the cymbal with it. It is either a manually operated hammering machine or a computerized machine. (The Dave Weckl cymbals, however, are an exception. They have both the big HHX hammering and the regular HH normal size hand hammering.) All HH cymbals are bumped into shape, with a special machine, and then hand hammered on top--you can see a video of this on the Sabian website. Years ago, they used to have some hammer marks on the bottoms also, (corrective hammering for shape), not a whole lot, but apparently this is not necessary anymore. I have a modern 20" HH Ride, and it sounds and plays very much like one I used to have back in the 80's. A very nice cymbal, and not at all like an AA or AAX. RonR Click to expand...

My HHX stage hats are definitely hand hammered, as is my HHXsplosion crash. They are also both signed. R

retired

Well-Known Member

Joined Apr 21, 2006 Messages 390 Reaction score 19 Location upstate NY

Sub_Meter said:

retired said: HHX's are NOT hand hammered cymbals. Those very big hammer marks are not made by a man holding a gigantic hammer in his hand and shaping the cymbal with it. It is either a manually operated hammering machine or a computerized machine. (The Dave Weckl cymbals, however, are an exception. They have both the big HHX hammering and the regular HH normal size hand hammering.) All HH cymbals are bumped into shape, with a special machine, and then hand hammered on top--you can see a video of this on the Sabian website. Years ago, they used to have some hammer marks on the bottoms also, (corrective hammering for shape), not a whole lot, but apparently this is not necessary anymore. I have a modern 20" HH Ride, and it sounds and plays very much like one I used to have back in the 80's. A very nice cymbal, and not at all like an AA or AAX. RonR Click to expand...

My HHX stage hats are definitely hand hammered, as is my HHXsplosion crash. They are also both signed. Click to expand...

Hi sub meter---They are all signed by one of the cymbal testers as one of the final steps in their process. This question was asked on the Sabian forum a few years ago. Their response was, "Today HHX cymbals combine traditional hand hammering and a high-pressure hand-guided hammering process." They went into it a little further, but I don't remember any more than that. The Weckl Legacy series definitely has both. But most of the others (like HHX Stage series) just has the big, deep, oval shaped hammering that is apparently done by this high-pressure hammering machine. It would be extremely difficult for a person to actually use that big of a hammer and get all those big hammer marks the exact same size, shape, and depth as they always are. That's why when their ads talk about HHX cymbals, you don't see much about actual hand hammering (like you do in their HH ads). When I think of hand hammered cymbals, I think of a person, a hammer, and an anvil hammering that cymbal--top and bottom--into shape. I'm not knocking these cymbals, BTW, because I think they sound great! But most of the HHX series is not truly hand hammered. RonR

RyanR

Underaged Curmudgeon

Joined Aug 17, 2009 Messages 5,253 Reaction score 667 Location Louisville, KY FWIW, I had a fairly early pair (I bought them used in 1993) of HH Regular Hats, and they were also very flat in profile. Nice cymbals, though. -Ryan 0

01rhythm

Well-Known Member

Joined Nov 20, 2011 Messages 55 Reaction score 1 Location Seattle Wow, now I'm all curious. Little handmade dents vs. Big machined ones: what's the sonic difference?(HH vs. HHX) 'Fully' hand hammered & overhammered cymbal: same question, like how is a Bosphorus Master different from a Sabian HH? Probly a question for a new forum, but I'm already here, so.

BennyK

DFO Star

Platinum Supporting Member Joined Aug 6, 2008 Messages 21,226 Reaction score 10,404

Titus Pullo said:

BennyK said: I was fooling around with a 20" med. Heavy this evening. Click to expand...

They've changed quite a bit. Click to expand...

Wow !! An object of beauty, for sure,Titus. Thanks a lot. I guess we've all regretted letting that one ( or two) cymbals slip away during our lives and in my case it was a 22" Sabian HH Heavy from the 80's. I have no idea what I was thinking when I traded it for a set of Kent drums. The Sabian and the Kents are gone, but I have to believe that ride is still somewhere around and will reappear at Daves Drums or the local Craigs List. Best ride I've ever played and owned. There have been other 22 Sab.HH Heavies, but alas, not quite the same . Thanks again , Benny K

Sub_Meter

Very well Known Member

Joined Feb 5, 2010 Messages 753 Reaction score 14 Location Phoenix, AZ

retired said:

Sub_Meter said:

retired said: HHX's are NOT hand hammered cymbals. Those very big hammer marks are not made by a man holding a gigantic hammer in his hand and shaping the cymbal with it. It is either a manually operated hammering machine or a computerized machine. (The Dave Weckl cymbals, however, are an exception. They have both the big HHX hammering and the regular HH normal size hand hammering.) All HH cymbals are bumped into shape, with a special machine, and then hand hammered on top--you can see a video of this on the Sabian website. Years ago, they used to have some hammer marks on the bottoms also, (corrective hammering for shape), not a whole lot, but apparently this is not necessary anymore. I have a modern 20" HH Ride, and it sounds and plays very much like one I used to have back in the 80's. A very nice cymbal, and not at all like an AA or AAX. RonR Click to expand...

My HHX stage hats are definitely hand hammered, as is my HHXsplosion crash. They are also both signed. Click to expand...

Hi sub meter---They are all signed by one of the cymbal testers as one of the final steps in their process. This question was asked on the Sabian forum a few years ago. Their response was, "Today HHX cymbals combine traditional hand hammering and a high-pressure hand-guided hammering process." They went into it a little further, but I don't remember any more than that. The Weckl Legacy series definitely has both. But most of the others (like HHX Stage series) just has the big, deep, oval shaped hammering that is apparently done by this high-pressure hammering machine. It would be extremely difficult for a person to actually use that big of a hammer and get all those big hammer marks the exact same size, shape, and depth as they always are. That's why when their ads talk about HHX cymbals, you don't see much about actual hand hammering (like you do in their HH ads). When I think of hand hammered cymbals, I think of a person, a hammer, and an anvil hammering that cymbal--top and bottom--into shape. I'm not knocking these cymbals, BTW, because I think they sound great! But most of the HHX series is not truly hand hammered. RonR Click to expand...

Hmm, thanks for the clarification. I wonder what's the deal with my set, as it has both small hammer marks and the big ones you speak of. R

retired

Well-Known Member

Joined Apr 21, 2006 Messages 390 Reaction score 19 Location upstate NY

Sub_Meter said:

retired said:

Sub_Meter said:

retired said: HHX's are NOT hand hammered cymbals. Those very big hammer marks are not made by a man holding a gigantic hammer in his hand and shaping the cymbal with it. It is either a manually operated hammering machine or a computerized machine. (The Dave Weckl cymbals, however, are an exception. They have both the big HHX hammering and the regular HH normal size hand hammering.) All HH cymbals are bumped into shape, with a special machine, and then hand hammered on top--you can see a video of this on the Sabian website. Years ago, they used to have some hammer marks on the bottoms also, (corrective hammering for shape), not a whole lot, but apparently this is not necessary anymore. I have a modern 20" HH Ride, and it sounds and plays very much like one I used to have back in the 80's. A very nice cymbal, and not at all like an AA or AAX. RonR Click to expand...

My HHX stage hats are definitely hand hammered, as is my HHXsplosion crash. They are also both signed. Click to expand...

Hi sub meter---They are all signed by one of the cymbal testers as one of the final steps in their process. This question was asked on the Sabian forum a few years ago. Their response was, "Today HHX cymbals combine traditional hand hammering and a high-pressure hand-guided hammering process." They went into it a little further, but I don't remember any more than that. The Weckl Legacy series definitely has both. But most of the others (like HHX Stage series) just has the big, deep, oval shaped hammering that is apparently done by this high-pressure hammering machine. It would be extremely difficult for a person to actually use that big of a hammer and get all those big hammer marks the exact same size, shape, and depth as they always are. That's why when their ads talk about HHX cymbals, you don't see much about actual hand hammering (like you do in their HH ads). When I think of hand hammered cymbals, I think of a person, a hammer, and an anvil hammering that cymbal--top and bottom--into shape. I'm not knocking these cymbals, BTW, because I think they sound great! But most of the HHX series is not truly hand hammered. RonR Click to expand...

Hmm, thanks for the clarification. I wonder what's the deal with my set, as it has both small hammer marks and the big ones you speak of. Click to expand...

My guess is---W/O seeing it---is that it is both hand and machine hammered. You might have a unique one (or one of the earlier ones, which is still unique!). I know that both Weckl series have both, as do all Artisan cymbals. But most of the rest of the HHX line do not. RonR D

doctor dirt

DFO Veteran

Joined Nov 8, 2011 Messages 2,104 Reaction score 160 Location Florida I've been playing Sabian HH since their inception (can't remember when I bought them) and I love them as much as an Zil. from the 60s or 70s I had that were from Turkey. My 16" HH crash can easily be played as a ride and has a bright bell (small) that cuts nicely and it decays perfectly. My 18"" HH crash is darker and can also be riden with a softer bell and just enough cut before it gets to washy. My ride is strictly a ride cymbal and has enough "fill" a cutting belling that reminds me of an old Zil. 22" (Turkish) I had as a kid. My ride is a Dry 21" HH that I think can cover alot of venues, shows versitility by producing a wide range as you move from close to the edge into the bell. Fairly colorfull for a "Dry" and I enjoy playing it. Does anyone remember when Sabian came out with the HH series?? They weren't cheap and I was a life time Zil. player and back then it was like selling your Harley to ride a Honda hahahaha!!!! Doc. R

retired

Well-Known Member

Joined Apr 21, 2006 Messages 390 Reaction score 19 Location upstate NY Sub meter---Here's a pic of modern HHX stage hats: RonR OOps---didn't think it came out the first time. But you get the idea. Ha You must log in or register to reply here. Share: Facebook X (Twitter) Reddit Pinterest Tumblr WhatsApp Email Share Link

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