This excerpt is taken from the complete article that appears in the August 2016 issue, which is available here.

Product Close-Up

Sabian

HH Vanguard Series Cymbals

A more expressive expansion pack for the original hand-hammered line.

Canadian cymbal maker Sabian has spent the past couple years revisiting its roots in an effort to bring back some of the classic handcrafted approaches the company employed in its early days in the 1980s. First was the raw and funky Big and Ugly line. Then the HH (“hand hammered”) series got remastered. (We reviewed those in March 2016.)

Sabian recently introduced the first expansion of the HH series, the Vanguard, which is based on a design from the acquired Crescent brand. The HH Vanguard lineup comprises 14″ hi-hats, 16″ and 18″ crashes, and 20″, 21″, and 22″ crash/rides. (None of the cymbals are labeled as a crash or ride, so it’s up to the player to determine the application.) The cymbals have smaller bells than the regular HH models, and they feature pinpoint lathing. Both features help provide a more controlled attack. Let’s check them out!

Michael Dawson
 
For the complete review, check out the August 2016 issue, which is available here.