There are seven SABIAN cymbal series plus a collection of Signature models. Each offers something uniquely different in terms of looks, sounds and performance. For warmer, darker traditional sounds there is Hand Hammered. For brighter, shimmering sound there is AAX. For a mix of traditional tone and modern projection there's HHX. For sheer energy there's AA. PRO and PRO Sonix deliver cutting sounds. And there are more. Build your set-up from a single series. Determine the dynamics of your sound by choice of model and size. Or create your sound by mixing different series: a warm and dark ride with a bright and shimmering crash, a Chinese loaded with energy with a cutting splash. When it comes to series choice there are no hard rules.

Visit them on the web at www.sabian.com

We produce our cymbals today the same way we have for over half a century. Paiste's manufacturing philosophy is simple: we believe that only a human being has the intuition and abilities to create superior musical instruments. We allow the use of mechanical devices only where they remove strenuous labor from our instrument artisans, allowing them to concentrate their talents and energy on creating instruments of the highest sound quality and consistency. Any automation removing human control from the manufacturing process is strictly forbidden, as automation is counterproductive to a natural sound and our desire for top quality.

Visit them on the web at www.paiste.com

Zildjian" means "Cymbalmaker" in Armenian, which is where the Zildjian company started over four centuries ago. The Zildjian secret alloy has now been passed down through fourteen generations, and Zildjian is recognized as the oldest continually family-owned business in America. The Two Types of Zildjian Cymbals Zildjian Cast Bronze Cymbals are made from raw metal in Zildjian's own foundry south of Boston through a complex sequence of heating, rolling, hammering, and lathing. The process involves as many as twelve different passes of the original ingot through the rolling mill, each time from a different direction. These variations create a dense, rugged, interwoven grain in the alloy. It is impervious to warping and creates cymbals with greater projection, clarity, and durability than any others in the world, each one with its own unique musical voice. These cymbals are made with 80% Copper, 20% Tin, and traces of Silver. Zildjian Sheet Bronze Cymbals are made from a bronze alloy with a smaller percentage of tin than cast cymbals. They begin as pre-formed disks that are then shaped, hammered and lathed, like cast cymbals, into a final instrument. Their voices have a higher pitch and more focused overtones than cast cymbals. They also decay faster than cast cymbals and produce a more consistent sound from cymbal to cymbal. These cymbals are made of 92% Copper and 8% Tin.

Visit them on the web at www.zildjian.com

Meinl cymbals are manufactured using the "Cast Cymbal" procedure. This means the bronze alloy of every cymbal is separately poured into individual castings. This is the fundamental difference in the manufacturing process of the new Byzance cymbals. Meinl founded a completely new production facility in Turkey which exclusively crafts Meinl Byzance cymbals. The art of traditional cymbal making here fuses in a perfect symbiosis with the high-tech experience and know-how of a leading cymbal manufacturer. Byzance cymbals are completely hand made from start to finish. For the first time ever, Meinl uses cymbal-bronze consisting of 80% copper + 20% tin. The production process starts with the melting of the raw materials, followed by the individual casting. In various production steps those castings are heated until they glow red and fed through rolling mills to be flattened. Those blanks are reheated again and the bell is pressed in. The cymbal is then extensively hand-hammered into shape defining its unique and individual sound. Next, the cymbals are lathed by hand which allows to precisely fine-tune each cymbal. Byzance cymbals are then delivered to the Meinl Cymbal Smithy in Germany. Here, in a special high-tech procedure, their typical surface finish is applied. More traditional handwork is not possible in cymbal making.

Visit them on the web at www.meinl.de