“The Raw Bell Dry Ride design is possibly the single most versatile and effective ride cymbal ever designed,” said SABIAN Master Product Specialist Mark Love. “Not only does it deliver consistently warm and pure sounds, it is ideal for any player wanting the absolute best in terms of consistently clean stick definition across the bow and bell areas, as well as a level of dynamic sensitivity that ensures crisp clarity and accuracy at all volumes. ” With its super-clean sticking on the bow, crisp loud bell and well-balanced wash when played on the edge – this may just be the perfect ride cymbal!

HH means hand hammered…and for centuries, the most musically and tonally complex cymbals have been hand hammered into shape and sound. That sound is warmer, darker…dripping with tone. It’s this low-pitched warmth and darkness that makes HH blend into the music, making it fuller, richer – more complex and interesting. With each blow of the hammer, the tonal richness and complexity of sound increases. But hammering is not the only process that gives HH its musical sound. The traditional wide-blade lathing also contributes, cutting away the raw surface of the cymbal to create grooves through which tone-generating vibrations travel. Steve Ferrone says it best: “It’s very musical…very special. I’ve played HH for years…for funk, jazz, rock…everything in the studio, on stage…everywhere. ” Chester Thompson agrees: “When I’m playing the big gigs, I play really, really hard, but I don’t want metallic, I don’t want brash. With HH that vintage dark sound is always there and always warm. ”

Like all SABIAN B20 Cast Cymbals, the HH Raw Bell Dry Ride begins its life in the Foundry, where a centuries-old family process is used to create the most musical and durable of all cymbal alloys. Inside the Foundry, SABIAN metallurgists combine carefully measured amounts of Copper, Tin and Silver, heat it to 2100 degrees Fahrenheit, and pour it into casts. At this stage, it’s hard to believe these castings will eventually become a highly-versatile cymbal like the HH Raw Bell Dry Ride. But first, they must go on a journey through Multi-rolling for intensity, Hammering for tone, Lathing for enhanced response and projection, and a final Aging process in the legendary SABIAN Vault for optimum sound. In a sense, it’s a journey that’s only complete when you play the cymbal of your choice − an evolution from idea to reality. It is this process – innovation blended with traditional cymbal-making – that allowed AAX to make history as the first modern cymbal concept in B20 bronze.