Ive had a drumset for several months and am looking to upgrade the stock cymbals it came with. Im looking for quality cymbals that are durable and sound good for rock and metal. In case this helps, here are some bands i listen to: Led Zep, Skynyrd, ACDC, Slayer, Pantera, Behemoth, Psycroptic, Misery Index,Dying Fetus and, well you get the idea i hope.

So far I narrowed it down to these 3 choices:
Sabian AA Metal X Cymbal Package

Sabian AAX Stage Performance Pack

Sabian XS20 Complete Cymbal Pack

If anyone has any experience with these cymbals, please post your thoughts on them. And if you never used them but have something to say that could help me out go right ahead. thanks.

anyone?

haha, this forum is dead

__________________

AA Metal X series is crap. The only good ones are the splashes. These are marketed for the younger fans of metal, saying they are for the hard hitting players. As myself and most other drummers will tell you, thinner cymbals tend to last longer than thicker ones. AA Metal X are mostly thick.

Thinner cymbals tend to "give" when you hit them. They can flex. Thick cymbals can't really flex and they tend to crack easier.

I'd only do the Ride and/or Splashes from that line if any.

The AAX Stage cymbals are very popular. The AAX Stage hats are by far Sabians most widely used hi hat cymbals. A lot of metal guys use them. George from Nile to name one. I use an 18" AAX Stage crash right now and it is ok. It always sounds great on videos and recordings but it doesnt sound great in my position playing it. Excellent live cymbals though. Hence the Stage. AAX Stage would be a good choice indeed. The AAX Ride is a tad on the washy side, so it isn't really well suited for metal. Usually you want more of a "ping".

The XS20 series are great if you're on a budget. They are made with quality metal but with lower quality lathing and production. All of the higher Sabian cymbals are made with the B20 alloy and the lower quality is made with B8. So XS20 is pretty much the line between. They are great sounding cymbals for the price, but I would recommend going with a higher quality. I find that if I buy a low quality cymbal, it is always the first one to be replaced on my kit. If you save up and get the one you really want, there will be no need to keep spending money and not progressing.


I highly recommend picking out cymbals from different series lines. On my set, I use cymbals from AAX, HHX, and Vault. Usually I like to keep my hi hats and ride from the same series. And all of my crashes from the same series. It helps give a constant sound.

As for suggestions, I highly recommend checking out the Vault Crashes. They are amazing, perfect for any of the bands you mentioned. For hi hats, the AAX Stage hats would work wonders. For a ride, i'd check out the AA Rock ride.



If you do want to stick with getting a cymbal pack though, do go with the AAX Stage. But you may be wanting to replace the ride cymbal.

Good luck!

__________________

Thanks for that post Execrator, it was very informative and helpful. I'll stick with your advice and get the AAX Stage pack. i think it also comes with a 16" or 18" AAXplosion crash, which i heard sounds really good.

Ohh, awesome! I didn't know that it came with the AAXplosion crash. That is another one of my favorite Sabian crashes also. Martin from Opeth always used them.

__________________

Yea man. There are 2 different AAX Stage packs

Sabian AAX Performance Cymbal Pack

and

Sabian AAX Stage Performance Cymbal Pack

the pack with the extra aaxplosion crash actually costs less than the one with the cymbal bag...i find that kinda strange seeing how an extra cymbal would cost more than buying a cymbal bag

Yeah, these retailers are always trying to pull a fast one. I try to stick to local shops and smaller companies.

Like Cymbals Only

The've got some of the cheapest cymbal prices on the net. They even have sound clips of their cymbals and excellent costumer service.

__________________

The first pack looks pretty nice. I buy.

__________________