Sabian AA 16" Bright Crash
Group: Crashes
Type: Bright Crash
Size: 16 Inch
Series: AA
Weight: 961g, 966g, 998g, 1106g, 1120g
Median Weight: 998g
Years of production: 1990* - ?
Sound file: AA 16" Bright Crash
AA 16" Bright Crash
AA 16" Bright Crash
AA 16" Bright Crash
AA 16" Bright Crash
Sabian's Description: <<< - >>>
Review: "The press release that introduced this new Sabian model began by saying, "When it comes to crash cymbals, the need for more cutting and powerful sounds generally has meant using models of heavier weight (i.e.Rock Crash)... until now. With the 16" AA Bright Crash, Sabian has combined a higher profile and larger rock-size bell in a comparatively light (thin-medium thin) cymbal to create an exciting and versatile new model that delivers it all: power, cut, and resonance; a full bright crash sound without added weight.
That's quite a claim. In order to see if the AA Bright Crash lives up to the claims made for it, I put a sample group consisting of two standard-finish and two Brilliant crashes through a series of tests in both low- and high-volume playing applications, as well as matching them up against a few other, garden variety Sabian 16" AA crashes (and an 18", too, just for perspective). Here are the results of my tests.
The model is designed to give more power and cut than comparable 16" cymbals, due to the design features of the larger bell and higher profile. This it does, quite admirably. I found that I could use the Bright Crash as my "loud crash" quite nicely in low-volume situations where I might otherwise go to a 17" or 18" medium-thin crash—but have to hold back. There's something very satisfying about being able to give a full wallop to a cymbal and have it speak out just enough— but not too much. In moderately high-volume situations (such as the second or third sets with my rock band) I liked the Bright Crash as a punctuation cymbal. It had the immediate explosive power of an 18" crash, but not as much sustain (which makes perfect sense, since it doesn't have as much metal to continue vibrating). And when the band got very loud, I was able to use the Bright Crash as a quick-figure crash—leading into more sustained crashes from larger cymbals— without the sacri-fice in balance of volume or tonality that can happen when you play a lighter crash or splash in this situation.
If there is any negative aspect of this cymbal, it might be in the sensitivity department. Even though the Bright Crash is not particularly heavy, I found that it did not respond to a light stick attack quite as quickly as did a standard medium-thin 16" AA crash. It needed just a bit more power behind the stroke to get it moving. However, the resulting sound was much more musical than that of a heavier Rock Crash of the same size when struck with the same impact. So the Bright Crash sort of "falls in the crack" between a standard thin to medium-thin crash and a heavier rock crash— with all the positive advantages going to the Bright Crash, in terms of versatility. It's a very musical and useful cymbal, and I can see it fitting into the setups of a wide variety of drummers."
Review written by Rick Van Horn ("New And Notable", Modern Drummer, August 1990, p.42)
Artist/song where it can be heard:
(*) Source: "New And Notable", Modern Drummer, June 1990, p.112
