Members Shawn76 Posted February 8, 2010 Members Share Posted February 8, 2010 There is good reason why I ask this question for and want some feed back on what YOUR answers are. I know already but I actually got kicked out of a place for trying to make a point over the 2 China's An AAX and a HH. I will explain in more detail when there are some replies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members D Carroll Posted February 8, 2010 Members Share Posted February 8, 2010 I like the HH's better, but, K's and armands sound way better to me. But then again, I like ketchup on my eggs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members boxofrocks Posted February 8, 2010 Members Share Posted February 8, 2010 HH and HHX = Sweetness.. +1 for Armand and K's too.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cdawg Posted February 8, 2010 Members Share Posted February 8, 2010 +1 on the ketchup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rayboomboom Posted February 8, 2010 Members Share Posted February 8, 2010 AAX seems to be a little brighter and higher pitch than the HH's. which is better is what sound you like. I've heard some great sounding AA's, never played an AAX. I have an HH 16" crash that sounds great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RumStik Posted February 9, 2010 Members Share Posted February 9, 2010 Out of context, neither is better. They're just different. AAX: bright, loud, all-purpose "rock" crashes; not notably distinctive; heavy weights. HH: smokier, breathy, mellow, deep character, lower pitched, lighter weights Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kabaalk Posted February 9, 2010 Members Share Posted February 9, 2010 Rum: Are the AAX's really much heavier? I've always found them pretty light...and glassy... but I avoid all heavies outside of rides like plague. I also believe in the context you spoke of. I consider my 17" HH hats to be... masturbation. They're just for me. If I'm playing with a heavy band, I'd need to break out something that'd cut harder, like my (very heavy) 14" New Beats, even if I don't like them much myself. But your descriptions are about dead-on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RumStik Posted February 9, 2010 Members Share Posted February 9, 2010 Rum: Are the AAX's really much heavier? I've always found them pretty light...and glassy... but I avoid all heavies outside of rides like plague. Well, it's not like I did a month in the vault testing everything they make, but generally, I believe the A...'s are heavier than the H...'s, especially in the shoulder and the bell. Compared to something like...say, Paiste Sigs, yes AA's and AAX's are quite thin at the edge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 1001gear Posted February 9, 2010 Members Share Posted February 9, 2010 Ok. Explain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cearleywine Posted February 9, 2010 Members Share Posted February 9, 2010 Hand Hammered! I'll choose the unsweetened tea every time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TamaDrummer0 Posted February 9, 2010 Members Share Posted February 9, 2010 I like ketchup on my eggs. +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Shawn76 Posted February 9, 2010 Author Members Share Posted February 9, 2010 OK I'll explain.Went to a music store that is locally owned just to see what they had. Guy walks over cause I was looking at the 2 China's and comparing them.I asked if both cymbals were new and he looked and said yes,These are both 18" China's btw,I asked why such a price difference in the 2 and the HH being the cheaper of the 2.He sad that the AAX's were 10 times better then the AAX's. I try to correct him and tell him that the HH and AAXs were nearly the same quality and it really depended on what sound you were looking for.He wanted to argue with me about it and then had the neerve to ask me if I wanted to out try the cymbals on a stand and try them.I looked at him and said they are both way over priced by $100-$150 anyways and there was no sense in wasting my time or yours when I am not buying either of them.I wasn't rude about it and just said it in a normal tone of voice as I started walking out the door with disgust.As I was walking away,he yelled at me,with customers in the store and said GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE THEN. I looked back at him and said you didn't have to yell at me and tell me to leave when I was leaving anyways because they were way overpriced and being very rude towards me about which cymbal was better. I already know there is not much difference in the 2 except for sound and they are both handled the same way and made form the same material,one is just hand hammered. I'll know not to return to that store again. The AAX China was nice and if it was the price I seen it for on GC's website I probably would of bought it then.They had it for $312 and GC has it for $195. I did call back to the store later on and asked for the manager and explained to him what had happened and told him that was the first time I was ever in the store and the last time since they moved since I was treated like {censored} as a customer. I kind of drilled the manager about his employee treating others like that and asked how he planned on keeping the place open if he had employees like that. This place was in the same location for about 50 or more years and moved to a much smaller store recently.I used to frequent the place as a kid and even took lessons for guitar there. Kind of pissed me off that some little punk ass kid was talking to me like that when he was clueless about the 2 cymbals,at least he seemed like he was since he was very sure the AAX was 10x better then the HH. Idiots...I'll never go back and it's shame,I actually did like the AAX China and would of tried to get them to match prices with GC to buy it but not going back even though the manager was telling me to come back in and ask for him. The problem I have with GC is they only carry the Sabian Metal-X China and it really doesn't sound the way I want. I still have it since it is the only Sabian China I could find in town besides that place today. Very tempting to go back and ask for the manager to buy it but still undecided.They also had a 20" HH ride that looked nice and was thin,sounded very crashable and I could use a 2nd ride for a different sound when wanted. It's hard to find the HH line here because of the higher price.GC won't even stock them,you may find one used every now and then but not often. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members johnrobbsmusic Posted February 9, 2010 Members Share Posted February 9, 2010 what's the defference in "AA" and "AAX" or "HH" and "HHX"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members D Carroll Posted February 9, 2010 Members Share Posted February 9, 2010 "X" to sabian is like "custom" to zildjian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members johnrobbsmusic Posted February 9, 2010 Members Share Posted February 9, 2010 awwww, I see, thanks, I'm not familiar w/sabian stuff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Shawn76 Posted February 9, 2010 Author Members Share Posted February 9, 2010 awwww, I see, thanks, I'm not familiar w/sabian stuff I'm not familiar with Zildjians line of cymbals.I have been a Sabian user since I started playing.I did have 2 Zildjian China's I really really liked that went with my last set that I sold and still kicking myself in the ass for letting them go. I really liked them 2 China's.Now i am struggling on finding a Sabian China to match the sound of those 2 Zildjians. I got a feeling I will be ebaying for the same 2 China's I had before. If I knew I could trust Paiste I'd go with the PST 5 18" China's but I have heard to many people say Paiste is brittle and I am a heavy hitter so not a very good match for me.It really sucks I can't trust the Paiste brand,they have some really good sounding hats and I see a lot of people here who use them. I just can't drop $300-$400 into hats that have a better chance at breaking. I went with Medium hats just as a precaution to my heavy hitting.It's weird.I don't hit my crashes hard at all,it's just the Ride,Hats and China's I hit hard. I seen someone posted about about Sabian AAX being a heavy cymbal.It depends on which ones you go with. I have a 16" AAXplosion and 18" AAXplosion Fast Crash (which I think just came out not long ago) that seem fine and sound awesome but I also have an 18" AAXplosion I am dumping off when I get the fast crash 18".It is a heavy cymbal and is more of a medium thin rather then a thin crash.It kind of sounds like it is out of tune and doesn't fit in with my other 2 crashes.The bell on that thing is good (very loud) and could almost be used as a crash/ride. I'm also getting another 16" of the same and that will be all the crashes I will need. I really need to get a 10" and 12" splash and a Mini China.I have a 12" Wuhan but t sounds like doo doo and I refuse to put it on my set.I've considered a 17" AAXplosion Fast Crash but I'm not really sure yet.I just seen it yesterday and have not really had them put it on a drum set for me to bang on yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Thomas G Posted February 9, 2010 Members Share Posted February 9, 2010 tl;dr but If I'm looking for a warmer tone, I'd say HH. But for most forms of rock, the AAX's all the way. I'm not sure if they're better, but they are certainly different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jeff Graw Posted February 9, 2010 Members Share Posted February 9, 2010 Hand hammered vs. machine hammered? I'll take hand hammered (almost) every time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members D Carroll Posted February 9, 2010 Members Share Posted February 9, 2010 Pretty sure that they are just hand finished... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Shawn76 Posted February 9, 2010 Author Members Share Posted February 9, 2010 I play a lot of Rock so the AAX line does me fine but I would like to try a few from the HH line.I'd go with crashes on the HH line and that ride I seen today.Not to interested in the China's or hats from the HH line. One of these days I will get a few HH crashes and check them out but I am pretty satisfied with what I have with the exception of the China and the 1 18" crash which I am tempted to just replace tomorrow with the 17" AAXplosion Fast Crash.I know the 18" sounds awesome and nothing like the regular 18" Xplosion.It seems to be lighter and sustains better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members piersonm Posted February 9, 2010 Members Share Posted February 9, 2010 I love the AAX Chinese for accents, that thing is just trashy enough and really cuts through the mix without being annoying. The HH is a real nice subtle-jazzy ride in the 22" variety but, can't take much in the abuse department. (Got a 22" HH China for Christmas many moons ago, put it up on the kit, whacked it one time and cracked it. That became a Z China which then became a 20" AAX Chinese...thus my fav.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members lossforgain Posted February 9, 2010 Members Share Posted February 9, 2010 Pretty sure that they are just hand finished... The blanks are shaped by presses but the actual hammering is done by hand. I watch these hats get hammered right in front of me on the Sabian Vault Tour, by a guy who does the same job hammering cymbals at the factory every day. I would choose the HH stuff over the AAX stuff every time, with the possible exception of splash cymbals. My one splash is an AAX, and I've had plenty of HH splashes to choose from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members faileddrummer Posted February 9, 2010 Members Share Posted February 9, 2010 Seems like I'm the only one here who prefers the AAX . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cearleywine Posted February 9, 2010 Members Share Posted February 9, 2010 Seems like I'm the only one here who prefers the AAX . Had it been 5 years ago while my primary focus was my punk band I'd be with you. Have no shame, be honest to your taste buds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members lossforgain Posted February 9, 2010 Members Share Posted February 9, 2010 ^'tis good advice. They are both great quality cymbals. I just like more complexity these days. There was a time when anything AA/AAX really did it for me too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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