NCD: Dreams come true!

JimmyM

Diamond Member
I had always loved my friend and co worker Jeff’s 20” Sabian AAX Studio Ride, but despite not being a drummer and only having a set because he didn’t want people bashing his walls up when they come over to rehearse, he wouldn’t sell it to me no matter how much I begged.

So I bought one, thinking it would at least be similar, and it isn’t. The one I got was lower pitched and shot out a load of harmonics. It’s not that it sounds bad…it just didn’t sound like Jeff’s.

Cut to yesterday when I went to his house to ride to a gig together. He’s moving and he donated his Tour Custom bop kit and 4 other sets that the wife of a friend of ours who died gave to him to a great kids music charity. When I leave, he comes out with a bass drum head box and says, “Here you go.” It had a 20” Ludwig branded PS3 in it, and under the head was The Cymbal (it’s the one on the left):

Cymbals - AAX Studio Rides 1.jpeg
Cymbals - AAX Studio Rides 2.jpeg

Too bad I can’t mate the bottom of his cymbal with the top of mine ;). But who cares what it looks like? It sounds great!

I was less enthusiastic about the PS3 trying it as a batter, but it’s noticeably louder than the Super Kick 2 on my old Pearl Export 20 x 16, even though I think the SK2 sounds better. But I’ll hang onto it for a reso head if I ever get a 20” Ludwig BD.

But I finally got Jeff’s ride and it didn’t cost me a dime. Yay for me and even bigger yay for Jeff!
 
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You lucked out! I know you've posted about your (now, old) 20" Studio ride in the past, but I'm glad you found the one you like. I was playing Studio 14" hats, 16" crash, and 20" ride in church for awhile (took me over a year to find the hats), and I recently found the 18" crash to go with it. We're not playing drums anymore in the church, but I think I'll pick the 18" up to round out the set... and buy them all. The Studios don't "cut" as much as the rest of the Sabians I have, but it is a special line... live, practice, or recording, they sound great. Shame Sabian doesn't make them anymore.
 
You lucked out! I know you've posted about your (now, old) 20" Studio ride in the past, but I'm glad you found the one you like. I was playing Studio 14" hats, 16" crash, and 20" ride in church for awhile (took me over a year to find the hats), and I recently found the 18" crash to go with it. We're not playing drums anymore in the church, but I think I'll pick the 18" up to round out the set... and buy them all. The Studios don't "cut" as much as the rest of the Sabians I have, but it is a special line... live, practice, or recording, they sound great. Shame Sabian doesn't make them anymore.
These are the only Studio cymbals I have, but I would agree that they’re not particularly loud and cutting. But they do make nice crash rides, which was my sole purpose for wanting one.
 
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