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 Sabian Paragon Ride Price Paid / Price New: $250/$350 Year Manufactured: 2010 Specs: Size: 21" Sound: Medium Weight: 8.5lbs Hammering: Machine hammered bow, hand hammered bell. Finish: Brilliant Sound: 5/5. Very few cymbals these days really like to sit in the pocket between a bright sound and a dark sound. The paragon's sound is right in that pocket, providing a very clear articulate sound, without being obnoxious. Unlike other heavy cymbals, the paragon ride has a much more refined sound. The ride does not sound like a heavy cymbal in tone, it's got a medium to low pitch, with a nice subtle was that does not get in the way. Special mention must be made of the bell, which is this rides strongest feature. The bell is very dark, and fairly funky, for its size and weight. To get a darker, lower pitched, bell most companies have to make the bell larger, however this throws off the sound of the rest of the cymbal. The paragon ride has the sound of a mega bell, without actually having a large bell, which keeps the pitch right in that middle pocket. Also, because it is a heavy cymbal, there is a lot of stick definition. The paragon ride is the absolute best ride out on the market for any type of rock, or various types of fusion. It is also by far the most musical ride in its weight class. Instrument Quality: 5/5. Sabian makes great products, and this ride is no exception. It is well put together, with a great looking finish. Playbility: 4/5. The bell on most cymbals is slightly awkward to play, because most of the time it is at a odd angle, this is not a problem for the paragon. the only fault this ride has is, because of it's weight, it is next to impossible to crash. But this is only a small issue. The stick responds great on both the bell, and bow of the cymbal, with either the tip or shaft of the stick. Overall Value: 5/5. This ride simply just does not sound like a $350 cymbal. With the amount of versatility and musicality that this cymbal has it sounds just as good as some of the $600 cymbals, if not better than some of them. It is the very definition of what a good rock ride is supposed to sound like: Clear, crisp, and not to bright. If rock is your game this is the best ride on the market. If you play jazz or funk, this ride still beats out most of the competitors. If you only have the money for one ride cymbal, and you enjoy going from one style to another, this is the ride for you. Additional: Since this is a heavy cymbal, you might need to purchase a new stand just for it, or get some sand bags, because it will make a loaded down stand topple.
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Nov 29, 2010 04:32
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 Tama Starclassic Bubinga Snare Price Paid / Price New: $300/$550 (I love clearance) Year Manufactured: 2010 Specs: Size: 14x6.5 Wood: 8-ply Bubinga Sound: Dark/Warm Finish: Black Metallic/Gold Inlay Sound: 5/5 If you like a dark snare with throngs of character, this drum is for you. Bubinga is a darker wood than mahogany, giving you even more warmth and a mix with more low end frequency. For as fat and warm as this snare is, it's also really cutting. It also tunes really easy, and the tuning range is fairly wide. You can tune it down for a fatter sound, and still get the good stick definition that you would get at a medium or higher tuning. On top of all of that, you get great die-cast hoops that focus the sound up even more, and give great rimshots. This is by far the best, and most versatile I own, and have ever played. Although if you're buying one new, I might recommend looking for a 14x8 if you got the extra money, though it might be a little too fat if you don't already like deep snares. But over all the 14x6.5 sounds great on it's own, so unless you like depth, save yourself a few bucks and get this size. Plus 14x8's are a bitch to find. Instrument Quality: 5/5 Tama makes great drums, with great hardware. If this thing ever breaks I'll take this review down, and quit drums for life. Playbility: No real rating, it's a snare, if you tune your head right it plays well. The rims are higher than some snares due to the die-cast hoops which makes rimshots easier I guess. Overall Value: I would have payed full price for this snare. I might have even payed, gasp, list price for it, it's that good. If you only got money for one snare, get this one because it will serve you better in different styles of music more than any other snare. Additional: Did I mention I love the finishes on these drums? It may not change the way they sound, but drat they're sexy.
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Jan 4, 2011 07:49
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 Tama Starclassic Bubinga 5-piece Shell Pack Price Paid / Price New: $2400/$2800 (I love clearance) Year Manufactured: 2010 Specs: Rack Sizes: 10"x8" 12"x9" Floor Sizes: 14"x12" 16"x14" Kick Size: 22"x20" Wood: 8-ply Bubinga Sound: Dark/Warm Finish: Red Mahogany Burst Sound: 5/5 Tama is always serious about their drums, and this kit shows. If your looking for the generic record sounding drum kit you might want to look elsewhere, but if you want a truly special kit this is the one for you. With this kit Tama took the rulebook for making a dense would kit, and promptly threw it out the window. You know how most mahogany (or other dense wood) kits have fairly thin shells, this was th industry standard for the longest time. On a dense wood kit, a thin shell would help real in the more extreme overtones in the wood. The problem was, the shells were always very quiet compared to a normal maple shell. This kit brakes the mold by using shells of normal thickness, these bad bays are full on 8 ply drums. To focus the drums over tones of the shells, Tama used die-cast hoops on this kit. What Tama came out with is the darkest "rock" kit out on the market. With enough power to be heard through the amplified mix, this is a kit that relies on raw volume rather than cut to get the drums heard. Because the drums do not just simply cut through the mix, they actually fully fill up the band's sound. Not only is this kit loud, but it actually sings. I have never heard a kit with this much tone this loud. Because the shells are bubinga the drums have a wonderful body to them, that lasts the full length of the hit. In a lot of maple kits, the body of a drum will cut out half way through the hit, so it's nice getting tone all the way to the end. Finally I would like to mention tuning. Because of the thickness of the shell, and the density of the wood, these drums have the biggest sweets spots I have ever heard. While these drums may not be able to be tuned high enough for some of you bob freaks out there, the depths to which they can go is astonishing. For someone who plays RnB having drums that can be tuned that low, and be all the fatter for it is nice. Tama knows that sounds comes before all else, and they nailed it with this kit. This kit is one of those few kits that is versatile enough to play any style, but still has a unique sound that is all its own. Instrument Quality: 5/5 Tama drums don't break, period, end of story. The lugs on these drums get special mention, they don't actually loosen from playing. While they may loosen from an extended car ride, tune them once before they move and they are good. This is more than can be said for some other companies, I'm looking at you DW. Playbility: Die-cast hoops on the toms help focus their sound, but they are a bitch to get used to. This is my only complaint, that if you are a low sitter like I am, you will hit rims for a few weeks till you get used to the increased hight of the hoop. Overall Value: Tama has really outdone themselves with this kit. This is a kit that defies the normal rules of how drums aught to be made, and it is all the better for it. If you want a big, fat, nasty drum kit this is the bad boy for you. It gets the job done, and does it better than any other kit like it. If you have a maple or birch kit, and you just want more this is for you. Additional: The finish on this drum is just plain sexy. Red drums are classy as hell, and the slow fade is all the better. Also on a side note, the kick sounds better if you don't muffle it, the little bit of ring you get off of it is actually really good at filling up you bands sound.
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May 30, 2011 03:53
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I forgot to post a review up of this when I first got it. Sabian AAX X-Plosion Crash Price Paid / Price New: $0/$265 (I love abusing warranties) Year Manufactured: 2010 Specs: Size: 20" Sound: Modern Bright Weight: 4.5ish lbs Hammering: Large pin machine hammering. Finish: Brilliant Sound: 3/5. It's a big washy crash, there isn't a whole lot to mess up. There are better big washy crashes out there ( the 20" paragon is really good if your looking for a bright 20") but this cymbal gets the job done. It also works as a extra light ride, so for all of you guys out there who have heavy rides take note of this. This is a good sounding 20" crash, it's just not on the same level as others. The only big issue, is that the crash doesn't have a whole lot of body. Instrument Quality: 5/5. Sabian makes great products. If it breaks, you're playing it wrong. Playbility: 5/5. It's a crash, you hit it, it makes noise. The crash responds well, and the bow gives enough rebound for some light riding. Overall Value: 4/5. This crash gets the job done well enough to be recommended, but there are better 20s in different lines than this one, so unless you want a 20 without a lot of body I would say look at your options before getting this crash.
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May 30, 2011 04:10
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So after two years of owning it, playing it, and gigging with it I'm here to revise my review of Tama's (previous) flagship drumkit, the Starclassic Bubinga. Tama Starclassic Bubinga 5 Piece Shell Pack Price Paid / Price New: $2400/~$3000 It should should be noted that the 5 piece pack is a little harder to find these days, and as such has gone up in price. However the 4 piece has gone down in price due to the new Star series. Year Manufactured: 2010 Specs: Rack Sizes: 10"x8" 12"x9" Floor Sizes: 14"x12" 16"x14" Kick Size: 22"x20" Wood: 8-ply Bubinga Hoops: Die-cast Sound: Low/Dark/Punchy Finish: Red Mahogany Burst Sound: 3.5~4/5 (for the average drummer) This is where I'm gonna have to diverge with my past self, while I love (and I mean LOVE) the sound of my Starclassic Bubinga's, I have to admit that they are an extremely distinct sounding set of drums. The combination of the extremely dense wood, the (still relative) thinness of the shells, the lack of any kind of reinforcing hoops, and Tama's massive die-cast hoops, all contribute to the sound of these shells. When you buy one of these kits, you are buying ultra-low-end aggressive tone with plenty of bite and character. You're also buying a lot more punch then you're average kit. While the toms aren't dead, with low sustain, by default it is very easy to get them there. Similar to a Pearl Reference, this kit was predominately designed to fit the needs of the modern rock player (which I am really not), and the modern heavy hitter (which I am). While it isn't impossible to get a different sound (say hip-hop, or DnB) it is much harder than getting that punchy, ultra-articulate, sound they were designed to get. If you want these drums to have life and sustain, you're head selection is fairly limited. Pinstripes will dry them out to quick. Coated heads will dry them out as well. You're basically stuck with clear emperors or ambassadors if you want a livelier sound. It should also be noted that if you want a less punchy sound, you're gonna need to beat jacks off these drums. Like a heavy cymbal, they require high energy activation to ring out in full. Even with those heads there are just a lot of sounds this hell pack simply can't get to well. If you're shooting for a more mid toned classic rock sound, you're gonna end up with some super plastic sounding toms. The toms and bass drum are also pitched far to low if you are looking to play bop, even with special jazz heads. However, the sounds that this kit does do well, it does extremely well. I won't call it the best metal/punk kit on the market, because I don't really play those styles much anymore, I will go on record saying this is probably the best hip-hop kit on the market. If you're looking for a kit to sound like an 808 or 909, but is still obviously acoustic, than this kit fills that bill. With the right heads, and careful tuning, the toms have that ultra-low and resonant tone that only drum machines generally can provide. The kick drum is also crazy, put clear emperor on the batter, and a clear ambassador on the front, tune it a little higher than the average bass drum, and use a larger hard-felt beater and you have a recipe for one of the boomiest kicks on the market. Stomp the pedal and play off the head, and the fundamental will ring out for eons. You can even still get a punchy sound by burring the beater into the head. You can have all of the tone possibilities of a super tight jazz bass drum, just pitched super low. Tune it a little higher and you can get one of the best Bonham sounds I've been able to get out of a 22". To make a long story short, if I haven't listed a sound you're going for, then the truth is that this kit doesn't do it any better than other kits on the market, and a lot of the time it actually does it worse. I have heard a lot of these kits live that just don't sound very good. I'd recommend a USA Custom, or a Collector's Series if you're looking for that traditional drum sound. However if you are in this kits demographic, and take the time to really one down your setup, you can have one of the best and most distinct sounding kits on the market. Just make sure you can tune really, REALLY, well if you don't want punch. This is a kit you should probably play before you buy. Instrument Quality: 5/5 There is a very good reason Tama has a reputation for build quality. Every spec on this kit is well thought out, and well executed. The lugs, the hoops, the tension rods, and yes the build of the shell itself are all top notch. These drums will stay in tune for months at a time, and I usually don't have to touch them up more than once before a new head comes along. The mounts, and legs, allow the drum to resonate to its maximum capacity. Also if you upgrade this from just a shell pack you get hands down the best hardware in the industry. Tama's stands might as well be made out of boulders because once you place them somewhere they aren't moving, ever. They also make by far the most secure, fully adjustable, tom arm on the market. Just like the stands, once you tighten that wing nut you're toms aren't going anywhere until you take them off the stand. Nothing on this kit will ever break, ever, unless you drop it off of a roof, or take a sledge-hammer to it. Overall Value:3/5 or 4.5/5 (depends on style) This is a kit that will either fit your style, or it wont. As such your mileage will vary from mine. To compound this, there aren't many videos online that give a good all around perspective on the kit. My only advice is to try before you buy if you can find a place to try. While I would say that this is one of the definitive kits on the market, it isn't the definitive kit.
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Jul 26, 2013 21:46
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