Sabian XSR 16" Fast Stax

Group: Other
Type: Fast Stax
Size: 16 Inch
Series: XSR
Weight: 13": 709g / 16": 817g

13": 772g / 16": 828g

13": 809g / 16": 844g

Median Weight: 13": 772g (n=3) / 16": 828g (n=3)
Years of production: 2017 - Present
Sound file: XSR 16" Fast Stax
XSR 16" Fast Stax
XSR 16" Fast Stax
XSR 16" Fast Stax (16" Chinese played alone)
XSR 16" Fast Stax
XSR 16" Fast Stax
XSR 16" Fast Stax
XSR 16" Fast Stax
XSR 16" Fast Stax
Sabian's Description: <<< - >>>
Review: "Stacking cymbals can be like rolling dice - it might work, it might not. First, there’s getting the physical combination right, then there’s the tonal blend. Sabian has done the legwork for us with the Fast Stax, matching what is essentially a thin 13" hi-hat top (complete with ‘Air Wave’ edge) with a 16" China.

As with all stacks, you can tailor the decay and sizzle by tightening or loosening your stand’s wingnut. We found that the sweet spot was somewhere just past the middle of the travel. Too loose and there was a bit too much rattle, too cranked and it got a bit on the ‘closed hat’ side. The Fast Stax is diverse though, offering soft yet cutting noise like a shaker through a distortion pedal that will work across everything from fusion ride patterns to hardcore breakdowns."

Review written by Stuart Williams ("Sabian 2017 Effects review", musicradar.com, July 26, 2017)

Review: "The XSR Fast Stax is a thin 13" X-Celerator cymbal that is inverted in what would be the concave part of a 16" China cymbal. The 13" has an "air-wave" edge (think bottom hi-hat cymbal) to avoid airlock between the stacked cymbals. This wave also increases the volume and "trashiness" of the cymbal pair. The China has a wider edge to give you a surface to play on beyond the stacked surface.

Years ago, one of my favorite drum corps featured a galvanized trash can in the pit ensemble as an instrument. During one of the songs a percussionist would carefully smash glass bottles during moments of the song to give specific attack effects. This cymbal sounds exactly like what that breaking glass sounded like in that galvanized trash can - its quick white noise definitely grabs your attention and holds it anytime it's played. And the sound, while whip-quick, is large and in charge (pure noise trashiness). The cymbal is great for giving staccato definition to patterns or can be "crashed" for a white noise effect."

Bullet points:

Style - Vintage
Sound - Bright
Weight - Medium Thin

Review written by Dendy Jarrett ("Sabian Effects Cymbals - 2017 Additions", harmonycentral.com, July 3, 2017)

Artist/song where it can be heard: