Sabian Artisan 16" Elite Hats

Group: Hi-Hats
Type: Elite Hats
Size: 16 Inch
Series: Artisan
Weight: Top: 1025g / Bottom: 1445g

Top: 1079g / Bottom: 1408g

Top: 1099g / Bottom: 1491g

Top: 1122g / Bottom: 1496g

Top: 1146g / Bottom: 1377g

Median Weight: Top: 1099g (n=5) / Bottom: 1445g (n=5)
Years of production: ?
Sound file: Artisan 16" Elite Hats
Artisan 16" Elite Hats
Artisan 16" Elite Hats
Artisan 16" Elite Hats
Sabian's Description: <<< - >>>
Review: "Hi hats have varied in popularity over the years (size wise) as much as fashion trends. Traditionally, I've had 12" or 13" hats. So, when Sabian wanted to send me a set of their 16" Artisan Elite Hi Hats, I was deeply curious.

Upon receiving the box and opening it, I immediately knew this was something special. These cymbals ship in their own protective cymbal embroidered cymbal sleeve. I was immediately taken back to when Sabian made its debut, and all their cymbals were shipped in felt embroidered bags (we called them Crown Royal Bags).

When I pulled them out of the protective sleeve, I knew why they're called Artisan Elites. These cymbals are signed and numbered works of art. These may be the best-looking hi hats I've ever seen.

They are deeply lathed, but with a wide lathe path. The part between the lathes reveals a natural tin oxide that reminds me of that this was once an unlathed raw disk of B20 metal.

But you don't have hi hats simply because they look good - what about the sound? These hats take a moment to get your ear accustomed to the low dark sound. But once you get acclimated...look out!

I'll remind you that these are 16" hats - larger than your average hats, but I like them. Once I started playing them, I couldn't stop. There were so many colors to explore. I found the "chick" to be very present although dark and "trashy" — but not muddy. The cymbals themselves are dark and "trashy," but not in a bad way...rather...in a good way. The bell is much larger and flatter than on most hats and when playing the bell, it produces a higher pitch of the normal high hat sound - not necessarily what you'd expect from a typical bell-only sound, but a resonant tight bell that takes advantage of the cymbal's size to produce that particular resonant quality. As you'd expect, the bottom cymbal is the heavier of the two, and the top cymbal is pitched almost an octave higher in comparison. So, what did I like about the sound? It's different, and since I had no point of comparison to a normal set of hand-hammered (HH or HHX) 16" hats, I am not certain which aspect to attribute to the sheer size or which to attribute to the hammer/lathe pattern. I'll venture to say that the warm, "trashy" sound comes from the style, and the pitch is due to the size. But what I can tell you is that these hats "got da funk." I just wanted to keep playing them and exploring the sounds. And to clarify the "trash" sound I keep referencing - it's really more of a dirty, earthy sound. If you're looking for a high-pitched, tight chick...these aren't for you. I could get close by applying a lot of pressure on the hi hat pedal and raising the hat's pitch, which would work to produce that high chick, but you'd not want to have to do that all the time. They develop a very dry and trashy wash when played slightly open.

Would I play out with these? Absolutely! I play a lot of blues and funk these days...and these would be a welcome part of my cymbal setup. I thought the diameter would be a little much, but I like having a large target area. It's like having a larger color palette - and I dig the dry, dirty tone.

The Artisan Elite series lives up to its name. These cymbals are a special kind of special, and if the price weren't a bit too much for my current planned budget (over $700 "street"), I wouldn't be sending them back. In the world of cymbals a 16" Hi Hat may be considered a black sheep, but these hi hats are big, bad and beautiful investment-worthy material."

Review written by Dendy Jarrett ("Sabian 16" Artisan Elite Hi-Hats",harmonycentral.com, June 5, 2017)

Review: "The two new Light hi-hats are an alternative to the already available standard Artisan hats. They have a classic look with a regular finish, although you can buy them polished to Brilliant if you prefer. The new Elites have a more distinctive look, a natural finish with top-and-bottom lathing smudged with black traces of tin oxide. They are also distinguished by their low profile including gently rising bells.

The 16" Elite hats are commanding, they feel big but don’t get in the way sonically. Although deep they are expressive and as they’re quite light there’s little feeling of hard work, of a lumbering lag in opening and closing. So despite their somewhat alien size they don’t slow you down much at all.

Bigger, darker hats that pump away below the lead instruments and vocals are catching on it seems. They actually make sense, clearing some frequency space in the mix, pushing from below rather than dancing on top like 12" or 13" hats, say. You get this effect with the one inch smaller 15" Light hats too."

Review written by Geoff Nicholls ("Sabian Artisan Elite and Light Cymbals review - New additions to Sabian’s super-expensive range", musicradar/com, May 27, 2017)

Review: "It wasn’t for any particular reason, but I spent more time playing the 16” hihats than the smaller model. They’re what you would want a 16” set of hihats to be – present but not overbearing, low pitched but not muddy and they had a nice definition. I liked them a lot."

Review written by David Bateman ("Sabian Artisan Elite Cymbals", mikedolbear.com, June 2017)

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