Sabian Munetaka Higuchi Lightning Strikes Ride
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Description
Limited Edition
- -Munetaka Higuchi Signature Model Lightning Strikes-
- "I want a cymbal that produces a shocking sound like thunder." - Munetaka Higuchi
- His signature snare drum, the EXHAUST QUAD, was released in 2005 and quickly sold out.
- In response to this huge success, development of a signature cymbal began. At the time, the cymbals he was using were SABIAN AAX METAL, and he exchanged ideas with the manufacturer to create a powerful rock sound using this sound as a base.
- The first thing he noticed was the cup. He used a cup without razing (low bell) to produce wilder overtones. This specification is now used in many models, including the HHX series, but at the time there were few models with this specification, and it was thanks to his foresight that he was one of the first to introduce it.
- To further sharpen the sound, the first sample was created by applying radial hammering and other processes. After that, areas other than the cup were left unranging, and the finish was changed to make those areas appear darker. After repeatedly producing and checking samples, the production of this model progressed in preparation for the LOUDNESS 25th Anniversary Live in 2006.
- The naming and mark design for this model were carried out in parallel with the creation of the product itself. Since the sound he was looking for was a shocking sound like thunder, the name "Lightning Strikes," which is the title of the overseas remix version of LOUDNESS's album SHADOWS OF WAR, was quickly decided upon, and a lightning bolt design was created to go along with it. Furthermore, wanting something symbolic, a mark was also created that evokes the rising sun and a hurricane. He himself was very pleased with the name and design.
- Wanting to somehow preserve this model that was never released to the world, we obtained the consent of the family and checked with SABIAN to see if it was possible to manufacture it.We were informed that they had kept all of the design data from that time and that it was possible to manufacture it, so we were able to successfully make it.
This model was created based on a sample completed for LOUDNESS's 25th Anniversary Live in 2006. It was the closest to the cymbal sound goal that LOUDNESS himself was seeking, and there is no doubt that it was the best model in existence at the time.1
Information from:
1 Reverb.com (retrieved January 17, 2026)
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