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The relatively thin weight gives the crashes deeper pitch and shorter sustain than average

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Sabian has built up a massive inventory of cymbals with which to tempt us, but the Vault Artisan collection is still something special.

The Vault is Sabian's experimental lab where its master cymbal-smiths try out new ideas. Thus the Vault series encompasses those special, creative cymbals which don't fall into Sabian's standard categories.

Sabian's intention with the Vault Artisan models is to capture the darker, less abrasive tones of vintage cymbals while also adding a touch of modern, biting edge brilliance. We loved the original Vault Artisan rides and inevitably Sabian was pressured to introduce matching crashes and hats.

"You simply don't just whack these crashes recklessly, you flip a glancing wrist and savour the beautiful silky tone. These are cymbals to be cherished"

Sabian says drummers were looking for "that soft, warm, deeply musical tone" and, in order to capture it, vintage cymbal designs were researched and plundered.

Build

All Vault cymbals are hand crafted from B20 bronze which is 'fire refined' so as to leave a trace of silver embedded in the copper. There are two Vault Artisan crashes, a 16" and 18", which are described as 'thin/extra-thin' in weight and profile. These are not to be confused with the previous Vault crashes which have the Sabian logo and a brilliant polished finish.

The Vault Artisans have traditional high-density hand hammering for tonal complexity and increased projection, augmented with jumbo-peen dimpling which brings out the low end tone.

Rounding out the Vault Artisan set, Sabian has added three Artisan hi-hats, with standard diameters of 13", 14" and 15". Each pair has a medium weight top cymbal coupled with a heavy bottom. The top and bottom look the same, with the script 'Artisan' and 'V' for Vault logo. All the Vault Artisan cymbals have a classic satin finish, shallow lathing and high-density hammering to both sides.

Each cymbal bears the signature of its craftsman maker and a serial number on the inside of the cup. Each also comes in its own soft carrying bag containing a letter of authenticity. This takes the form of a small certificate, again with serial number and signature of the Vault Team specialist craftsman.

Hands on

The relatively thin weight of the two crashes gives the cymbals a deeper pitch and shorter sustain than average. Both crashes are extremely fast reacting and the overall sound describes a smooth arc from the initial sharp smack, through the quick blossoming of the full tone and breadth, to a long, even decay, ending in a silvery softness.

In a word, gorgeous. Being thin, the main body of the crash lasts for only a short burst – then the volume drops quickly before the protracted rake-off. There is absolutely no descent into clashing after-tones, hums and buzzes. Which is not to say the timbre is not complex, just harmonious.