Sabian - Because Sound Matters

Charlie Brown - Master Hammering Artisan

Tucked away in the dark recesses of the original SABIAN factory is a few square meters of floor space made noticeable by low wooden stumps topped by metal anvils. Atop some of the anvils are a pair of leather gloves and a crude, well-used hammer. On a nearby wall are templates to gauge cymbal shapes. Lying against another wall are dark, raw blanks waiting to be shaped into cymbals. It's here that master hammering artisan Charlie Brown and his team hammer shape and sound - most noticeably rich, dark tone - into HH and Vault Artisan cymbals.

With over 25 years of hands-on cymbal making experience, Charlie's expertise is such that the likes of Neil Peart, David Garibaldi, Jeff 'Tain' Watts, and Chester Thompson rely on his ability to create tonal complexity and color with only a crude hammerâ?¦ and a great sense of where to hit and how hard to hit the metal. And as many visitors who attempt to hammer a cymbal soon discover, just hitting the cymbal correctly - let alone in the correct place - is a serious challenge! When you hear a 'tick, tick, tick', you know it's a pro like Charlie. When the sound is more 'clang' than 'tick', it's a visitor having a go.

"I think we're all surprised by how many innovative cymbals and sounds we have been able to design by starting with a flat piece of bronze."

Born and raised locally, Charlie started with SABIAN in 1982. Over the years he spent more time hammering cymbals because 'I enjoy turning a piece of metal into something of value.' Neil Peart certainly appreciated Charlie's skill when the legendary Rush drummer was in Meductic to develop his Paragon cymbals. "Yes," commented master product specialist Mark Love, who worked with Peart on Paragon. "Charlie has a magical touch with his hammer. The strokes take on a steady rhythm that is hypnotic. Neil was impressed by how accurately Charlie was able to hammer the right amount of dryness and tone into his cymbals."

Does Charlie play any instruments? No, but he does like all types of music, from country and bluegrass to jazz and blues. And the Vault Artisan Ride is his favorite cymbal. "There's a lot of handcrafting in the Artisan... It's me going into it."

Quiet and self-effacing, Charlie is quick to praise his colleagues. "Whatever it is that people like about SABIAN, it's the result of a lot of effort by a lot of people." And he's right. "That was the nice thing about Neil Peart, he was very down to earth and really appreciated our efforts and skill to create the sound he wanted. Dave Weckl was also great. He was also very particular about what he wanted and I liked the challenge of creating what he was after with his Legacy cymbals."

"How do I approach hammering? I start and finish by focusing on the physical shaping of the cymbal. In between... well, instinct takes over."

When you play HH, the Vault Artisan and other Vault hand hammered models you can hear the tone created by Charlie Brown and his colleagues in that dark space few people ever get to see. It's a tone that is warm, dark and musically complex. But the best thing about each of the cymbals is the personalized touch that comes from hand hammering that makes every one that little bit different from all the rest. Creating cymbals with that personal touchâ?¦ sounds that are personal and unique for you is what Charlie Brown is all about.