I've been on a search for the perfect ride, and I think I found it. Problem is- I can't afford it, more on that later. Sabian's Paragon cymbals are made in Canada, just the man behind these cymbals; Neart Peart of Rush. But you don't even have to be a Rush fan to appreciate this line of cymbals.

First of all, I love the size of this cymbal. Its a beast; 22" in diameter and thick, its like 8 pounds so don't drop it on your foot. One you move up to a 22" ride its hard to go back to a 20". Its thickness means you get a really good 'ping' out of it that cuts through like no other ride cymbal I've ever heard.

It also has an incredible shimmery wash that is subtle but definitely there, and can be tapped into even more by how and where in the field you play the cymbal. There is a complexity in the overtones, very musical. I read somewhere that Sabian used a distinctly different lathing technique on the top than the bottom, that might be a contributor to the sweet and complex tones.

This cymbal might be a bit much for those who are used to mellow 20" rides. Its loud, its bright (though not harsh at all), its cutting, and it shimmers while giving excellent stick definition. It's kind of a cymbal that does everything you want without having to make any trade-offs, but be warned it is an overwhelming cymbal.

Now price; this is seriously one expensive cymbal. I haven't seen it under 350.00. Thats a lot of money, but frankly this cymbal does things that nothing in the Hand Hammered line up can do, and outperforms many of my beloved favorites from Paiste. I would like to see this cymbal go head to head with some of the K Kustom line from Zildjian but until then..... this cymbal is worth the money because it surpasses anything I've played to date. Now where's that credit card I have hidden from the wife....

I used this 20" Ping Ride from the A Custom line for a short while.
I'm not typically a fan of ping rides or dry rides since I've come to like (and expect) a good wash underneath the ever present "ping" of a ride cymbal. So I was pleasantly suprised with this cymbal. It is fairly "wet" for a ping ride, so you get a nice low to moderate "wash" or "shimmer" underneath the ping. I've compared this cymbal side-by-side with Zildjian's K Custom Ping Ride, and the K is markedly drier and has significantly less capability to produce a noticeable "wash" underneath the ping than the A Custom will produce when you induce it by playing harder and further out from the bell. In other words, the wash is there when you want it.

I had no problem getting excellent stick definition playing complicated patterns anywhere "in the field" of the cymbal while still getting a gentle wash and sustain underneath it, which pleases me and my playing style greatly.

My only dislike is the small size of the bell, although you can still get plenty of "ping" almost anywhere on the cymbal.

I think this cymbal is versatile enough for use in multiple styles. Its well suited for heavy rock music since it has a good density and its well-definied "ping" would do a good job of "cutting through". It could also be adequate for modern jazz or fusion style music since it has a fairly "wet" sound. I would also reccomend checking this cymbal out side-by-side with the 22" version to see if the larger, more expenzive one is better for you.

Unlike my unfavorable review of the 16" Fast Crash from this series; the A Customs- I really like the A Custom's 18" Fast Crash.
What I like most about the A Custom line-up is their versatile sound, being very modern sounding but traditional enough for more than just rock. The 18" Fast Crash is no exception, as it has a very shimmery modern sound, and is mellow enough to be utilized in a wide variety of gigs. Its a good cymbal for guys who play in different types of bands and need a good "go-to" cymbal for different styles.
The 18" Fast Crash has a great sustain thats not wimpy (unlike the 16" version) so it can be played like crash/ride. It has the density to stand up to it and not flop around like a fish. And, like the name implies; the crash is "fast" so its sounds more punchy and punctuated than most 18" crashes. All of these characteristics blend together perfectly, in my opinion, and this cymbal is explosive and punctuated, dark, modern and shimmery, and with great sustain, and its still versatile enough to play this in a modern rock band all the way down to jazz. Its not as complex as some players might demand, but it does have great musicality and sensitivity to pull off different styles well.
This is one of my favorite crashes ever, other than a few that Paiste has to offer. Its not bad for the price considering the use you would get out of it. It wouldnt replace my standard 18" crash in my setup, but it would pair up with it as a replacement for my 16". Thats how "fast" of a crash it is, you can replace your 16" with it for a fuller sound but not give up the punctuation or explosiveness you expect from a smaller crash!

You will love this cymbal.

I did not use this cymbal long, as it just didn't jive with my tastes and expectations. It might for you, though. The 16" Fast Crash is pretty typical and in line with the rest of the A Custom series, but this particular cymbal is just not of use to how I play and what I prefer in a crash cymbal.

What I liked about this cymbal is its shimmery blast of sound that hits you in milliseconds of hitting the cymbal. They didn't call it a Fast Crash for nothing.

What I did NOT like about it was that I found it a bit thin and anemic sounding for a 16" cymbal. It had the sustain of a 16" or larger, but the wimpiness of a 14" or 15" crash. It lacked fullness. Even its sustain was just the tone lingering, and not a full reverberation of the cymbal. It is probably due to the thin-ness of the cymbal, its fairly lightweight. It seems like to achieve the "fast" crash that this cymbal is named for, it had to lose any fullness or deep sustain that it could have otherwise had had it been a more substantial cymbal. Its a trade-off for sure, and a trade-off I'd rather not make.

So in my opinion, I would never use this cymbal in a rock band, even though much of the A Custom line-up is perfect for everything from mellow rock to aggressive rock music. I would maybe check out the 14" or 15" Fast Crashes as a more splashy cymbal in the future but the 16" has no place on my kit. I could reccomend trying out this cymbal to anyone who plays more modern jazz or fusion type playing. They might appreciate the mellow sustain and punctuated "fast" crash sound of this cymbal.

I've used this cymbal off and on for a while now. Everything from the K Custom series are well-made cymbals and sound wise are a cut above your average cymbal, but the K Custom Dry Ride stands out as a great choice (if it fits your prejudices in a ride cymbal). What I like most about it is its complexity, like a fine wine. This is probably the best dry ride I've ever played, because most dry rides are too dry and bland but not this one. This cymbal IS pretty dry, but it still has some "sizzle" too it, which give it a smoky sound and dark overtones. Its mellow but not wimpy, with a very defined "ping" and a subtle shimmer underneath it. Being a dry ride, of course, it has minimal sustain but riding it hard to try and build up some "wash" and "shimmer" underneath will leave you pleasantly suprised. Its all in how you play this cymbal.
I doubt that I would play this cymbal in a very agressive rock band, but I suppose you could if you wanted to. Being a dry ride and as dark as it is, I doubt I would use it in a jazz or fusion setting either. I think the perfect situation for using this cymbal would be a progressive rock band, or a more mellower rock band where you demand some complexity in the tone of your cymbals, and still want it to cut through.
Everything in the K Custom line is going to cost you some green, but if you are looking in this price range for cymbals then you must be discriminating enough to pay K Custom prices. I doubt you would be disapointed. I don't think Sabian or even my beloved Paiste makes a dry ride to compete with this one.

I owned my Wuhan China for a couple years, I should have never let it go.

Wuhan makes the trashiest China cymbals ever! This is what a china is supposed to sound like! Zildjian, Sabian, and even my beloved Paiste have never made a China cymbal that could touch a Wuhan. The other cymbal makers make what sounds like a crash cymbal with an identity crisis, but Wuhan makes trashy, dark, explosive, punchy cymbals with low harmonic overtones, and minimal sustain! The other cymbal makers just don't have the punchiness and lower harmonic tone, and don't sound all that Oriental either. These do.
Amazing, they are dirt cheap too, everyone should own one. I had a 14" but always lusted for a 16" or even 18" for more volume. I played melodic indie rock with a hardcore/metal influence and this cymbal added a lot of character and aggressive tone to our sound. Metal drummers have known for years what a china cymbal can do for a blast beat, and I quickly learned what a good trashy China can do for heavy music, like hitting it with the snare for accented upbeats, breakdowns, or crazy accents.
They are fairly thin and its possible to crack them, but I never did and I played mine pretty hard, so my personal experience with durability is positive.
The 12" has little to no sustain, and the 14" is a little more washy sounding, and the sustain increases as you go up in size. These are such a steal at under 20 bucks for a 14" and under 30 bucks for a 16".
You will either love 'em or hate 'em but at least try one out.

I owned my 16" AAX Stage Crash for a couple years before I sold it off to another drummer.
The sound quality of the cymbal changed dramatically to my ears over the time owned it. I remember buying it and thinking it sounded great, to eventually cringing enough that I replaced it with a different brand of cymbal. I don't know if it was my partially my taste that changed or refined with time, or if it was completely the cymbal's sound degrading with time.

The finish on my AAX started out brilliant and shiny, and dulled dramatically with time, while staying set up in an air-conditioned home and only occasionally being handled to gig out. It seems like just exposure to air, natural light, and skin oils ruined turned the original brilliant finish to a dull discolored appearance, and dulled the sound as well in just a couple short years.

My AAX stage crash was punchy with minimal sustain, and fairly balanced in tone and not too bright. It was perfect for the pop punk rock band I played in as a teenager, ideal for quick syncopated crashes where it could cut through. Later as the finish dulled, it started to lose its glassy high frequencies and took on a more shril brassy sound that made me cringe.

One thing I didn't like was its light weight, as a result playing overly heavy or riding the crash were out- it flopped around like a fish. It was more like an oversized splash cymbal than a hardy crash. I had to rely on my other crash for that type of effect.

I finally grew disgruntled with this cymbal and sold it for 20 bucks to a younger drummer in need. I had only spent $80 on it but until you got into the uber expensive Hand Hammered line I thought this was the best Sabian had to offer and would serve me better than it did. I ended up going with Paiste from there on out and never looked back.

If Sabian has upped the quality of their AAX line in the last 10 years then maybe they are worth checking out, after all I did enjoy mine for a while befopre it went south on me. If finances allow it (and they did for me) I would go for the hand hammered line or not buy Sabian at all.

I owned my 2002 22" ride for a few years before sadly parting with it. I had it paired with an 18" crash from the 2002 series, and they were a match made in heaven, though I wished I could have had a 20" crash to fill it out. Paiste makes awesome cymbals, and they really shine when you get up into bigger sizes like 18"-20" crashes and 22" rides.
Some things I liked about my 22" ride were:
1) The 2002's durable finish. Fingerprint, smudges, hand oils.... never hurt the finish on this cymbal even when I was constantly setting up and breaking down without wiping the cymbals down. I can't say the same thing for the finish on a Sabian AAX crash I owned previously, which actually hurt the sound in time for that cymbal.
2) The fullness of sound- it is a thick ride, and you can get a great ping from it but theres always a moderate wash underneath the ping depending on your technique. I played further out on the edge and got a lot of volume from the wash (for a "large" sound) while still having articulation of the stick on metal cutting through the band. It was a perfect balance.
3) You can actually crash this cymbal! Even as thick as it is, with proper technique you can ride it like a crash and get a beautiful LOUD wash. I employed this alot for the indie rock band I played in.
4) Its durability. I played this cymbal heavily for a few years, never had a dent, ding, scratch, or crack. Even when playing on the edge a lot, it stood up to it. Paiste makes quality cymbals.

Things I don't like:
1) It is heavy. Not a huge deal, but due to its 22" diameter and thickness you have to be careful when putting it away. If you dropped it it would break a toe for sure.

2) The bell is a little harsh, or hard to find the sweet spot since its a bit small. If you are one of those ride-the-bell-of-the-cymbal on the chorus of the song kinda guys you might feel disapointed. I'm more of a play-it-in-the-fied kind of guy who likes moderate wash underneath a subtle ping. So it didn't bother me.

If I had to buy all new cymbals over again, I would definitely look at the 2002 line, and consider the Signature series if my $$ allowed it since I'm not playing as heavy of music as I was then. The 2002's were great for my band but were a bit much when I filled in for a church band once. The 2002's cut through and are LOUD, even though retain more sensitivity and musicality than something like the RUDE series which are aptly named.