What genres and playing styles is the Paragon Chinese best suited for?

The Paragon Chinese excels in rock, progressive, and hard-rock contexts—both live and in the studio. Its dark, agitated tone and dynamic range make it less suited to jazz, folk, or worship applications. Intermediate, advanced, and professional drummers will find it most rewarding.

How responsive is this cymbal, and what does that mean for my playing?

The Paragon Chinese is extremely responsive and activates effortlessly under light contact—a single finger can bring it to a roar. This sensitivity gives you precise control over dynamics and makes subtle articulations easy to capture, whether live or recording.

What is the weight range, and will it affect how the cymbal feels?

The Paragon Chinese weighs between 1075g and 1376g, with a typical median of 1251g. The extremely thin profile and steeply angled bow contribute to its open, easy-to-activate response across this range.

How does the Paragon Chinese compare to other china cymbals?

The Paragon Chinese sits alongside models like the Zildjian K Custom Hybrid China, Paiste PST X China, and Meinl Soundcaster Fusion China. Its defining strengths are its extreme thinness, small bell, and aggressive HHX super-sized hammering, which create exceptional sensitivity and dirty overtones ideal for modern rock and progressive applications.

What makes this cymbal special, and why was it designed with Neil Peart?

Neil Peart collaborated on the Paragon Chinese to achieve a dark, responsive character with wide dynamic range—qualities he spent years developing. The cymbal combines techniques from Sabian's AA, AAX, and HH series, resulting in a uniquely sensitive and characterful china that remains in production since 2004.

Sabian 19" Paragon Chinese

This cymbal responds with remarkable sensitivity—bring it to a roar using just a finger. The 19" Paragon Chinese is an extremely thin cymbal with a very small bell and steeply angled bow that delivers a dark, agitated character designed in collaboration with legendary Rush drummer Neil Peart. Built from pure B20 bronze with aggressive HHX super-sized hammering, it offers the dynamic responsiveness and musicality that Peart spent years seeking.

Construction & Design

Handcrafted from pure Sabian B20 bronze, the Paragon Chinese features an innovative mix of sound-defining techniques drawn from the AA, AAX, and HH series. The wide flanged lip with aggressive HHX super-sized hammering creates maximum sensitivity and an open response that activates effortlessly even under light contact—ideal for capturing nuanced cymbal textures in the studio.

Tone & Character

The response is very open and easy to activate, delivering a dirty, agitated sound with dark overtones that cuts through dense mixes without muddiness. This cymbal excels in recording sessions demanding dynamic range and powerful projection without sacrificing control at lower volumes, making it equally effective for intimate acoustic tracking and aggressive electric work.

Key Features

19" Chinese cymbal size
Pure Sabian B20 bronze construction
Extremely thin profile with very small bell
Short, steeply angled bow
Wide flanged lip with aggressive HHX super-sized hammering
Weight range: 1075g–1376g (median 1251g)
Highly responsive and easy to activate
Dark, agitated tone character
Designed in collaboration with Neil Peart
Production period: 2004–Present
Protected by Sabian two-year warranty

The Paragon Chinese delivers the dark, responsive character that defines modern China cymbal performance across studio recording and live applications.

Condition	New
Cymbal Size	19"
Cymbal Type	Crash
Country of Manufacture	Canada