In the world of percussion, certain names resonate deeply. Known as Drumming’s Global Ambassador, Dom Famularo was among the most influential and beloved drummers, teachers and motivators in the world. A SABIAN artist since 1985, Dom was synonymous with the company, sharing our passion for artistry, dedication to craft, and family. In that spirit, we’re thrilled to honor our longtime friend and partner with the all new 20″ HHX Dominator China.
Dom famously played his Chinas aggressively. By striking the edges of his HHX China cymbals from both sides in succession, he actually removed tension from their lips. This would warp the edges, giving each cymbal its distinctive, wavy appearance and creating a dark, trashy, fast sounding instrument. By applying a special lathing process to the top of the Dominator, SABIAN’s artisans were able to emulate this effect and design the 20” HHX Dominator Chinese after Dom’s played cymbal.
“This is a catalog model now, and all the drummers that Dom inspired over the years and decades will love to have this cymbal,” said Mark Love, former SABIAN Director of Research and Development. “It’s made the same way his HHX China was, with the raw bell and the larger HHX hammering. And then we added some steps to reduce the tension on the lip, so we could capture the character that he created by playing a cymbal for all those years, by loosening that edge and adding that trashiness and a little bit of the dirt and aggressiveness that his older cymbals created.”
By warping the edges at the Factory, SABIAN’s skilled artisans have captured the essence of Dom’s iconic sound. Along with the warped edges, the Dominator’s raw bell and HHX hammering make for a freer, trashier instrument that opens up fast for a quick, dark attack.
“I think this model really represents Dom’s legacy,” Love said. “That you may start with one instrument and you can actually turn it into another by the way you play. Play with passion, play with aggressiveness. It’s hard to put it all into words but be true to yourself and be honest and you’ll be successful.”