Yamaha Tour Custom Maple

I do enough of these little jobber gigs where my Absolute Hybrid Maple bop kit feels like overkill. These will be tempting.

Some part of me wants to just spray 'em with a couple coats of black paint or something šŸ˜³. There's something about the natural one that just kinda looks like it's waiting to be painted to me. You don't have to tell me it's a terrible idea-- I know.

Those drums sound really good to me and that bop kit video is really convincing. Love the idea of having those in cases, always ready to go to gigs.
 
A J said:
With great respect to you drummers who own and love Yamaha TCs, I didn't like them. My reasons are admittedly fickle. I unboxed a brand new kit, installed heads tapped around a little bit, and sent them back. Here's why:

1. I'm spoiled. After owning Pearl Masters, Yamaha RC and Yamaha Maple Custom Absolute the drums just felt light and unsubstantial. They felt more like Stage Customs.
2. The black finish in the photos looked fantastic. Up close, I was unimpressed.
3. I think I paid $1,400? For that amount of money, I was expecting more.
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As someone who owned a RC kit for 30 years and who owns an AHM kit, I totally understand your point.

Obviously these at this point are targeted for a different consumer than the RC's, AHM's, etc....

Though I mostly bring it as a backup, I own a TC snare (as previously mentioned) and have actually decided to use it more than a handful of times as my main snare, it worked very well and didn't feel like anything less than my RC snares (and other similar level snares I own - including non-Yamaha).
 
IBitePrettyHard said:
I've waited years for Yamaha to wake up and finally add an 18" kick! Now that they're adding the ability to purchase the 18, 20, or 22" kicks individually (and also buy a 16" floor tom separately, and an 8" tom separately), that indicates that the Tour Custom line is a success and that it makes sense financially to offer these add-ons.

They definitely won't give up on the line any time soon. That's great news in my book. I wish they had done this 3 years ago.

I have the Tour Custom in Candy Apple Satin in 10/12/13/14/16/22 sizes. It's a great kit and I've always wanted to add more drums to it despite not needing to.

I already have a Gretsch Renown shell bank (10/12/14/16 with 18/20/22 kicks). It's awesome. The perfect kit. 10/10 would buy again.

But man, I really want that 18" kick and maybe even an 8" tom. I hope they will be reasonably priced.

I don't need another shell bank
I don't need another shell bank
I don't need another shell bank
I don't need another shell bank
I don't need another shell bank
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Do you recommend the Renowns over the Tour Custom?
 
wildbill said:
Tama does have some flashier finishes, but I like everything else more on the Yamahas.
Tama doesn't make a Superstar bop kit, and I haven't seen prices yet either.
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You have to custom order but they sell an 18" kick:

LACQUER FINISHES​

  • Bass Drums​

    Model No.DiameterDepth
    CLB18RL *w/Bass Drum Lifter18"14"
    CLB20D20"16"
    CLB22RZ22"14"
    CLB22E22"18"
    CLB24D24"16"

  • Floor Toms​

    Model No.DiameterDepth
    CLF14A14"12"
    CLF14D14"14"
    CLF16A16"14"
    CLF18D18"16"

  • Tom Toms​

    Model No.DiameterDepth
    CLT8A8"7"
    CLT10R10"7"
    CLT10A10"8"
    CLT12R12"8"
    CLT12A12"9"
    CLT13A13"10"

  • Snare Drums​

    Model No.DiameterDepth
    CLS14514"5"
    CLS146514"6.5"
 
JoeVermont said:
They have added an 8" tom and an 18" kick. Coincidentally, I have a 13" on order and will definitely go back for an 8" - just to have it.
I've had my TCs for about a year and a half now, very much in ā¤ļø with them.
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I learned a lesson last year when i bought my Starclassic kit and didnt get the 8" at first. ended up getting it a few months later and had to pay more$$$.
 
RobertM said:
Do you recommend the Renowns over the Tour Custom?
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Definitely! I love my Tour Customs, they are a clean and professional sounding kit for a good price and very classy looking imho. Plus they are much lighter than the Renowns which is a great thing for gigging.

But the Renowns are on a whole different level. The tone you get from the toms when you sit behind them is quite something. You have to play them yourself to understand.

And the fit and finish are on par with USA Customs, believe it or not. You can't really tell the difference between Renowns and many top-of-the-line kits. The build quality is that good.

But I still love my Tour Customs. I expect to play a lot of gigs with them this year with the 2 bands I'm in.
 
IBitePrettyHard said:
Definitely! I love my Tour Customs, they are a clean and professional sounding kit for a good price and very classy looking imho. Plus they are much lighter than the Renowns which is a great thing for gigging.

But the Renowns are on a whole different level. The tone you get from the toms when you sit behind them is quite something. You have to play them yourself to understand.

And the fit and finish are on par with USA Customs, believe it or not. You can't really tell the difference between Renowns and many top-of-the-line kits. The build quality is that good.

But I still love my Tour Customs. I expect to play a lot of gigs with them this year with the 2 bands I'm in.
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I agree with this. Renownā€™s are a big step higher in quality but they are also sitting at about 2,000 dollars. They are a very robust build and are great drums that are extremely resonant. They literally sing.
Yamaha isnā€™t trying to compete with the Renowns with the Tours though, as I stated earlier it seems they are trying to thread a needle with a sub 1500 gig kit to keep mileage off your higher dollar kits. They would work great as a recording kit as well however.

I played my Tours last night and enjoyed the hell out of them, especially loading in and out.
Taking my Hybrids out next weekend for a bigger, higher profile gig. They tours fit that niche nicely.
 
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A J said:
Yeah. I really hate to be "that guy". We drummers have a close affection to our kits. Nobody wants to hear some clown like me dissing their pride and joy. I just didn't click with the Yamaha TCs. I SHOULD have liked them and had every reason to do so, but they didn't speak to me like other drums do.

If it makes you guys feel any better, pretty much all I play are mismatched Pearl kits. I'm weird.
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I felt that way about a set of Renowns I had a few years ago - everything about that kit should have been perfect for me, but it just didn't click.
 
JoeVermont said:
I felt that way about a set of Renowns I had a few years ago - everything about that kit should have been perfect for me, but it just didn't click.
Click to expand...
Can you go into detail?. I've got some R2's I've never gigged yet. Trust me..no feelings hurt. What didn't click for you may be down the road for me.
 
classikdrummr said:
You have to custom order but they sell an 18" kick:

LACQUER FINISHES​

  • Bass Drums​

    Model No.DiameterDepth
    CLB18RL *w/Bass Drum Lifter18"14"
    CLB20D20"16"
    CLB22RZ22"14"
    CLB22E22"18"
    CLB24D24"16"

  • Floor Toms​

    Model No.DiameterDepth
    CLF14A14"12"
    CLF14D14"14"
    CLF16A16"14"
    CLF18D18"16"

  • Tom Toms​

    Model No.DiameterDepth
    CLT8A8"7"
    CLT10R10"7"
    CLT10A10"8"
    CLT12R12"8"
    CLT12A12"9"
    CLT13A13"10"

  • Snare Drums​

    Model No.DiameterDepth
    CLS14514"5"
    CLS146514"6.5"
Click to expand...
No, the bop kit is available as set too.

TMP8F3

(18"x14" bass drum / 14ā€x13ā€ floor tom / 12ā€x8ā€ tom tom / tom clamp [CL945LB])

1706458253974.png

In sound (listening to the video with Kendrick) they remind very much of the original MC in a bop tuning. They have a killer build.

I would go for these over a Hybrid if I was looking for a bop set.
 
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Bozozoid said:
Can you go into detail?. I've got some R2's I've never gigged yet. Trust me..no feelings hurt. What didn't click for you may be down the road for me.
Click to expand...
I should start by saying the finish on these drums (natural) was gorgeous. I started falling out of love with these drums - or rather not even connecting with them - when trying to tune them up. It was a rough experience because the bearing edges on the toms were just plain awful. I thought about having them redone by a local drum builder. He convinced me to contact Sweetwater and get them swapped out - which they did. A few emails and pictures went back and forth between me and SW and Gretsch. The two new toms were certainly better but not what would call perfect. Perhaps I've just been lucky over the years, but have never had a new drum with visibly bad bearing edges - that includes the (inexpensive) Questlove kit I owned.

The sound of the Renowns was good and I certainly got compliments from band members who thought they sounded "Great."

Probably my biggest complaint about the kit is the tom mounts on the kick drum. I found I had to really reef down on the mounts to keep the toms in place - they are heavy! When it got to the point where I started to think of using channel lock pliers to further tighten them, I decided this just wasn't my bag and sold them! I got a good price and the person who purchased them loved them....soooo.... maybe after the bearing edge experience there was just no winning me back.
 
JoeVermont said:
I should start by saying the finish on these drums (natural) was gorgeous. I started falling out of love with these drums - or rather not even connecting with them - when trying to tune them up. It was a rough experience because the bearing edges on the toms were just plain awful. I thought about having them redone by a local drum builder. He convinced me to contact Sweetwater and get them swapped out - which they did. A few emails and pictures went back and forth between me and SW and Gretsch. The two new toms were certainly better but not what would call perfect. Perhaps I've just been lucky over the years, but have never had a new drum with visibly bad bearing edges - that includes the (inexpensive) Questlove kit I owned.

The sound of the Renowns was good and I certainly got compliments from band members who thought they sounded "Great."

Probably my biggest complaint about the kit is the tom mounts on the kick drum. I found I had to really reef down on the mounts to keep the toms in place - they are heavy! When it got to the point where I started to think of using channel lock pliers to further tighten them, I decided this just wasn't my bag and sold them! I got a good price and the person who purchased them loved them....soooo.... maybe after the bearing edge experience there was just no winning me back.
Click to expand...
Lifting my 8x12 up when I got them I was thinking whoa!. Your edge situation was a nightmare. Don't blame you at all. These puppies are gone!. šŸ˜Ŗ
 
JoeVermont said:
I should start by saying the finish on these drums (natural) was gorgeous. I started falling out of love with these drums - or rather not even connecting with them - when trying to tune them up. It was a rough experience because the bearing edges on the toms were just plain awful. I thought about having them redone by a local drum builder. He convinced me to contact Sweetwater and get them swapped out - which they did. A few emails and pictures went back and forth between me and SW and Gretsch. The two new toms were certainly better but not what would call perfect. Perhaps I've just been lucky over the years, but have never had a new drum with visibly bad bearing edges - that includes the (inexpensive) Questlove kit I owned.

The sound of the Renowns was good and I certainly got compliments from band members who thought they sounded "Great."

Probably my biggest complaint about the kit is the tom mounts on the kick drum. I found I had to really reef down on the mounts to keep the toms in place - they are heavy! When it got to the point where I started to think of using channel lock pliers to further tighten them, I decided this just wasn't my bag and sold them! I got a good price and the person who purchased them loved them....soooo.... maybe after the bearing edge experience there was just no winning me back.
Click to expand...

Thats unfortunate, Joeā€¦.and really disappointing on the edges. All my rn2s are very good. And i have a TC snare as wellā€¦.also quite good workmanship and qc control.

But, ever since i got my phonics, the rn2s and tc snare have stayed in the closet. Every time I check on them, i think theyā€˜ve all actually inched further back into the closet. Damn bully phonics
 
TheDrummerFromAmsterdam said:
No, the bop kit is available as set too.

TMP8F3

(18"x14" bass drum / 14ā€x13ā€ floor tom / 12ā€x8ā€ tom tom / tom clamp [CL945LB])

View attachment 143095

In sound (listening to the video with Kendrick) they remind very much of the original MC in a bop tuning. They have a killer build.

I would go for these over a Hybrid if I was looking for a bop set.
Click to expand...
The post you quoted was referring to the Superstars. They don't sell an 18/12/14 configuration, but you can order an 18" bass drum.
 
wildbill said:
The post you quoted was referring to the Superstars. They don't sell an 18/12/14 configuration, but you can order an 18" bass drum.
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Damn, thats what I wanted to know. Iā€™m kicking around adding a bop kit and since I have the TC snare already that Iā€™m not using as muchā€¦thought a 12-14-18 tc would be great with it.

Wish I could order just an 18ā€ burnt orange rn2 kick but Iā€™m betting thats not happening
 
rungeflash said:
Damn, thats what I wanted to know. Iā€™m kicking around adding a bop kit and since I have the TC snare already that Iā€™m not using as muchā€¦thought a 12-14-18 tc would be great with it.

Wish I could order just an 18ā€ burnt orange rn2 kick but Iā€™m betting thats not happening
Click to expand...

There's a lot of miscommunication in this thread. The Yamaha Tour Custom will be available as a bop kit.

Someone brought up tama superstars to muddy the waters. That one isn't available as a bop kit, but you can buy an 18" bass drum separately.
 
If anyone finds out WHEN the new Tour Custom stuff comes out, let us know in this thread.

As with most announcements like this, I would assume it'll be at least a few months?
 
wildbill said:
There's a lot of miscommunication in this thread. The Yamaha Tour Custom will be available as a bop kit.

Someone brought up tama superstars to muddy the waters. That one isn't available as a bop kit, but you can buy an 18" bass drum separately.
Click to expand...

Oh snapā€¦I missed the tama talk getting introduced into the threadā€¦my bad. Good to know a TC bop kit will be available
 
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