How are yamahas

[Tater_nuts]

im lookin for new kit and i wanna know how yamahas are
i know aldridge plays them and he is one of my favorites

[harryconway]

I had a set of Recording Customs and they were great drums. About 1/2 of my hardware is Yamaha, I have 2 Flying Dragon Direct Drive pedals (beat out all other pedals I tried and I tried a lot), 2 of my kick drums are Yamaha (20x14 and 28x14), one of my main snares is a Yamaha (SSD1250A). I don't think you can go wrong with Yamaha.

[rendezvous_drummer]

The only kit I will EVER play in my life, is Yamaha!! In my opinion, and many others will agree, Yamaha is superior to any other brand. Their craftsmanship, quality, durability, SOUND, is unbelievable. The hardware is, again, the best in the world. A single braced yamaha hardware can stand up to any other companies double braced hardware (The metal used in the hardware is the same that is used on yamaha motor bikes too). Right now I have a Yamaha DP, beginner set that sounded like crap when I first got it, but thanks to the people on this website, they offered advice on heads, tuning and whatnot, now it sounds pretty damn decent. I'm saving up to buy a Maple Custom after going to my local music store and testing one of those babys out. It will definitely be the greatest kit you'll ever play, but bloody expensive it is. I cannot say a single bad thing about Yamaha. Their finishes are limited on the lower end kits, but there are some nice finishes on the higher end kits. The yamaha line basically goes like this (Lowest end to Highest end):
1) Yamaha Rydeen- Phillipine Mahogany shell. Great beginner kit.
2) Yamaha Stage Custom Advantage (Nouveau)- Mixture of Mahogany/Falkata woods with an outer ply of birch or oak. Again, the finishes on these two kits are limited.

Now these are the higher end kits (in no specific order):
1) Yamaha Oak Custom- Loud, very loud with excellent attack.
2) Yamaha Birch Custom- Very punchy with great attack. A favorite in the studio.
3) Yamaha Beech Custom- A mixture of Birch and Maple. Warm with attack.
4) Yamaha Maple Custom- Nice and warm sound. Most popular Yamaha drum, and quite possibly the most popular drum in the world.
5) Yamaha Recording Custom- Difference here is the larger tom sizes I believe.

There's also the Hipgig kits too. Seriously man, if you go with Yamaha, you will never, EVER, be disappointed. They are truly the greatest drums in the world.

[secondXheartbeat]

Originally Posted by rendezvous_drummer

The only kit I will EVER play in my life, is Yamaha!! In my opinion, and many others will agree, Yamaha is superior to any other brand. Their craftsmanship, quality, durability, SOUND, is unbelievable. The hardware is, again, the best in the world. A single braced yamaha hardware can stand up to any other companies double braced hardware (The metal used in the hardware is the same that is used on yamaha motor bikes too). Right now I have a Yamaha DP, beginner set that sounded like crap when I first got it, but thanks to the people on this website, they offered advice on heads, tuning and whatnot, now it sounds pretty damn decent. I'm saving up to buy a Maple Custom after going to my local music store and testing one of those babys out. It will definitely be the greatest kit you'll ever play, but bloody expensive it is. I cannot say a single bad thing about Yamaha. Their finishes are limited on the lower end kits, but there are some nice finishes on the higher end kits. The yamaha line basically goes like this (Lowest end to Highest end):
1) Yamaha Rydeen- Phillipine Mahogany shell. Great beginner kit.
2) Yamaha Stage Custom Advantage (Nouveau)- Mixture of Mahogany/Falkata woods with an outer ply of birch or oak. Again, the finishes on these two kits are limited.

Now these are the higher end kits (in no specific order):
1) Yamaha Oak Custom- Loud, very loud with excellent attack.
2) Yamaha Birch Custom- Very punchy with great attack. A favorite in the studio.
3) Yamaha Beech Custom- A mixture of Birch and Maple. Warm with attack.
4) Yamaha Maple Custom- Nice and warm sound. Most popular Yamaha drum, and quite possibly the most popular drum in the world.
5) Yamaha Recording Custom- Difference here is the larger tom sizes I believe.

There's also the Hipgig kits too. Seriously man, if you go with Yamaha, you will never, EVER, be disappointed. They are truly the greatest drums in the world.

Amen brother, especially the part about the hardware. In my school's marching band they had Yamaha and Gibraltar hardware for cymbal stand and clamps in the front ensemble. The gibraltar arms would loosen and fall during performances but the cheaper Yamahas stayed strong all season.

I've also found the Flying Dragon Direct Drive pedals far superior to any other pedals I've used (including ICs, Eliminators, and Janus)

[YamahaDrummerAus]

I have a Yamaha Stage Custom Advantage and boy does it rock. It sounds great, is good priced and the hardware is awesome. This is a great Mid level kit.

Yamaha is awesome, the only drums I drool over are Yamaha's and Brady's!

Yamaha Recording Customs (which I have) are birch shells and come in all kinds of sizes. I happen to have power toms ranging from 8" to 16" but they also make conventional sizes as well.

I bought mine in 1992 and at the time there was a distinct difference in the three series (Stage, Tour, Recording - RCs being the highest of the Recording series) of sets but I think that these days the lines of blurred some.

Originally Posted by rendezvous_drummer

1) Yamaha Rydeen- Phillipine Mahogany shell. Great beginner kit.
2) Yamaha Stage Custom Advantage (Nouveau)- Mixture of Mahogany/Falkata woods with an outer ply of birch or oak. Again, the finishes on these two kits are limited.

Now these are the higher end kits (in no specific order):
1) Yamaha Oak Custom- Loud, very loud with excellent attack.
2) Yamaha Birch Custom- Very punchy with great attack. A favorite in the studio.
3) Yamaha Beech Custom- A mixture of Birch and Maple. Warm with attack.
4) Yamaha Maple Custom- Nice and warm sound. Most popular Yamaha drum, and quite possibly the most popular drum in the world.
5) Yamaha Recording Custom- Difference here is the larger tom sizes I believe.

[Mr. A.C. Perkins]

Yamaha's are stellar... I got a set of Maple Custom Absolute Nouveau's about 6 months ago. Their hardware IS infallible, their shells are perfect and sing exactly how they should. (I even switched from a Pop band to a Metal band, and didn't have to change anything, tuning or otherwise). Their drums are so sweet... Also, the Product Manager for Yamaha Canada Inc. is a great guy! The after sale service is great, and they've got a good warranty... Any kit that Yamaha makes is exceptional for it's price range, but if you ever get a chance to play a set of M.C.A.N.'s, do it. It will really open your eyes :)

[Tater_nuts]

are i was looking and i think i want the yamaha recording customs but i had some questions

does it come with the tom mount ???
does it come with the holes in the bass drums as shown on yamaha.com???

and how would these heads sound on it
Remo pinstripes on batter and clear ambassador on resonant heads of toms
Remo ambassadors snare
Remo powerstroke 3 bass drums

You rarely hear anyone say anything bad about Yamahas now do you? There is a reason!

They aren't very flashy and not really popular in the pop-rock circles, but they are insanely popular with the musicians of the highest caliber (just look at the artist roster). I think the best part about Yamaha is that they don't have a "sell-out" model. That is to say, they don't make a gimmicky pop culture model that is cheap and not very good. What they do make is drums that are pretty cheap, yet great, such as Stage Customs.

If there were one downside to Yamaha I would say it is their steel snares. For $100 or so I can find much better snares from other companies.

[AllTheCoolNamesAreTaken]

I have a Yamaha Maple Custom Absolute. When I first got it, I was a bit antsy. I really wanted a Ludwig Classic Maple set but I got a great deal on the Yamaha set used.

Now I love my Yamaha set. I don't know if I bought a Gretsch if I'd say the same thing (high-end drums are all good, it's just a matter of taste). But you will not go wrong with Yamaha. It will sound good.

One minor caveat: if it matters to you, check your bearing edges when you get the kit. Yamaha has a bad rep for releasing most of their kits with uneven bearing edges. If you catch it you can get it fixed under warranty (although their customer service, in my experience, leaves a lot to be desired).

And as for heads: I tried Evans G2 coated/clear, Evans G1, and Aquarian Studio X. Never got the sound I wanted. So then I tried Remo Coated Emperor's over Ambassadors and I don't think I'll ever put different heads on my toms. With just a touch of moongel the sound is deep, loud, melodious, and amazing.

So Yamaha+Remo=thumbs up from me.

[rendezvous_drummer]

Yea I double check the RC's and BCA's and yea the only difference is the thickness in shells, and the high tension lugs.

[Drum-Head]

Originally Posted by Stu_Strib

You rarely hear anyone say anything bad about Yamahas now do you? There is a reason!

They aren't very flashy and not really popular in the pop-rock circles, but they are insanely popular with the musicians of the highest caliber (just look at the artist roster). I think the best part about Yamaha is that they don't have a "sell-out" model. That is to say, they don't make a gimmicky pop culture model that is cheap and not very good. What they do make is drums that are pretty cheap, yet great, such as Stage Customs.

If there were one downside to Yamaha I would say it is their steel snares. For $100 or so I can find much better snares from other companies.

There is one thing though that you will often hear about Yamaha's, and that concerns their kick drums. I've always heard people say how good the Yamaha's are, then say "but the kick drums are a bit weak." The brand is known for this "issue."

That's the only sort of negative thing I've hear about them over the years (people saying they don't like the "Kendo" vibe don't count 'cause that's pure subjective taste, which is their right)


Regards,
Christopher.

If Motor Trend gave out one of those "Car of the year" awards (with those precision calipers in chrome) for drums, Yamaha would get it.

Other drums have gimmicks and such, but Yamaha's drums have a musicality that few others approach.

I want to try a beech kit, but I may have to drive to Calgary or Seattle to do so.

[konaboy]

I love my Yamaha's!! Like was said earlier, quality and construction are great and the hardware is some of the best in the industry!!

As far as getting an RC kit and putting pins on that seems a little counterproductive, you're killing the beautiful tones that kit was made to produce. G2, Emperors, (clear or even coated versions of those) over a single ply or even Ambassadors or G1's on top. To spend that kind of money and muffle the drum you'd be better off saving some cash and buying a lower end kit.

I've heard this and I think it's complete nonsense. Someone needs to explain this to me because I don't understand what they're talking about. The only way I would accept this is if the comment was made because the drums were in a small, closed room, which is known to stiffle any drum. I've had my RCs in some big rooms and I certainly was impressed with the bass drum's power.

Originally Posted by Drum-Head

There is one thing though that you will often hear about Yamaha's, and that concerns their kick drums. I've always heard people say how good the Yamaha's are, then say "but the kick drums are a bit weak." The brand is known for this "issue."

Regards,
Christopher.

[Drum-Head]

Originally Posted by mlehnertz

I've heard this and I think it's complete nonsense. Someone needs to explain this to me because I don't understand what they're talking about. The only way I would accept this is if the comment was made because the drums were in a small, closed room, which is known to stiffle any drum. I've had my RCs in some big rooms and I certainly was impressed with the bass drum's power.

Like I said, I've heard this often, but I do not really understand it either. Maybe I just don't have the ears...

In any case, that will not stop me from buying and still using my Yamaha drums and harware. The only other brand I'd go for out of my own pocket would be Trick drums... Unless I get a sponsorship. Hey, brand representants I'm here!!!!

Ok I haven't slept yet it's bed time for me...

[Guillermo]

I have a Yamaha Mape Custom... And am familiar with the whole line of models.

And I agree all top quality models from many brands deliver.

yet I believe a few things stand out about Yamaha... first off their build quality, doesn't matter if it's a Stage Custom or a Maple Custom Absolute, they are all made with the exact measurements and craftsmanship on thir small plant... all models are made there.

Also they are not a brand that follows trends and fads... they stick to their guns... they don't just change things around... it's all there for a reason... sort of like the Porsche of drums... extreme performance, reliability and engineering quality, improving upon succesful designs.

They are innovative... the first to make quality Birch drums, with their "recording" line... as succesful an influential a drum product as we've had in 50 years... also the Maple Custom wich included so many innovations, like cross lamiated plies, small machined lugs at nodal point, timbre matching, hardware dampers... also stuff like OAK drums... even Bamboo snare drums.

My kit has a 20"x14" bass drum... and it is a CANNON... I used to have a maple Ludwig classic with a 24" and thi drum has more bottom... more tuneability... better tone, better projection and better sustain.

Wich brings forth the last comment... musicality and tuneability... top of the line Yammies are some of the most versatile drumming tools available.

Another fabulous bass drum.

Originally Posted by Guillermo

I used to have a maple Ludwig classic with a 24" and thi drum has more bottom... more tuneability... better tone, better projection and better sustain.

Originally Posted by Drum-Head

There is one thing though that you will often hear about Yamaha's, and that concerns their kick drums. I've always heard people say how good the Yamaha's are, then say "but the kick drums are a bit weak." The brand is known for this "issue."

This is exactly 180 degrees from what I've experienced in 20+ years of drumming. No offense, but I would say that the kick drums are the BEST thing about Yamaha.

I've never heard anyone speak of this "issue" until you just now brought it up! The main reason I play Yamaha now is because my cheapie $400 Stage Custom kick drum sounded so much better than more more spendy Pearl Session Maple Custom kit.

Anyone else ever hear of this claim? Or better yet, has anyone ever experienced this in real life (i.e. first hand?) I was a drum tech for a sound company, and we probably did 200 gigs in 3 years, and I never had kick drum issues with Yamahas.

Dave Weckl sure has a nice kick drum sound (as well as about a billion other Yamaha guys).

Oh yeah, and my 22x18 maple custom absolute with a coated emad and a EC3 ported/coated head with no muffling is worth 5x the price of admission (I got my 5 piece for $1000 on eBay).

[Drum-Head]

Originally Posted by Stu_Strib

This is exactly 180 degrees from what I've experienced in 20+ years of drumming. No offense, but I would say that the kick drums are the BEST thing about Yamaha.

I've never heard anyone speak of this "issue" until you just now brought it up! The main reason I play Yamaha now is because my cheapie $400 Stage Custom kick drum sounded so much better than more more spendy Pearl Session Maple Custom kit.

Anyone else ever hear of this claim? Or better yet, has anyone ever experienced this in real life (i.e. first hand?) I was a drum tech for a sound company, and we probably did 200 gigs in 3 years, and I never had kick drum issues with Yamahas.

Dave Weckl sure has a nice kick drum sound (as well as about a billion other Yamaha guys).

Oh yeah, and my 22x18 maple custom absolute with a coated emad and a EC3 ported/coated head with no muffling is worth 5x the price of admission (I got my 5 piece for $1000 on eBay).

Stu,


Like I said a bit further up, I do not know exactly what it is about nor do I understand, but whether it's on the local scene, or accross Internet, I have heard this very often. I'm just as interested as you are to fully get this.


Yamahalistacally,
Christopher.

oops, yeah, saw that you already addressed it shortly after I hit "submit".

Still, that is a new one to me (and a fallacy).

[finnhiggins]

It's all because of the Recording Custom. RC bass drums are lousy.

Originally Posted by finnhiggins

It's all because of the Recording Custom. RC bass drums are lousy.

I quite like Steve Gadd's deadish-overstuffed sounding 70s thud, and Carter Beaufords sound pretty good too. But yeah, I prefer the Maple Custom kick (and even the Stage Custom, to an extent) to the RCs anyday. I've never actually played RC's though, so I can only go off of live performances from other players.

[Bttl]

Well i loved the sound of Jimmy Chamberlins Bass drum when i saw him play at Drum Fest. He was using a subkick aswell and sounded ace. Accented his single pedal skills really well.

[anc510]

I have a set of a older stage custom advantages and they are simply amazing. I also have the Yamaha Musashi snare (the 6.5x13) and I love it. I love the sound of my bass drum and I have the stock head still on it... with that Remo patch thing. I bought the set used and I loved the bass drum sound so much I kept that head. I replaced all the other heads, I got Evans EC2 in my toms and decided to repalce my resonant side heads with Evans Genera Resonant... My toms sound absoloutley amazing in my opinion. On my snare I have Evans Genera G2 coated on top and on snare side Evans Hazy 300, and my snare sounds great. I can't say anything about the hardware because I have mostly Gibraltar and one Percussion Plus boom stand. Except my tom mount.. which is great... very sturdy and easy to adjsut and position exactly where you want it. But my instructor has all Yamaha drums and hardware and it seems really sturdy for being only single braced. So yeah overall... Yamaha is the way to go in my opinion. BTW the drums are all standard sizes.

[Fat Elvis]

Originally Posted by rendezvous_drummer

The only kit I will EVER play in my life, is Yamaha!! In my opinion, and many others will agree, Yamaha is superior to any other brand. Their craftsmanship, quality, durability, SOUND, is unbelievable. The hardware is, again, the best in the world. A single braced yamaha hardware can stand up to any other companies double braced hardware (The metal used in the hardware is the same that is used on yamaha motor bikes too). Right now I have a Yamaha DP, beginner set that sounded like crap when I first got it, but thanks to the people on this website, they offered advice on heads, tuning and whatnot, now it sounds pretty damn decent. I'm saving up to buy a Maple Custom after going to my local music store and testing one of those babys out. It will definitely be the greatest kit you'll ever play, but bloody expensive it is. I cannot say a single bad thing about Yamaha. Their finishes are limited on the lower end kits, but there are some nice finishes on the higher end kits. The yamaha line basically goes like this (Lowest end to Highest end):
1) Yamaha Rydeen- Phillipine Mahogany shell. Great beginner kit.
2) Yamaha Stage Custom Advantage (Nouveau)- Mixture of Mahogany/Falkata woods with an outer ply of birch or oak. Again, the finishes on these two kits are limited.

Now these are the higher end kits (in no specific order):
1) Yamaha Oak Custom- Loud, very loud with excellent attack.
2) Yamaha Birch Custom- Very punchy with great attack. A favorite in the studio.
3) Yamaha Beech Custom- A mixture of Birch and Maple. Warm with attack.
4) Yamaha Maple Custom- Nice and warm sound. Most popular Yamaha drum, and quite possibly the most popular drum in the world.
5) Yamaha Recording Custom- Difference here is the larger tom sizes I believe.

There's also the Hipgig kits too. Seriously man, if you go with Yamaha, you will never, EVER, be disappointed. They are truly the greatest drums in the world.

i think Yamaha Drums are fantastic... i have yet to hear anythign bad about them whatsoever. There are a lot of people on this board that have many years experience with Yamaha and many kits in which to pull opinions from.

And I am not sure of your personal history with Yamaha drums, but with all due respect -- having a Yamaha DP and making the statement that Yamaha's are the best drums in the world based on you owning a DP is like someone saying they own a Pacific EZ and they think DW Collectors Series are the finest in the world based on their ownership.

I just have a hard time drawing the line between a DP and an MCAN.

[moe.ron]

yeah i never really liked the rc bass drum. i first started really paying attention the second time i watched weckls back to basics and i thought it sounded completely dead. all other bass drums i've heard of yamahas are fantastic

And Tiger Woods' wife does porn and Mikey, the kid in the Life Cereal commercials blew up from eating Pop Rocks and drinking Coke.

As for the local scene, ask the players that actually own Yamahas not the ones "that heard it from someone". And we all know how accurate the Internet is. There's probably a Wikipedia entry about Yamahas having lousy bass drums and we all know how much of an authority Wikipedia is. The dudes that make these stories up are jealous that they DON'T have Yamahas and make up reasons for not having them.

Originally Posted by Drum-Head

Stu,

Like I said a bit further up, I do not know exactly what it is about nor do I understand, but whether it's on the local scene, or accross Internet, I have heard this very often. I'm just as interested as you are to fully get this.

Yamahalistacally,
Christopher.

[finnhiggins]

As the owner of a Recording Custom I feel happy going on the record as hating the bass drums. Not just my one, I've tried various others in stores or on school kits. If they ever sound good it's because of careful head selection, mics and EQ, not the acoustic sound of the drums as far as I can find out. You can make them sound better with the right heads and tuning, but compared to other drums they're a real hassle to get a good sound out of. Can be done, but not easy.

To make a point, I prefer the bass drum on my Rydeen. Enough that I've not taken the RC bass drum to *anything* since buying the Rydeen, even if I took the toms.

[rendezvous_drummer]

Originally Posted by Fat Elvis

i think Yamaha Drums are fantastic... i have yet to hear anythign bad about them whatsoever. There are a lot of people on this board that have many years experience with Yamaha and many kits in which to pull opinions from.

And I am not sure of your personal history with Yamaha drums, but with all due respect -- having a Yamaha DP and making the statement that Yamaha's are the best drums in the world based on you owning a DP is like someone saying they own a Pacific EZ and they think DW Collectors Series are the finest in the world based on their ownership.

I just have a hard time drawing the line between a DP and an MCAN.

Oh no man, I'm not basing my opinions on the DP. I've played on every recent Yamaha kit except for the Tour Custom, and I have played on many other brands kits, and they don't compare to Yamaha drums imo.

[Fat Elvis]

Originally Posted by rendezvous_drummer

Oh no man, I'm not basing my opinions on the DP. I've played on every recent Yamaha kit except for the Tour Custom, and I have played on many other brands kits, and they don't compare to Yamaha drums imo.

cool -- sounds like you have done your homework. They are defenately nice drums. :)

[rendezvous_drummer]

Originally Posted by Fat Elvis

cool -- sounds like you have done your homework. They are defenately nice drums. :)

Haha ohhhhh yeaaaaa man! I sure have done my homework on drums.

This is probably just a matter or preference as I've got my Ludwig maple and RC tuned the exact same way and they sound nearly the same. Ludwig is boomier and the Yamaha is punchier. I think they both sound fantastic in any room.

I've got a Pinstripe that is tightened enough to keep the tension rods snug and a wool blanket in each. The only difference between the two bass drums is the Ludwig has an old Ludwig logo head w/o a hole and the Yamaha has the hole in the center.

Originally Posted by finnhiggins

As the owner of a Recording Custom I feel happy going on the record as hating the bass drums. Not just my one, I've tried various others in stores or on school kits. If they ever sound good it's because of careful head selection, mics and EQ, not the acoustic sound of the drums as far as I can find out. You can make them sound better with the right heads and tuning, but compared to other drums they're a real hassle to get a good sound out of. Can be done, but not easy.

[Drum-Head]

Originally Posted by mlehnertz

And Tiger Woods' wife does porn and Mikey, the kid in the Life Cereal commercials blew up from eating Pop Rocks and drinking Coke.

As for the local scene, ask the players that actually own Yamahas not the ones "that heard it from someone". And we all know how accurate the Internet is. There's probably a Wikipedia entry about Yamahas having lousy bass drums and we all know how much of an authority Wikipedia is. The dudes that make these stories up are jealous that they DON'T have Yamahas and make up reasons for not having them.

No need to take things that way, it's not that important. As long as you know what you like, then everything is cool. The local scene "words" on Yamaha's kicks actually did come from either guys owning the brand's drums or guys who have the experience and knowledge to comment on such things, I just never got in to discussing the matter with them. I don't see why they would be "jealous", actually I doubt they care one bit.

Yay for Yamaha!


Regards,
Christopher.

[Drum-Head]

Originally Posted by finnhiggins

It's all because of the Recording Custom. RC bass drums are lousy.

Ah! Okay, thank's for redirecting us on the issue Finn!

Well at least I can look more impartial by telling people that one bad thing about Yamaha is the RC kick drums ;-)

I wonder how much of that has to do with the 7" hole cut in the front bass drum head? Has anyone stuck a standard head on there, like an EQ3 and heard a difference?

Also, aren't most RC kicks only 17" deep (22" model) instead of the 18" on "most" of the MCA/BCA/BCA (second B for beech)

22x16 - 2" deeper than "traditional" bass drums. Their complaints probably come from tuning - or lack of tuning. The hole in the head may have something to do with it but again, I really like the way the bass drum sounds.

Originally Posted by Stu_Strib

Also, aren't most RC kicks only 17" deep (22" model) instead of the 18" on "most" of the MCA/BCA/BCA (second B for beech)

[finnhiggins]

I'm fairly sure my RC is 22x18, although other RC 22" drums I've tried have seemed shallower.

It's not the logo head - I took that off ages ago. Replacing that helped a bit, but still not enough to bring the drum into line with what I'd expect. I've tried all manner of heads on it - everything from an Ambassador through a PS3 to an EQ3, EQ4, Superkick II and have eventually settled on an Aquarian Modern Vintage with a Jack DeJohnette on the other side (no hole). This gives a reasonable boomy Bonham sound, but it's still nothing like a great-sounding bass drum - very boxy and bangy compared to other drums with similar head setup.

"Bangy" is the main word I'd use to describe the RC bass drum. A lot of mid-range "bang", not a lot of low end "oomph".

By contrast, my Rydeen sounds fine with either the PS3-alike that shipped with it or the Fiberskyn that I've tried on it since. The latter is a bit more bop-kit like, the former a bit punchier, but both options sound a lot better than the RC.

EDIT: Oh, and every other Yamaha bass drum line I've ever tried (Stage Custom, MCA, MCAN, Maple Custom, Beech Custom, Oak Custom...) has sounded better than any of my attempts with the RC just with the factory heads in a store. The only other drums I've heard sounding like mine with factory heads were... RCs!

[wnameth]

the recording customs are the best drums ive ever played. And the stage customs are not far off for the bass drum sound. The bass drum is amazing on any kit, even the Rydeen although its not as good as the stage. The toms are really nice, i just ordered a 6 piece stage custom set with the natural finish. 10,12,14,16,22 Really nice kit for under 1000 Canadian.

-Wes

[Supersteve]

The only way to get the "Bodam" sound is to use the smae size, same wood, etc.. Bodam used.