Recording Customs?

Leaky Johnson

Senior Member
Howdy all,
I just played a festival type show with the backline provided. The kit I played was a Yamaha 10,12,16,20 that was old and sorta beat up. It was a maroon lacquer with what appeared to be sharp 45 degree bearing edges. There was no description on the badges, (i.e. Stage Custom or Recording Custom), only 'Yamaha' and the serial #. It came with what appeared to be a 14x5 steel or chromed snare. It sounded crap so I used my own. Any idea what this beasty was?
 
Sound like Stage Custom or Stage Custom Advantage.
 
What did the badges look like and what did the lugs look like? Both RC and Stage series mostly had the stretch lugs. The badges you are describing actually sound more like RC. They would be about 1" x 3" and beige or pinkish backround with black printing. The badge corners would be rounded. The interiors would be stained red and the finish would be a glossy Cherrywood lacquer.

Most of the Stage, Stage Custom or Advantage badges would be square or odd shaped and say "Stage Custom" etc on the badge. The interiors on any of the Stage series would be a natural color, unstained.
 
Yeah, you pretty much described the badges...sorta goldish with black print. The interiors were not stained, but I couldn't tell if they were lacquered or not. This kit struck me a pretty old...say late 80's/early 90's and was beat up pretty good. The sizes did look square though or a bit less, but I only used the 10, 16 and 20 for the gig. The bass was probably a 16 in depth.
The hardware was pretty rusty and scratched up. The bass drum claws were the type where the rod's key end (square bit)sticks out in front of the part that holds the hoop. It required a key to adjust, not like old Luddies or Rogers stuff. It had 2.3mm triple flanged hoops on the toms.
 
If the shell interiors were not stained, they are not RC's. Yamaha did make a line back in the 80's called Recording Standard. They were the same shells as RC, but the interiors weren't stained and they had a wrapped finish. Maroon was one of the colors offered. If they were maroon wrap with the stretch lugs and RC type badge, they were probably Recording Standard. Here is the type of badge I'm talking about. Also, if the kick had the original hoops, the Recording Standard hoops were natural with no inlay. If the lugs were not stretch lugs, they could have been Tour Series. Tour Series kick drum had black hoops with inlay that matched the wrap and had the same badges as pictured.

In fact, to confuse the issue, all of the Yamaha lines back in the day used these badges. But, after a time, only the RC's had them.
 

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RC's look like this.​
 

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Yes and yes! The drums I played were almost identical to the Recording Customs shown, except they were maroon lacquered and scratched to hell. Identical hardware etc. I am 99% positive that they weren't coloured or stained on the inside but.... The badges were exactly like the ones shown.
It was tuned like complete crap so it took me a bit to dial it in. I suppose that goes with the close micing thing, but it was unplayable to my mind as it sat. Didn't take much, mind you. Very easy to get a decent sound and good separation from it. I would have liked more time, but you know how it is at festivals.
 
Yes and yes! The drums I played were almost identical to the Recording Customs shown, except they were maroon lacquered and scratched to hell. Identical hardware etc. I am 99% positive that they weren't coloured or stained on the inside but.... The badges were exactly like the ones shown.
It was tuned like complete crap so it took me a bit to dial it in. I suppose that goes with the close micing thing, but it was unplayable to my mind as it sat. Didn't take much, mind you. Very easy to get a decent sound and good separation from it. I would have liked more time, but you know how it is at festivals.

All of the RC kits had stained interiors. If the kit was a solid maroon finish with a clear interior, the kit was a Recording Standard as I mentioned in a previous post. And, the finish would be a wrap not a lacquer - Yamaha never made a solid lacquer in maroon. If the finish was 'see through,' in other words you can see wood grain, then the only finish in RC that would be close, would be Cherrywood. But, all Yamaha Cherrywood RC's had a cherry red stained interior.

Yamaha didn't make the Recording Standards for very long - only a couple of years, after which they just produced the RC's. Harry's kit below is technically a Recording Standard kit. The Standards came in a natural, un-lacquered finish or in several wrap offerings - black, white, maroon or rarely found navy blue. They also made a natural finish which had clear lacquer coating, which was part of the RC line. The Recording Customs and Recording Standards were identical, except for the exterior and interior finish. The shells and hardware were identical.

If you were posing your question out of curiosity, then you have your answer. If you are asking because you want to buy a kit, there are always used RC kits floating around. Yamaha isn't making them anymore, but rumor has it they may start up this line again at some point, but they will be made in China. Truthfully, if you like the quality of the kit you played, you couldn't go wrong in buying any of the higher end made in Japan Yamaha lines. RC, Maple Custom, Beech Custom, Birch Custom Absolute, Maple Custom Absolute, Beech Custom Absolute, Oak Custom, Club Custom are all quality lines and would be fine drums to own.
 
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And to add:
''hey also made a natural finish which had clear lacquer coating, which was part of the RC line.''

This one didn't had a oil rubbed finish in the inside, like the Recording Standard.

I had these for a while:
472594_10201132144565340_755231335_o.jpg


I also had Standard series in Solid Black Wrap:
267832_2266212454401_572143_n.jpg


Ps.

It seems Yamaha did made some RC's without stained insides:
rec_cust_front.jpg

The rack toms have the rubbed black oil, but when we look at the floor...
 
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Interesting. Thanks for the replies all. No, I'm not really interested in buying a kit, I was just interested to hear everyone's thoughts.
The kit was definitely a lacquer, probably the Cherrywood one, as there were scratches and gouges on it that went to the bare wood. You could make out the grain underneath too.
I am almost certain that the interiors were clear though. I wonder if they would have had different methods from country to country. I'm in Australia.
Anyway, thanks again!
 
Interesting. Thanks for the replies all. No, I'm not really interested in buying a kit, I was just interested to hear everyone's thoughts.
The kit was definitely a lacquer, probably the Cherrywood one, as there were scratches and gouges on it that went to the bare wood. You could make out the grain underneath too.
I am almost certain that the interiors were clear though. I wonder if they would have had different methods from country to country. I'm in Australia.
Anyway, thanks again!

From that description it's definitely a Stage Custom. All cheerywood RC 9000 kits have a brown stained interior.

Incidentally, at least quartz grey and red lacquered 9000s are stained black inside. Used to have a lovely quartz grey bass drum with a black interior.
 
From that description it's definitely a Stage Custom. All cheerywood RC 9000 kits have a brown stained interior.

Incidentally, at least quartz grey and red lacquered 9000s are stained black inside. Used to have a lovely quartz grey bass drum with a black interior.

Generally, I would agree. Lacquered exterior with clear interior points to Stage Custom. However, the badges would be different than OP is saying. In the early 80's, when Yamaha used those beige badges on all of their lines, there was no Stage Custom. There was a Stage Series, which were wrapped. They only had one finish that was unwrapped, and that was like a chestnut color, like this pic. Plus they didn't have the one piece lug on the Stage Series back then. The lugs in the pic show the original Stage Series lug.

Seems like there is too much conflicting info. When Yamaha starting making the Stage Custom, the badges were square with a black backround and they said 'Stage Custom' in white letters. A picture is worth 1000 words, as they say. Without a pic, its tough to pinpoint what this kit was.
 

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My former Recording Custom came with clear interiors. The Endorser I bought these from ordered it with clear interiors and aluminum Diecast hoops.
 

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My former Recording Custom came with clear interiors. The Endorser I bought these from ordered it with clear interiors and aluminum Diecast hoops.

Those are a custom ordered one-off. They are finished in Apple Sparkle Fade, which was an Absolute finish. They are basically a Birch Custom Absolute with RC lugs and badges, so can't be compared to the kit the OP played as far as determining what they were. I suppose that kit could also have been a custom order, but no way to tell.
 
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