What kind of Yammies are these?

JimmyM

Diamond Member
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This is the set Alan Myers used in Devo from 1980-82. I imagine they’re RCs, but just wanted to know if anyone knew any specifics about them.

Also…

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This was the best shot I could get of his old set when he first joined. Gretsch maybe?
 
The Yamaha kit looks like the split lug 8000 (Tour Custom) series, with the longer lug. The early lug looked a lot like a Gretsch lug. The longer version, came out in '85/'86 (I think). And I think your right on the Gretsch kit. That looks like the "Monster" double tom holder (1975-1979).
 
The Yamaha kit looks like the split lug 8000 (Tour Custom) series, with the longer lug. The early lug looked a lot like a Gretsch lug. The longer version, came out in '85/'86 (I think). And I think your right on the Gretsch kit. That looks like the "Monster" double tom holder (1975-1979).
Those are 9000 drums. You can see the ligs connected if you look closely.
I looked at several vids of them back then, and sometimes I think I see connected lugs and sometimes I think they’re split. I see a lot of 9000 lugs on sets connected, though. Damn Alan had to get black. Funny thing is I saw them twice back then and I can’t remember. I guess I was more interested in the funny looking guitars and bass back then.
 
I looked at several vids of them back then, and sometimes I think I see connected lugs and sometimes I think they’re split. I see a lot of 9000 lugs on sets connected, though.
This video, the camera sweeps over the drums @ 1:17, and the drums are certainly 9000 series.

 
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I looked at several vids of them back then, and sometimes I think I see connected lugs and sometimes I think they’re split. I see a lot of 9000 lugs on sets connected, though. Damn Alan had to get black. Funny thing is I saw them twice back then and I can’t remember. I guess I was more interested in the funny looking guitars and bass back then.
I can tell by the distance of the end of the edge of the lugs (in the middle part), these are slightly different than the 8000 lugs because o fthe metal ''bridge'' that connects the two ends.

The 8000 lugs on a 12x8 tom:
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The early 9000 split lugs from the early days (used untill 1976) on a 12x8:
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And the 9000 lug on a 12x8 as we know it today since 1977:
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I love seeing these older Yamaha's... The years of Yamaha being so cool and having incredible lug options.. All they had to do was leave the look alone more or less but they could upgrade the shells and suspension.

It is obvious to me their upper lines are struggling now and even the mid level Tour is not really in demand. . Easiest solution for the mid level IMO is to just remake that exact Tour series with the slim separate lug ( which they currently use in some of their marching drums) in the same finishes.. They would start selling drums again and create a real desire like they used to have.
 
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Thank you guys for the info…always wondered about that and glad to be so well informed by the experts!
 
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I love seeing these older Yamaha's... The years of Yamaha being so cool and having incredible lug options.. All they had to do was leave the look alone more or less but they could upgrade the shells and suspension.

It is obvious to me their upper lines are struggling now and even the mid level Tour is not really in demand. . Easiest solution for the mid level IMO is to just remake that exact Tour series with the slim separate lug ( which they currently use in some of their marching drums) in the same finishes.. They would start selling drums again and create a real desire like they used to have.
They are doing more than fine in this crowded market over the whole line-up. No struggling there.

And due to the limited resources, they even have a backlog.

I know and can see why they limited the options after 2013 (and its also part of why they can still build the great drums they build now, even from a new location).

I'm glad they kept the look of the RC (and even could add a rounded more modern twist) and the hook lug development through the years, coming from the early 60's D-series lug (that was used on the early 9000 model which can be seen above), through the Tour Custom lug, the Absolute lug, and the Nouveau lug.
 
They are doing more than fine in this crowded market over the whole line-up. No struggling there.

Nah.. I disagree totally.. They are not doing nearly as well and there is no hard desire like there was previous. . Nobody freaks out over current Yamaha pro drums.. 80's to 90's .. People freaked out and had to have them. I was one of them.

The Tour was VERY desirable decades ago.. The Tour currently has a desirability level of like 2 on a 10 scale lol

Absolute lug is ok but not nearly as cool as the slim tour or even the fatter early tour.
 
Nah.. I disagree totally.. They are not doing nearly as well and there is no hard desire like there was previous. . Nobody freaks out over current Yamaha pro drums.. 80's to 90's .. People freaked out and had to have them. I was one of them.

The Tour was VERY desirable decades ago.. The Tour currently has a desirability level of like 2 on a 10 scale lol

Absolute lug is ok but not nearly as cool as the slim tour or even the fatter early tour.
Without access to their financial information, it’s all just opinion.
 
Without access to their financial information, it’s all just opinion.

sure it is.. but observation is crystal clear to me. .. Look around.. feel it out on the forums.. You know it when you go in a drum shop and what people are talking about. . This equipment was in demand big time and people had to have it..
 
sure it is.. but observation is crystal clear to me. .. Look around.. feel it out on the forums.. You know it when you go in a drum shop and what people are talking about. . This equipment was in demand big time and people had to have it..
That means not much. I still see Yamaha drums all over the place. And they don’t seem to have a problem selling what they make. And SCs are hugely popular these days. Are they as popular now as they were in the last 40 years? Probably not, but the market is very competitive and crowded and they still hold their own.
 
That means not much. I still see Yamaha drums all over the place. And they don’t seem to have a problem selling what they make. And SCs are hugely popular these days. Are they as popular now as they were in the last 40 years? Probably not, but the market is very competitive and crowded and they still hold their own.

That means everything.. and I see Stage Custom all over.. I don't see the others.. and there is definitely no fire for Yamaha pro drums like there used to be. . It just is not there.
 
Nah.. I disagree totally.. They are not doing nearly as well and there is no hard desire like there was previous. . Nobody freaks out over current Yamaha pro drums.. 80's to 90's .. People freaked out and had to have them. I was one of them.

The Tour was VERY desirable decades ago.. The Tour currently has a desirability level of like 2 on a 10 scale lol

Absolute lug is ok but not nearly as cool as the slim tour or even the fatter early tour.
There is perseveirance and personal feel (underbelly if you want), and there is knowledge.

Im basing on what I know from my work for them.

Do with that what you want.

I do can say times have changed for all brands and Yamaha is no exception, but this doesn’t mean they are in hard times.

On the contrary.

They are still being wanted (in terms of actual sales) from the Stage to the Hybrid Models, to the RC and PHX.

They are still being used in studio’s and as backline kits (a lot of the backline companies invested in the new models as replacement for the older ones, mostly the RC and Maple Hybrids) too.

They just have much more competition, and that is a healthy thing for anyone, especially us end users.

Yes they can add more finishes over the lines, or go back to the old days in terms of builds or names.

But that isn’t profitable, not is it sustainable quality wise (one of the reasons the Absolute finishes didn’t came back for instance).

the old days will appeal to the drummers that linger in the past (I am sometimes still one of those drummers, I admit) and for us there is a florisant used market.
 
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There is perseveirance and personal feel (underbelly if you want), and there is knowledge.

Im basing on what I know from my work for them.

Do with that what you want.

I do can say times have changed for all brands and Yamaha is no exception, but this doesn’t mean they are in hard times.

On the contrary.

They are still being wanted (in terms of actual sales) from the Stage to the Hybrid Models, to the RC and PHX.

They are still being used in studio’s and as backline kits (a lot of the backline companies invested in the new models as replacement for the older ones, mostly the RC and Maple Hybrids) too.
DW and Yamaha are still the top backline rental kits by far.
 
There is perseveirance and personal feel (underbelly if you want), and there is knowledge.

I know they make a quality product and people order it and studios use it.. However there is no fiery desire for the pro level stuff compared to 80's/90's.. even into the early 2000's..

and to make sure my spidey sense is in tune.. I called 3 older drum shops .. they agreed with what I stated about the desire for the pro level stuff is definitely not as strong.
 
I hate the use of cute little nicknames for Companies like Luddy , Yammie , Slingy etc is it too much of an effort to type the proper name ?
Now that you said that, I’m doing it more often ;)
 
I know they make a quality product and people order it and studios use it.. However there is no fiery desire for the pro level stuff compared to 80's/90's.. even into the early 2000's..

and to make sure my spidey sense is in tune.. I called 3 older drum shops .. they agreed with what I stated about the desire for the pro level stuff is definitely not as strong.
Wow, that’s really wacky levels of obsession with it! It’s that important to you, eh? Ok, well you are right and we’re wrong. Yamaha is about to go out of business ;)
 
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