New kit on the way

yammyfan

yammyfan

Senior Member
I bit the bullet and took my own (and other's) advice and ordered a brand-new Stage Custom Birch kit this week. I went with the Cranberry Red finish as I think it looks terrific. Yamaha has done a great job with these new SCB kits and I really like the absolute lugs and die-cast kick drum claws. Apparently the kick drum legs have been improved as well. The DCP YouTube review from last year sealed the deal for me.

A couple of things drove me to buy new. First of all, I haven't been able to find exactly what I'm looking for on the used market and secondly, the Stage Customs are just so affordable. I really wanted a 22 inch kick drum to gig with but the only kit I own with a 22" kick is my beautiful Birch Custom Absolute set, and I don't want it to leave the house again. That kit suffered a bit under previous ownership so I'd just as soon not expose it to any more harm. The other kits I own have 20" kick drums which are okay but they only have 14" floor toms which again is okay, but I wanted something bigger and louder. The new kit includes a 14" and a 16" floor tom.

I put a couple of my smaller kits up for sale which will offset the cost of the new kit and make room in the house. I'll still have my 2nd generation Stage Custom kit to use for those times when I want a 20" kick drum, and the aforementioned BCAN kit if a premium kit is called for.

So, not really a thread asking a question or discussing a 'score'. Just wanted to share some good news with like-minded folks :) The photo below is a stock photo of the finish I chose. I think they'll look great under stage lights.

DA7385A6-AD87-49D9-A75A-260A91452AF7.jpeg
 
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Nice. I've never owned SC's, but I've certainly played them, and heard them live .... and they always deliver.
 
harryconway said:
Nice. I've never owned SC's, but I've certainly played them, and heard them live .... and they always deliver.
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Thanks! It's pretty amazing what you can get for the money these days. I'll still be in the market for a Gretsch and/or a Ludwig set eventually but for a working kit, this Stage Custom will be perfect for the job.
 
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No Way Jose said:
How long do you have to wait to get them?
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The shell pack is supposed to arrive in about three weeks. The 14" floor tom is in stock, apparently. I bought from a local drum shop.

Wish they could be here for NYE but I'm playing a punk rock gig that night and things could get out of hand. I'll use an older kit for that one!
 
yammyfan said:
Apparently the kick drum legs have been improved as well.
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I had a current generation SCB for brief stint last year, and found the kick spurs to be insufficient. Didn’t know they have been upgraded; any idea when the upgrade took place? If this is indeed true then Yamaha fixed the only real weakness IMO. Congrats on the new drums!
 
gish said:
I had a current generation SCB for brief stint last year, and found the kick spurs to be insufficient. Didn’t know they have been upgraded; any idea when the upgrade took place? If this is indeed true then Yamaha fixed the only real weakness IMO. Congrats on the new drums!
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Thanks! I don't know what was changed about the kick spurs but it was mentioned in a couple of reviews. I've got a 2nd generation Stage Custom here and if the kick drum legs are anything like that, they'll be fine.

Edit: I captured this from Amazon:

Screen Shot 2019-12-22 at 12.09.51 PM.png
 
Dont forget to file for the yamaha rebate.

I bought a shell bank of Stage Custom's in natural finish a few weeks back. I have the 22 kick, snare, 8/10/12/13 rack toms and 14/16/18 floor toms. When the GC bucks, yamaha rebate etc come in I will add the 24" kick drum and possibly the 18" as well. After the various discounts, rebats etc I was able to take advantage of the price for the kit will be exceptionally good
 
AudioWonderland said:
Dont forget to file for the yamaha rebate.

I bought a shell bank of Stage Custom's in natural finish a few weeks back. I have the 22 kick, snare, 8/10/12/13 rack toms and 14/16/18 floor toms. When the GC bucks, yamaha rebate etc come in I will add the 24" kick drum and possibly the 18" as well. After the various discounts, rebats etc I was able to take advantage of the price for the kit will be exceptionally good
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I'm in Canada. Do you think the rebate still applies?

Like you, I'll probably grab the extra toms while I still can. I might rarely use them but I'll be glad to have them, just the same.
 
The 22/14/10/12/16 base kit and the 8/14 toms were normal GC price but I got $10 GC bucks for every 50 spent so that is $190 back plus $50 in yamaha rebate. The 13/18 toms came from MF with triple reward points for about 70 bucks more. So the buy prices for these were standard, but the rebates etc will buy the 24 bass drum and several cases
 
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Thanks for sharing your thought process! I've been tempted to get a Stage Custom but haven't pulled the trigger yet. I really don't need a Stage Custom kit, but it would be nice to have whenever my Renowns or Breakbeats don't quite fit the bill.

Maybe I could buy a SC Bop kit as an upgrade for my Breakbeats?
 
Still tinkering with setups and heads. On the toms of my Classic Maple kit I play Clear G1 over Clear G1. I thought I woud try something different on the Stage Customs. I put a set of coated Ambassadors I have had in the closet since I went to Evans on the toms as batter heads and a set of clear G1's as reso heads. Its not quire right. The 8" has an odd over tone. None of them are suiting my ear. I had an 8" Clear G2 on the shelf by me so I threw that on the batter side and I am liking it better. I am not typically a 2 ply player so I may try a clear G1 as a batter as well before I try a G2 on a second tom let alone the rest of them. I don't mind the sound of the G2. Its a bit warmer than I am used to but its nice. I may opt for them on the maple kit if they are not the choice on this kit. Its due for a new set anyway. Maybe I am a legit Evans guy after all
 
Well, it appears the issue with the 8" is related to the bearing edges. They are a mess. I reached out to yamaha for a warranty replacement
 
AudioWonderland said:
Well, it appears the issue with the 8" is related to the bearing edges. They are a mess. I reached out to yamaha for a warranty replacement
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This is a troubling trend. I've heard of a few cases of people having quality control issues with their new Stage Customs. It's so very, very unlike Yamaha and something I hope they nip in the bud immediately.
 
yammyfan said:
Thanks! I don't know what was changed about the kick spurs but it was mentioned in a couple of reviews. I've got a 2nd generation Stage Custom here and if the kick drum legs are anything like that, they'll be fine.
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One of the only hardware failures I've seen on Yamaha stuff was a kick spur on a SC (the most recent previous generation). I don't remember the specifics but I think that the nut that the wing screw threads into broke from the welding inside the bracket--pretty much impossible to fix or even jerry-rig back together.
 
yammyfan said:
This is a troubling trend. I've heard of a few cases of people having quality control issues with their new Stage Customs. It's so very, very unlike Yamaha and something I hope they nip in the bud immediately.
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I am feeling compelled to look at the others now
 
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