Tama hardware vs DW vs Yamaha

Hello everyone!!!

Help me with my new kit hardware, i choose DW, Tama or Yamaha hardware for my future drum kit?

IMO, Yamaha hardware is some of the best. They have some of the best QC in the market. All hardware is lite and easy to move and strong for the weight of it, plus price point. Yamaha has been doing this for over the past forty years.
 
Last edited:
I am also starting to entertain the idea of upgrading hardware (I really cheaped out with cymbal stands especially), so I am looking forward to reading the input on this thread.
 
First off ...... what kind of kit are you planning on getting (large, small) ...... and are you gigging with it, or is it just gonna be set up at home?

Constant set up and tear down is what really kills hardware. And ..... lots of gigging might require you to think about weight issues. Carting around a 200 pound hardware bag is young mans sport;).

That said ...... I switched to Yamaha 600 & 700 single braced stands, starting about 20 years ago. Before that, I had a mix of stuff. Tama, Pearl, Ludwig, Rogers, Gibraltar, Kima ..... a lot of double-braced stuff. And now, except for some "specialty" items (like a Tama legless hi-hat, and a DW 9550 remote hi-hat), I'm pretty much a Yamaha guy.
 
First off ...... what kind of kit are you planning on getting (large, small) ...... and are you gigging with it, or is it just gonna be set up at home?

Constant set up and tear down is what really kills hardware. And ..... lots of gigging might require you to think about weight issues. Carting around a 200 pound hardware bag is young mans sport;).

That said ...... I switched to Yamaha 600 & 700 single braced stands, starting about 20 years ago. Before that, I had a mix of stuff. Tama, Pearl, Ludwig, Rogers, Gibraltar, Kima ..... a lot of double-braced stuff. And now, except for some "specialty" items (like a Tama legless hi-hat, and a DW 9550 remote hi-hat), I'm pretty much a Yamaha guy.

For now i play at home and i'm not gigging and i'll buy tama starclassic bubinga or yamaha live custom oak.
 
There's really no correct answer to this question, and all we'll be doing is stating our personal preferences.

Personally, I love Yamaha's hardware. It does exactly what it's supposed to do and furthermore, it really doesn't age. The "system" is fantastic-- parts are interchangeable in an incredibly thoughtful way. The Crosstown hardware is a delight. Some don't like the looks of it, but it's without a doubt the sturdiest of the lightweight hardware out there and I have to say-- it actually looks way better in person. I also adore the FP9C, which is the first high end pedal I've found that is better than the old Yamaha 7210.

I think Tama makes the best flat based hardware by a long shot. It's sturdy in the places where it needs to be sturdy and adjustable in the places where it needs to be adjustable. Everything in their product like is just incredibly well thought-out as well.
 
A recent thread about this topic had Yamaha 700 series getting the most recommendations, followed by Tama and then others. Yesterday I went to my.local drumshop (Raleigh's 2112 Percussion) thinking of buying all new Yamaha 700 series but they are not a Yamaha dealer. I decided to go with a full set of Tama Stagemaster single braced (three booms, snare, and hi-hat). I literally set it up yesterday and so far it's great! Lightweight but sturdy. Big improvement over my previous mix of old junk.
 
Running Tama hardware Roadpro for 20 years, absolutely nothing wrong to say about it.
 
I like Yamaha for the $/performance ratio, I like DW when I went the best and went to spend too much money. My Tama stands have been fine too, but for no reason that I can tell they are third on my depth chart.
 
Yamaha is the quality per dollar leader and they have been for a long time, at all weight ranges. Tama makes some of the best ultra-light and heavy-duty hardware out there, but in my opinion they miss in between those extremes. I strongly dislike DW hardware, and imo they rest on their popularity from the 90s, and do not deserve the fandom today.
 
Tama hardware has some nice innovations, like rotatable snare baskets, lockable hihat tilters, padded snare drum holders, etc. Yamaha is more traditional, but is made from high grade steel with titanium screws and lasts forever. I own both and highly recommend both.
 
I really like Tama Classic hardware, which are lightweight. These are a bit sturdier than DW Ultralites IME, but regular DW 6000's, or Yamaha Crosstowns, may hold up even better while still being lightweight.
 
There's really no correct answer to this question, and all we'll be doing is stating our personal preferences.
100%
This applies to all questions of this nature, there is no right answer unless you're asking about first kits then it's Stage Custom anything else is just wrong.
 
I think i go with Yamaha FP9 double pedal and Yamaha 800 series drum hardware, i'm a fan of satin finishes, i like it more than chrome hardware but i don't know nothing about Yamaha 1200 hi hat....


81HToj9o89L._AC_SL1500_.jpg
 
Yamaha.. they just seem to think things out a tiny bit better... even my 35 year old kit, the original ball mounts are still perfect and i am surprised how my toms don't have any movement our bounce at all.. i love yammy.
 
yamaha. 800 series is absolutely incredible, the quality of that series is impeccable. also there's nothing wrong with using multiple brands, i like DW pedals and yamaha stands.
 
I’ve had all three over the years.

For the past 5+ years or so I’ve used a combination of DW and Yamaha. Yamaha hi-hat, snare stand and bass drum pedals. All my cymbal stands are DW flat based 6700 & 6710 series stuff. The DW stuff has taken a beating and certainly looks like it but it still works. The Yamaha stuff still looks brand new and performs flawlessly.

Before that, I was all Tama for a long time. Pedals, thrones, all the stands. The stuff was built like a tank and weighed about as much. It always worked. No failures. To their credit, this was right before the general movement in the industry towards lighter stuff and Tama didn’t have that in their lineup to the extent that they do now.

I think if I were forced to, I would probably switch to all Yamaha, but I like the cleaner look of the flat based stuff and they don’t have that in their offerings. Not entirely sold on the Crosstown series yet, but in the continual effort to keep the weight down I do have several 655 cymbal stands (lightweight, single braced) that I like and use when needed. (Outside on windy gigs or on wobbly AF stages.)
 
Back
Top