The Yamaha Stage Custom Hierarchy?

[gdmoore28]

I go for the first long lugs, in a second over the newer ones (if they’d made then in fast sizes that was).

They did feautured birch in it too.
Birch/mahogany/falkata.

A serious RC killer too (some pro’s even preferred this model kick over the RC kick)

The newer lugs are the cheaper models compared to the Absolute lugs (pot opposed to cast) and the Yess mount on the second before la is a cheaper one too which will wobble over time.

"Pot metal" IS cast metal. I owned a long-lug set of Stage Customs before buying my Recording Customs. Believe me, the SCs could not compare to the RCs, not even in the bass drum sound. The long-lug SCs were nothing to write home about. The new birch SCs are quite good.

GeeDeeEmm

 

[DutchDrummersDreams]

"Pot metal" IS cast metal. I owned a long-lug set of Stage Customs before buying my Recording Customs. Believe me, the SCs could not compare to the RCs, not even in the bass drum sound. The long-lug SCs were nothing to write home about. The new birch SCs are quite good.

GeeDeeEmm

Each to each own.

My info gathered from my own, other players, Yamaha artist and rehearsal room renting companies experiences is solid.

You might had a different experience, but the first long lug stage custom was build rock solid with a great tone. Something the last before one SC birch was lacking.

 

[Yamaha Rider]

Nice pictures, but there is an older model which doesn't have the Yess mount - the bracket is bolted straight onto the shell, with a hole drilled for the hex rod to extend inside the drum. It has the long lugs.

In terms of a hierarchy - avoid the plastic lugs. They break.

Plastic lugs on a Yamaha? Were they nuts? Love that early metalwork! I got one too.

 

[DutchDrummersDreams]

Plastic lugs on a Yamaha? Were they nuts? Love that early metalwork! I got one too.

Light composite carbon quick release Nouveau lugs.

They worked great and made for a great gig kit because of the weight. But they broke mostly because of the higher tuning some people preferred.

Yamaha quit the production and released other options.

They ended up with a lighter (more affordable version) of the Absolute lug, which looked the same from the outside.

 

[yammyfan]

I never cared for the high tension lugs on the first generation Stage Customs and I don't like them on the Recording Customs either. Just too much metal on the shell for my liking. I have no doubt that they sound good though.

I own a 2nd generation Stage Custom Standard in matte natural finish, made in Indonesia. Truly a fantastic sounding kit and the matte natural finish is timeless. Excellent materials and construction.

I'm also fortunate to own a current generation Stage Custom Birch (4 months old) and they are amazing. Hard to do an apples-to-apples comparison between the two because my current generation kit has a bigger kick and shallower toms but I'm giving the current generation the edge.

If you own a Stage Custom made before 2014, it's worth upgrading to the new ones. The current 10 lug snare is really good.

 

[KamaK]

They worked great and made for a great gig kit because of the weight. But they broke mostly because of the higher tuning some people preferred.

They broke because they used plastic in a load-bearing capacity. In a drum, the swivel nut is like a fuse. It is designed to break first. If the lug breaks first, the lug is defective by design. Like the material defect in the cheap lugs on the old Ludwig Rockers where the swivel nut deforms the lug's hole and pulls through.

Saying that the higher tunings is the cause is like saying my pint-glass failed because I put too much beer in it or my iPhone failed because I'm not supposed to use it left handed.

 

[Yamaha Rider]

My baby! That IS good news

All Stage Custom's are good intermediate kits.

The older SC's are a mix of Birch/Philippine Mahogany/Falkata. The latest ones are full Birch.

A timeline:

The composite Nouveau lugs were prone to breaking.

I personally find the first model still the best out there.

 

[RayI]

Light composite carbon quick release Nouveau lugs.

They worked great and made for a great gig kit because of the weight. But they broke mostly because of the higher tuning some people preferred.

Yamaha quit the production and released other options.

They ended up with a lighter (more affordable version) of the Absolute lug, which looked the same from the outside.

As an example ,,,

 

[michaelg]

I know of 2 people who use the plastic lug kits and they've never had a problem with them to this day.