Vintage Yamaha 8000

Thanks for getting the shell construction right. I recently asked Yamaha tech support about the wood. The birch is from Hakkaido Island in northern Japan. The mahogany is Phillipine.
Man, that's pretty. From what info. I've gathered ..... 7000 and 9000 series came out in '78.

Yamaha experimented with wood combo's with the 7000 series. '78/'79 Camellia/Phil.Mahog. '80 Birch/Phil.Mahog. '81 on Agathis/Phil.Mahog.

The 8000 series got the 9000 series split lug when Yamaha went long high tension lug and the 9000 became the Recording Custom (1980). And it got the Birch/Phil.Mahog. shell from the 7000 series. Great rock drums.
 
There's a story behind those drums. I went to a Yamaha product demo at a local music store featuring David Garabaldi. Needless to say he put on a good demo. I think I decided that night to place an order. Good marketing I guess.
 
Harry - what do you play?
As far as current drum kits ....

Vintage Ludwig 3 ply 26, 14, 16, 18
Vintage Gretsch Round Badge 20, 13, 16
Yamaha 9000 series ('78/'79 split lug) 18, 12, 16
Yamaha Manu Katche Jr. 16, 10, 13
Rmv 22, 8, 10, 12, 14
RMV 18, 12, 14
Tama Royalstar 22, 12, 13, 16

plus a number of orphans ..... in the Yamaha realm ..... 7000 series 14x10, 18x16
 
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Wow! That's an impressive list. I'd catch a lot of grief at home if I had that many drums. Are you gigging regularly ?
 
Wow! That's an impressive list. I'd catch a lot of grief at home if I had that many drums. Are you gigging regularly ?
Fortunately my wife knew the job was dangerous before she married me !!!

Not gigging at all any more. Did that for several decades. Currently have a music project with another drummer/percussionist .... and I have a few musicians that come over to the house (once in a while to jam).

Have had 3 different Recording Custom kits, over the years. Yamaha makes some killer drums.
 
I'm still playing, with 3 different groups, but they aren't paying gigs. I do it for the love of playing music. At almost 70, I'm just thankful to still be out playing. One of the groups plays coffee houses with mostly original music. That's a fun one.

As a vintage Ludwig owner you might like this. A '58, 14x22 that was part of my first kit. It was actually a half-kit. Kick, snare, hi hat, 16 inch crash and an old Rogers snare tuned down for a tom. I refinished the kick and snare in the 80s. They were dark green with a gold stripe around the middle. I know I destroyed the original value but it uncovered some beautiful maple. The picture file was too large to attach. The kick had calf skin heads which I kept, but I upgraded the heads, put some foam pad in the bottom for a little muffling and man, that's a sweet sounding drum! Still use the original SpeedMaster pedal and play out with it regularly. I'm working on updating the snare but having problems with uncontrollable snare buzz. Any experience with that?
 
Ah .... you found the beauty beneath the Duco finish. On those mahogany/poplar/mahogany shells .... you can wrap them, but you can't paint them. So Ludwig went with a maple outer ply for the Duco drums. I sanded a 12x8 and a 14x14 (both had chipped and peeling Duco finishes) to get clear maple shells, for a 20, 12, 14 Natural Maple Club Date project.

My 26x14 is from the 40's. Mahogany/poplar/mahogany shell. Originally single tension with button lugs. Cost me $91. Doweled up the holes, put a maple veneer on it, stained it to match my natural maple toms, drilled it for classic lugs ...... cheap Bonham bass.

Sorry, can't help on the snare buzz.
 
Thanks for getting the shell construction right. I recently asked Yamaha tech support about the wood. The birch is from Hakkaido Island in northern Japan. The mahogany is Phillipine.

I took delivery of my Tours in July '84. I started playing in the mid 60s. It would be 20 yrs before I could afford this new, complete kit. They have seen a lot of gigs. I've always kept them in foam lined cases and each drum was wrapped in a piece of cloth when placed in the case. The shells and hardware are in pristine condition. Still using them. 22/12/13/16. The internet is a dangerous place. I see Lots of drums I'd like to buy, but I'll never part with my 83/84 Tours.View attachment 90340 You guys have some nice kits out there!

That is a beautiful kit! Looks mint.
 
Thought I'd bump this year old thread... A couple years ago I picked up a mid 80's 8000 kit. 24, 13, 14, 16 in standard depths. WOW! I own an early 80's R/C, plus vintage Gretsch, Ludwig, Rogers, Camco etc... I've got great drums. However my go to kits are an early 80's Pearl Maple ET kit and the 8000's. They just have more depth than the all birch R/C's. You can still grab these cheap, I got mine for $600, and they are out there if you look. If you see one in good shape, you'd best grab it.
 

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And they came home today. Just something about the Real Wood finish I really like. I've had two RC kits in this finish ...... and now this 8000 series kit.
 

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Thanks for getting the shell construction right. I recently asked Yamaha tech support about the wood. The birch is from Hakkaido Island in northern Japan. The mahogany is Phillipine.

I took delivery of my Tours in July '84. I started playing in the mid 60s. It would be 20 yrs before I could afford this new, complete kit. They have seen a lot of gigs. I've always kept them in foam lined cases and each drum was wrapped in a piece of cloth when placed in the case. The shells and hardware are in pristine condition. Still using them. 22/12/13/16. The internet is a dangerous place. I see Lots of drums I'd like to buy, but I'll never part with my 83/84 Tours.View attachment 90340 You guys have some nice kits out there!
Gorgeous
 
Wanted to share my catch of the day (only 299$ Canadian 😲). This is a 8000 tour kit from 1984 (22,12,13,16) in very good condition.
The sound of these drums is just fantastic!!!
 

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