Artstar
Platinum Member
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
Not for places I do business with. .. not wacky at all.
What kind of Yammies are these?
- Thread starter JimmyM
- Start date
Not for places I do business with. .. not wacky at all.
JimmyM
Platinum Member
But you called three drum shops to win an argument on the internet!
At any rate, I don’t care how popular or unpopular they are. All I know is I have never heard a Yammy kit that doesn’t sound at least good, most sound stellar, and three out of eight Devo drummers (Alan, David Kendrick and Fred Armisen) use(d) them with Devo, so that makes them ok by me.
Artstar
Platinum Member
. I wanted feedback from places that have been selling this stuff since the 80's. .. The new Yamaha China pro level stuff sounds better than the Sakae stuff IMO.. but that is a separate issue from desirability. . the desirability level is not as high as it once was for the mid and upper level. . stage excluded obviously.
JimmyM
Platinum Member
Man, those were the days! I saw them on that tour. Alan was kind of a jerk when I met him but was seriously great and unique and nobody has equaled him, even the amazing Josh Freese. RIP Alan and Bob 2.
Drumprof
Member
I agree there may not be as much “desirability” but it’s a totally different market. That was 30-40 years ago.
There were really only the big three in the 80’s that were everywhere, Yamaha, Pearl and Tama.
The Japanese ruled the 80’s in terms of great sounds, build quality, and hardware.
DW came along in the 90’s, and that (as we all know) was, and still is a huge factor in this discussion.
Ludwig and Gretsch started getting their act together to try and stay relevant and both made great strides in hardware and build quality and have really developed strong lines, especially Gretsch.
Then you start throwing the PDP’s, Mapex’s etc, of the world in the mix and you just have a much tighter market. A lot more competition for the drum dollar, especially in the mid tier kits.
Also Yamaha keeps their finishes limited (a little too limited if you ask me), but part of that is they don’t do wraps, and don’t really try to compete with other companies in the gloss respect.
They have high quality top Maple, Birch and Oak
lines (and the customizable PHX) in the colors they have and that’s it.
If burst, fades, glass glitters and such carry more importance than most any of the other aforementioned companies is probably your game.
But they’re still making killer drums in 4 distinct price levels that compete and sell well. Just my 2 cents.
There were really only the big three in the 80’s that were everywhere, Yamaha, Pearl and Tama.
The Japanese ruled the 80’s in terms of great sounds, build quality, and hardware.
DW came along in the 90’s, and that (as we all know) was, and still is a huge factor in this discussion.
Ludwig and Gretsch started getting their act together to try and stay relevant and both made great strides in hardware and build quality and have really developed strong lines, especially Gretsch.
Then you start throwing the PDP’s, Mapex’s etc, of the world in the mix and you just have a much tighter market. A lot more competition for the drum dollar, especially in the mid tier kits.
Also Yamaha keeps their finishes limited (a little too limited if you ask me), but part of that is they don’t do wraps, and don’t really try to compete with other companies in the gloss respect.
They have high quality top Maple, Birch and Oak
lines (and the customizable PHX) in the colors they have and that’s it.
If burst, fades, glass glitters and such carry more importance than most any of the other aforementioned companies is probably your game.
But they’re still making killer drums in 4 distinct price levels that compete and sell well. Just my 2 cents.
Last edited:
lefty2
Platinum Member
I have 2 rack toms from 84 Tour series and a complete kit of Power Tour Custom formally 8000 drums with the separate lugs. The Power Tour Custom lugs are a bit skinnier than the Tour series. Tour series lugs look like the ones pictured. They very well could be Tour series, Larry Mullins Jr for U2 used them I'm pretty sure.
TheDrummerFromAmsterdam
Platinum Member
For the price of sq sets. You are one of the few these days
tried pricing out 7 piece and came over10k😩
TheDrummerFromAmsterdam
Platinum Member
Ahh cool then we are neighbours.
You are absolutely right. If you have the money, do it.
Life is too short.
fobz
Active Member
7 piece!!??? I priced up a 4 piece once to my favourite specs and that was 10k 😭😭😂😂For the price of sq sets. You are one of the few these days
As for Yamaha, I think Artstar is right. When I was a drum-obsessed kid in the 80s Yamaha was everything. Almost everyone played them, those 9000s ruled the world. No one has come close to that sort of dominance since (and understandably so, even I've moved to Pearl and Sonor and I used to be a Yamaha fanatic)...
Yamaha Rider
Gold Member
Yamaha Rider
Gold Member
Said the guy called Jimmy 😜Now that you said that, I’m doing it more often
JimmyM
Platinum Member
Only reason I got Ludwig was my Yamaha deal only covered guitar and bass, and I could get old beater Classics cheaper than old beater RCs. Actually I couldn’t find old beater RCs. People who have them must actually take care of them
Just about everybody was using the Recording Custom 9000s back in the 1980s: Devo, The Smiths, The Cure, Gadd, Vinnie, Weckl. Hugely popular drum set.
Yamaha pro drums often appear at jazz concerts. I've seen a lot of Maple Custom Absolutes or Maple Customs used at festivals and universities. Sometimes you see DW drums at the festivals, and Pearl drums appear in a lot of video footage from jazz festivals in the 1990s, Canopus at jazz clubs. I almost never see Tama being used in jazz shows, from the past to the present day.
Blues Alley in D.C. uses a Maryland Drum Co. custom kit for their house kit.
Artstar
Platinum Member
yeah I know this.. but this has nothing to do with my point.. Read Fobz comment above.. you will start to get it