@@drumcenternhhey there DCP, i want to come to your shop in portsmouth but i live in kentucky, nearly 8 hours away, and im 12 so i cant drive myself, oof. ive watched the ludwig vs. imperialstar video about 4 times over along with this one!
Rob, I have nothing to say regarding this video other than I love your videos. Your video on developing better time by counting the subdivisions was a game changer for me. Thanks!
For some personal issues, I just sold my custom handmade high quality drums. It was sounding good but not greater than the Yam Maple custom or Tama Starclassic that I previously owned. Now I'm back playing on my very first kit ever owned, a Yam stage custom from 84. To my surprise, I must have forgotten (or deliberately forgotten) how good it was sounding compared to much more expensive/nice looking kit I had to chance to play on. TBH, as a rock drummer playing mainly occidental music, considering that we play 80% of the time on the snare and bass-drum, I start to wonder if it is really worth spending this amount of money on some 2k, 3k high end drums rather than saving them for cymbals and snares. With a bit of experimenting my stage custom seem very versatile and pleasant. I understand ofc the "pleasure" part in buying himself a beautiful drum-kit. That feeling is maybe coming from the fact that I did not play enough different drum sets in my career. I'll ping facebook.com/SoundsLikeADrum/ on this one as they taught me a lot on this topic.
Thank you for taking the time to do such in-depth, high-quality demos like this one, dudes! It is a generous and helpful service you guys are providing.
I own the new Stage Custom Birch kit with the 20" kick and for the price there is no better kit on the market! I added a 16" Floor tom and also purchased the 14" x 6" steel snare. The snare that comes with the kit is amazing, unlike most 8 lug snares these are 10 and it makes a world of difference. This video is great and really shows how little of a difference in sound these kits have. When a $650.00 kit sounds close to other kits in this test it really makes you think...
@@BACrites Hey! I’m about to get a new drum kit, I need something for gigging, but also with good response on low volume situations (orchestra, jazz giggs, etc) The question is, tour custom or stage custom? In your experience, it worth the diference of price?
these guys have the best drum sounds period. you can hear the flawless attention to tuning & head selection. the really make those kits sing...and the Sabian HH Legacy (I think) are gorgeous sounding cymbals, truly a match made in drummer's heaven...my recipe for a professional drum recording session.
Thanks for putting the effort to make this video. As a 1980s Recording Custom owner, I think the Stage Customs are phenomenal value. What you save on the shells, you can put towards quality cymbals. Today's beginner drummers are so spoiled for choice.
Thanks for the thorough comparison. The last quick comparison at 17:02 is very valuable for a drummer interested in the current Yamaha drums lines. I have two late 70's Yamaha 8000 Tour series sets that I still use on gigs.
Just an all around great video. From content to production, perfection. I've been a Yamaha fan for years, and they are in a class all by themselves. Thanks so much guys. I'll reach out to you soon for my Absolute Hybrid purchase!
I've watched many videos and I must say that the Maple Hybrid Set sounds superb. The Toms are maybe the best sounding Toms on the whole market - I owned a Yamaha Maple Custom Absolute and that kit was killer. The Maple Hybrid sounds even better! I think I have to buy one :D
Just ordered an add-on tom for my Tour Custom Kit through DCP. I urge any drummers looking for excellent service to hit these guys up. My sales rep. James was fantastic. Thanks DCP ! Keep up the great work. Drum on....
Thanks so much for all the positive feedback on our videos! The more subscribers we get, the more of these types of videos we'll be able to do! *Please note that the Tour Custom Maple shell is made with North American Maple outer plies, and Chinese Maple inner plies.*
Zenon Castro assuming North American maple means rock maple, NA maple is harder than the Asian maple. Rock maple is also more expensive. Based on the research I have done, I am assuming that Yamaha built these shells using an inner and outer ply of NA rock maple and inner plies of a softer, less expensive species of maple (probably Asian). I bet it’s a similar sound to the many drums that use inner plies of a softer hardwood like poplar or gum (Ludwig, Gretsch etc.) and outer plies of hard maple for projection. Using less expensive maple as a core might be a way to advertise an all-maple kit at a lower price point, but it also might create an interesting sonic variation of a basic maple kit. Whatever. The drums sound great, look great and are very reasonably priced.
Bottom line: Yamaha just makes a phenomenal line of kits! Thanks for putting all the energy into making this high quality video; great recording and nice playing guys!
I don’t know if it’s just this video or if my ears are deceiving me but that Stage Custom kit sounded the best of all of them (followed by the PHX). They all sounded great but that kit really blew me away. Maybe hearing the kits live in a room might tell a different story, but on this recording it sounded incredible.
I agree with you guys except my 2nd would be Hybrid. Once our sound hits the mics, we're at the mercy of the guy turning the knobs! My Stage Customs are from '95 and still sound great!
GEEZ!!! This is awesome.... this is one of the most professional reviews i have heard in a long time.. great info, love that y'all are using two drummers for demoing. Really shows the flavor that can be pulled out from each drum. I would love to see a little more latin rhythms and four on the floor style beats being played, just to see how they compare in these fields. Overall I LOVED IT. Immediate subscription! Can't wait to see what else y'all have in store.
This video is absolutely amazing guys. I think it really shows that spending the extra money on each line does change the sound a good bit whether the sound is right for some or not.
as weird as it may sound the Toms on the Stage custom were my favorite out of all the rest. I guess that's what makes drumming so great that everyone has their own unique sound they like
Fantastic video guys! I bought my first Yamaha Recording Custom drumset in 1989 (and still own it). Yamaha drums set the high water mark for me on professional equipment! There are many phenomenal sounding and performing drums made today... but to me- Yamaha is always the brand I compare things to. And they will always be very dear to me, as I’ve essentially grown up with them! Thanks DCP!!!!!
All sound great . . . PHX sings so beautifully . . . Recording sounds tight . . . Hybrids sound in between . . . the Live sound like the recording, but more midrange definition to me, honestly, I think they actually sound as defined by their product line placement . . . they do what they say they do . . . which is exactly what one should hope for.
I love my Stage Custom. I bought from you guys in 2011 and it’s been everywhere from a small bar to recordings to the deck of a French helicopter Ship. Solid kit
Great Stuff here! I own a white Stage Custom, a black Hybrid Maple & a PHX in Natural Burled Ash and now I know that I definitely made the right choice with Yamaha Drums! They all sound (and look!) amazing and like Shane said, they are really made for touring. And with this video I am sure that every drummer can find his personal Yamaha Sound!
@@larrytate1657 I really like the PHX Drums (setup in my Studio). The Projection is just crazy good & the Bassdrums sound huge! But the Hybrid Maple (which is my gigging kit) has some similar characteristics of the PHX. So this follows very close behind the PHX. The Stage Custom is setup at my music school and sounds amazing for the price. I don't know another kit that sounds this good in that price range.
Absolute Hybrid is my pick, I like to have a drum with sustain as I can always tune it to reduce it when necessary. Although, I’ve had 2 of the newer style Stage Customs Over the last 10 years for gigging and there is no better kit for the price. Also, their hardware is by far the best. Easily manipulated and built like a tank. I’ve been tempted to get an AQ2 kit for gigging after playing a bob setup at GC here in Houston. I was stunned by the sound of it. After watching this video I’ll probably just get another Stage Custom lol.
I honestly have to disagree. I played a lot of these kits here and there and got into them. I‘m also playing tons of drums in my life. Each of them got an own character imho. When i heard the stage custom i got kinda annoyed because we had this set in university and i don‘t like its unsensitivity. The Oak set sounds much harsher. Recording Costum has that nice bongo-kind-of tom sound and a more subtle and more organic approach. Hybrid is hell of sterile and pretty sharp in sound - i also just remembered the studio where i played it. And the phx is imposant and sounds like a caddilac. Subjective opinion but in my drummer ears there is a big difference. Maybe not after 5 mins of hearing, but after playing them a while (or being soundengineer with these kids for a while) you get their strong and weak points. I think that this i also relevant for the final music and not only for drum-nerdy satisfaction
The best comparison video ive ever seen, period. Guys, you have excelled yourselves, take a bow. I've never understood why manufacturers don't do this themselves rather than relying on retailers, but that's another story. You have totally sold the benefits and sound qualities of each kit in the range in a way that truly translates through to my living room. Personally, I'm loving those recording customs. Takes me back to when I started in the 80's. Seriously considering it following this video (Gadd black of course!)
This is one of the best comparison Videos today. I Play a Live Custom, there before a Yamaha Power Tour Custom Mahagony Kit of 1986. So I spent a lot of time for searching a new one with actually sizes. The best tone, presens and wormth what I found, in my opinion, is in the Yamaha Live Custom. I play it in Rockbands, Jazzbands but also in Philharmonic Orchestras. All my musicans always say the same: "What a great sound". They are looking forward If I play my Live Custom Kit.😃 Greetings from Germany, Arnd
Fantastic idea, spot on. Love those comparisons, so incredibly helpful. Now, when you do something similar with Pearl, the video will probably last 3 hours due to their many confusing lines. :-) Hopefully this is just the start of similar videos for other brands: Tama, Sonor, Gretsch, Pearl? Rock on, guys. And thanks for your work.
Birch is such an underrated wood for drumming. The recording custom's bass drum sounded thunderous!!! However overall if I had my choice it would be the hybrid maple. It sounded the most balanced out of all the kits in my opinion. All are great kits.
I agree! I have the Yamaha AHM drums and they sound great, really! I bought a 10, 12, 16 and 22 shell pack and added a 14 FT and 20 BD, as well, all in vintage, natural finish and they sound and look great. The drums are also receptive to various head changes! You can’t go wrong with any oth these drums, really. It’s what appeals to you or what’s in your range, really.
I DID NOT expect the sound of the SC kit, damn ! For $650.00 ?? That’s a lot of quality sound for entry level price. Much better than entry set from Pearl I once had and Tama too IMO. Thank you so much for the hard work to make this. Excellent video !
Randy Porter Another thing I’d add is that Yamaha stands & kick pedals are the absolute tops. They’re pricey, but even the entry level stands I got with that Stage series kit was as good, or better, than the upper line hardware I’ve used from other makers (Gibraltar comes to mind).
I love Yamaha drums! They all sound great but I own the recording custom kit same as the one you tested! They are awesome live or studio!! They are my pick!!
PHX, Recording Custom and Hybrid Maple in that order. Can I have all 3? I've said that if I ever bought another kit it would be a birch kit. I had an 8 piece Ludwig Melodic concert tom kit (no bottom heads) and yes they were loud but had no tone to speak of. I bought them in the late 70's and tried to get a good tone from them but could never get it. I constantly changed heads and various methods of tuning but I never got the sound I wanted. I always blamed it on the maple but I was wrong. Lesson learned. Kids, keep your bottom head on. Now if you could do a comparison of a Sonor SQ2 Birch and a Ludwig Legacy Mahogany that would be sweet! Great vid guys..you rock!
Excellent video! Well thought out (or you fooled us-LOL) THANK YOU for the basic pattern at the the end with all the kits back to back. That alone was worth the thumbs up on the video. Would have liked to hear just a single overhead mic of the kits - unprocessed. I have a hard time with my floor tom tuning. Real to my ears versus close mic'd. And ALL those floor toms sounded great. I have the Yamaha Rock Tour Kit (Big leaf mahogany. Remember the TV spot with the car driving through the warehouse triggering the drums. Mine kit is one of those 20 used in the spot.)
I own (and gigged multiple times) a stage custom birch and it’s absolutely ridiculous how great it sounds. All sound guys I’ve worked with loved it too. Mic’d up very easy and is very, very warm sounding. I honestly prefer the sound of the stage custom birch over my gretsch USA custom.
Thank you so much for these side-by-side comparisons and descriptions! I was looking at Yamaha Drums' website and eventually found this video. I'm a part-time/student drummer doing informal, preliminary research into my next drum set. I chose Yamaha as my favorite drum manufacturer in the late 1980s and invested in a Power Tour Custom (1989), Maple Custom (1996), and Stage Custom Standard (2001). I've always aspired to own a Recording Custom, but it's more likely that I would purchase a Stage Custom Birch or possibly a Tour Custom Maple. I really needed to hear this lineup (which is still current as of November 2022) and I'm impressed with the Stage Custom Birch considering its low price point.
Shane, I'm a 69 year old drummer (if you can call it that???) . I was gifted a Cheapo Gammon Drum kit in 2018 as a Xmas gift from my wife. I had not played for over 50 years - you know , a garage band in 1967-69 that never got out of the basement. I expressed an interest to play drums again , and whamo, my wife gets me a drum kit . Now I'm retired and play the drums nearly everyday as it has become a Resurrected pleasure (Thank God ), where I am Playing for enjoyment to My Music (You know.....the best there ever was !!). Question is that I have replaced the Drum heads , added new Cymbals (Paiste PST 7s and 8s), and recently a DW Design series Nickel over Brass 14 X 6.5 Snare (used), a Mapex 13 X 3.5 snare and a pdp concept maple Popcorn snare 10 X 6 , and on my Xmas list is a DW Design series 8 X 10 Tom. Its sounding pretty good, but can't help to think that I have started a Hodge Podge compilation, notwithstanding the Paiste cymbals. Probably not the way to go vs. just getting a complete new or used complete drum kit like the Yamaha Stage Custom ? Does Drum Center of Portsmouth have Used Kits?
Hello, Aldo! We absolutely carry used kits. You can check them out here: www.drumcenternh.com/used/drum-sets For the price, though, a new stage custom is an excellent choice. Thanks for watching!
Shane and Co - thanks for these videos. You are an incredible asset to the drumming community. There is really no substitute for these sort of side-by-side comparos when you are trying judge differences in relatively similar items. As you guys know recording conditions, head selection, room, tuning, and even the technique of the drummer all make such a huge difference in how a set sounds. So when you have an opportunity to take all these variables out and really try to show drums in same vs. same conditions, you get a lot more useful information. I also like the expert commentary from Shane - he's one of the best. I have bought a lot of things from him over the years because I appreciate his insights and accurate commentary. It's very hard to make it as an independent in this business and the reason Shane is successful is that he offers a lot of value add. Regarding Yamaha drums - I have often said the same things about the build quality and consistency of their product - I have a lot of their sets (Phoenix X 2, recording custom, maple custom, oak custom, Washi birch) but also sets by every other major builder (DW, Tama, Pearl, Gretsch, Sonor) and also many more esoteric ones (Craviotto, Noble & Cooley, Dunnett, Ocheltree,, Rocket, trick, etc.) and nobody made a BETTER drum than the Japanese-era Yamahas. I mean "better" in terms of consistency and build quality. Two things I was left wondering about: -what were the mic's used and the post processing? My suggestion here is that you put an overview of what you did into the text description of the video or have a pointer to a video that says "how we record drums " if you do that the same way every time. Note: you did a video where you went through mics and recordings about 2 months ago - point to that? The unbelievably good bass sound you are getting from a 699 kit has to be partly a function of spectacular room sound and microphones. -would love to drill down a bit on your commentary on tuning the Phoenix kit. i have two of these kits: sapphire fade: th-cam.com/video/RCIsFFNtV0o/w-d-xo.html custom copper: th-cam.com/video/D5Xdj_MT28A/w-d-xo.html on the sapphire kit I have 2 ply emporers and on Jimmy's kit I kept the coated ambassadors. I find them both to be very tunable across a wide range (one of the signs of a truly great drum) while maintaining the tonal character of the Phoenix drum which is truly unique. I really think these drums sound much better with 2 ply heads because they bring out that amazing bottom end on the low toms. Can you just explain more about what you meant there? I respect your opinion, just want to understand it.
Those Phoenix kits are just unreal!!! I have a 90's Yamaha Maple Custom with the gold lugs and I'll never give it up. But if I ever was it would be for the Phoenix
Hard to hear the drums with all the crashes! Haha. I bought the 1st Stage Custom kit to hit San Diego in 1994. It was set up, and I bought it instantly. Needed a sturdy good sounding kit for steady gigging. Also, if something happened to it, cheap to replace. Never failed me. I recently sold it. Served me well for 25 years!! Great comparison.
The last ten tears of my career was with a Recording Series that I customised to suit the genre I was playing. I came out of retirement in 2015, tracked down my old kit but couldnt convince him to sell it so found the last Japanese made Yamaha Maple Custom Absolute in Australia. Did some studio sessions, some reunion gigs and then settled into my home recording studio. Due to my accomadation situation was unable to make any noise so reluctantly sold the kit and went the electronic way in 2022. Here I am, Jan 1st 2024 and about to order my Yamaha PHX kit. My skin preferences are organised so it is down to which Black finish and will I also get the 18" floor to go with the 16", 14", 12" and 10". Love this review although some harder playing would have been appreciated. The PHX stood out fractionally ahead of the Recording kit. It was the hi tom that did it and was tonally similiar to the rest of the kit. FYI I am listening on my mortgage Yamaha YH 5000 headphones that I use for mixing. They do not lie. Peter
You're really outdoing yourselves with these incredible demo's! They are so well thought out and performed. I personally am through with my drum purchasing binge.....for the time being lol! BUT if I were interested in a kit I wouldn't dismiss Yamaha. Not traditionally a brand that comes to mind of when I think of drums and yet everything they manufacturer is of elite craftmanship, weather it's a motorcycle or a piano. I've always liked the Live Custom based on performance and value. They all sound great, really, but based on the mics here, the Recording Custom and PHX are the elite of the brand as they should be considering cost. These videos are an online consumer's dream! You guy's deserve a ton of credit for this, literally! Hopefully, in turn, as karma should have it - you'll sell a bunch. Awesome playing BTW Tom and Shane!
Yamaha makes excellent electronic drums, as well. I so want to buy a DTX-532. Alas, I will have to sell lots more of my acrylic paintings before I can do that. LOL.
The Greatest Comparison Set up and Let us give these Fantastic Drummers Some everyone of them extremely talented and knowledgeable. If you're going to Drop Several Thousand dollars on a set I believe to get the most bang for your buck and that includes having a great knowledgeable staff dedicated to their profession and craft demonstrate these Fabulous drums for you. Answering every question with honesty and conviction NO BS here. They are meticulous in every detail. Sean is set apart from every other Professional Drum Shop. Its a Paradise for Drummers an active museum for Drummers. It worth the Flight to see this Drum Mecca. Buy your Set there they will ship it to with a Professional packing unsurpassed by any other company including some from the manufacturers themselves . That's the level of dedication to detail I'm referring to you with no qualms.
Shane? Is that you? Just kidding. Thanks so much for the kind words. It means a lot to us when we receive feedback, especially glowing endorsements! We appreciate you.
As a former Yamaha endorser, I’ve owned and played both Tour Customs and Live Customs (also, Rock Tours and Club Customs-I’ve owned six Yamaha kits). My faves are the Live Customs, but I agree with you about the price/quality argument for the Stage Customs. Great drums.
Great video. Really cool to see all the lines of drums one after the other like that to really hear the difference. Thanks for making this video. I would love to see this style of comparison for some of the other drum company's lines. I bought a stage custom in fusion sizes to take with me when I went off music school 15 years ago. It was the best kit I could afford at the time, and I used that kit for about 8 years exclusively. Super versatile set, really great choice for a serious student who's expecting to have to play a lot of different styles. I sold the kit off around 5 years ago for just around the same price that I paid for it all those years back. It's the best kit at that price point in my opinion. That recording custom is really something, though. There's a reason it's such a classic.
Holly heck, theyre all fantastic. Ive once played a maple hybrid, it just blew me away. They sounded so pristine like they were already mixed and mastered. Amasing
One of the things that is so overlooked in drum tuning is sympathetic resonance. When you discuss how the PHX floor tom and kick tune right up, but the rack toms are a pain, it's the sympathetic resonance of these drums that drive people crazy. As a PHX owner, I had the same issue when I first got them . . . why don't these tune up like my Maple Customs or DW Collectors?? The reason why the Recording Custom is what it is, is because those drums are basically designed (intentionally or not) to minimize sympathetic resonance. That's why they use those full length (high tension lugs). I always wondered why "low mass lugs" - single screw, small lugs like the Yamaha MC are not everywhere? Why does DW still use those big round lugs on their collectors? Why would anyone use something like "silver sealer" on the inside of their drums like Gretsch? Etc. Etc. So many drum tuning videos show the "experts" tuning one drum at a time on a table or stand etc. We all try to do that and often the drum sounds great . . . (by itself) . . . then we mount on the kit and it doesn't sound right and people get frustrated. So out come the tune bots and the drum dials and all the toys to tell us that we tuned correctly . . . but that's not the problem . . . acoustic drum sounds are shaped by their surroundings, not just their tom mounts. I think it would be a great video for you all to explore tuning and the effect of sympathetic resonance . . . and how to tune with it. Resonance is a blessing and a curse and knowing how to control what and when would probably help a lot of drummers who can play a paradiddle at 5000 bpm lol, but can't tune a tom tom.
I picked up the Tour Custom (20, 14, 12, 10) last year for a secondary "inexpensive" tour kit, so glad I did! Amazing value, great hardware, tunes up so quick. It defiantly sounds like a more expensive kit. To be honest I think the toms sounded best on the Tour Custom, just had a more open sound. Of course they all sounded good! Thank you for making these comparison videos, I'm positive it helps with the buying and selling process. Cheers!
It would have been interesting to hear higher tunings as well, for a jazz context. Nonetheless, the video is really useful and well made. The incredible thing is that all these drums sound great... from the Stage Custom to the PHX. But the PHX costs a lot more than the Stage Custom!
Nice guys! Great playing as well. When I joined the Yamaha family about 7 years ago, They loaned me an Oak Custom kit until my actual kit came in. What a pleasure it was. Full rich tone but with that mid-range that helped the drums speak over any situation. Then the Hybrid Maple kit showed up. I'm still finding new tuning ideas with this kit. It's simply stunning. At various points I've borrowed a PHX kit, Stage Custom, toured with a Live Custom twice and was fortunate to be asked to demo the Recording Custom for another music store. Across the board, every kit performed beyond its expectations, particularly the Stage Custom. Now I have a Tour Custom coming as a "B" kit I keep at a satellite location where I gig a lot. You guys have done a great job showing the quality and consistency that makes Yamaha such a valued and trusted brand. Too bad the Live Oak Hybrid wasn't around for this. It's magnificent with maybe the greatest bass drum ever made. All the best! Jimmy ... I hope to visit the store someday! Cheers.
I recently just got the stage customs and they are that good!!! Clean punchy sound and hardware is so nice for the price Ive owned yamah oak, beech absolute and older stage customs and these are best of the lot I just dig the sound
That PHX is the best sounding kit I've ever heard. I like how you set it up as maybe kinda sketchy and say "let's see how it goes.." Then the best four sounding drums I've ever heard, haha
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The sound of Maple is more "dark", clone do. The sound of Birch is more "Bright", opened. This is my impression...
Thank you for this great video!
It was our pleasure!
@@larrytate1657 from what I've heard, yes
No thanks, I'll just get the made in Japan or Indonesia drums off of craigslist.
Thank you for making amazing drums!! Please don't let the Tour Custom line go anywhere anytime soon, that is my dream kit!!
@@scherry9819 wow you’re a true connoisseur. Foh
Great video guys! Much love, Yamaha Drums
Means a lot coming from you guys. Thanks!
@@drumcenternhhey there DCP, i want to come to your shop in portsmouth but i live in kentucky, nearly 8 hours away, and im 12 so i cant drive myself, oof. ive watched the ludwig vs. imperialstar video about 4 times over along with this one!
Thank you for making amazing drums!! Please don't let the Tour Custom line go anywhere anytime soon, that is my dream kit!!
I bought a stage custom because of this vid. Great set for the money.
You should be embarassed how bad your marketing is compared to what these guys do at local drum shop.
Probably one of the best full kit review/comparison videos on the Tubes, man. Nice work! 🙂 And seriously, how good are them Stages?!?👌🏾
Rob Brown stage customs are amazing kits. Great videos from yourself too, thank you
Thanks, Rob. Glad you liked it! We were pleasantly surprised by how the Stage Customs stacked up. Also - huge fans of your content!
Rob's da man!! \m/
Rob, I have nothing to say regarding this video other than I love your videos. Your video on developing better time by counting the subdivisions was a game changer for me. Thanks!
For some personal issues, I just sold my custom handmade high quality drums. It was sounding good but not greater than the Yam Maple custom or Tama Starclassic that I previously owned.
Now I'm back playing on my very first kit ever owned, a Yam stage custom from 84.
To my surprise, I must have forgotten (or deliberately forgotten) how good it was sounding compared to much more expensive/nice looking kit I had to chance to play on. TBH, as a rock drummer playing mainly occidental music, considering that we play 80% of the time on the snare and bass-drum, I start to wonder if it is really worth spending this amount of money on some 2k, 3k high end drums rather than saving them for cymbals and snares. With a bit of experimenting my stage custom seem very versatile and pleasant.
I understand ofc the "pleasure" part in buying himself a beautiful drum-kit.
That feeling is maybe coming from the fact that I did not play enough different drum sets in my career.
I'll ping facebook.com/SoundsLikeADrum/ on this one as they taught me a lot on this topic.
Seriously, that's the best drum comparison vid I've ever seen. Clearly, it was a ton of work. Thank you so much for doing this with excellence.
Thank you for taking the time to do such in-depth, high-quality demos like this one, dudes! It is a generous and helpful service you guys are providing.
Thanks Dave! We should include you on one someday... 😉
-Tony
I own the new Stage Custom Birch kit with the 20" kick and for the price there is no better kit on the market! I added a 16" Floor tom and also purchased the 14" x 6" steel snare. The snare that comes with the kit is amazing, unlike most 8 lug snares these are 10 and it makes a world of difference. This video is great and really shows how little of a difference in sound these kits have. When a $650.00 kit sounds close to other kits in this test it really makes you think...
It really kind of surprised us, too. Good heads and good tuning can go a long way on a well-made drum set. Thanks for watching!
That stage custom 20x17 bass drum is deadly!
@JDM Vids
It sounds like a canon :)
I've played many brands. I still stand behind my Stage Customs and Tour Customs. Wonderful drums!
@@BACrites Hey! I’m about to get a new drum kit, I need something for gigging, but also with good response on low volume situations (orchestra, jazz giggs, etc)
The question is, tour custom or stage custom?
In your experience, it worth the diference of price?
2:00 Stage Custom
3:35 Tour Custom
8:29 Live Custom
10:14 Absolute Hybrid
13:16 Recording Custom
14:44 PHX
Thank you
Yes thanks
Legend!
these guys have the best drum sounds period. you can hear the flawless attention to tuning & head selection. the really make those kits sing...and the Sabian HH Legacy (I think) are gorgeous sounding cymbals, truly a match made in drummer's heaven...my recipe for a professional drum recording session.
Thanks for putting the effort to make this video.
As a 1980s Recording Custom owner, I think the Stage Customs are phenomenal value. What you save on the shells, you can put towards quality cymbals. Today's beginner drummers are so spoiled for choice.
Thanks for the thorough comparison. The last quick comparison at 17:02 is very valuable for a drummer interested in the current Yamaha drums lines.
I have two late 70's Yamaha 8000 Tour series sets that I still use on gigs.
Wow, even the Stage Customs sound fantastic.
Just an all around great video. From content to production, perfection. I've been a Yamaha fan for years, and they are in a class all by themselves. Thanks so much guys. I'll reach out to you soon for my Absolute Hybrid purchase!
Thanks, man. Glad you liked it!
I've watched many videos and I must say that the Maple Hybrid Set sounds superb. The Toms are maybe the best sounding Toms on the whole market - I owned a Yamaha Maple Custom Absolute and that kit was killer. The Maple Hybrid sounds even better! I think I have to buy one :D
I’d like to see this type of video for DW starting with the PDP Concept Birch, Concept Maple, Design, Performance, Jazz, and Collectors.
jwebby85 I second that
Yes!
Loving my live customs. They've been all over from the orchestra pit to the recording studio to playing live.
Fantastic comparisons of some great Yamaha kits, your sound is awesome through headphones!
Thanks for watching, Ciara!
Just ordered an add-on tom for my Tour Custom Kit through DCP. I urge any drummers looking for excellent service to hit these guys up. My sales rep. James was fantastic. Thanks DCP ! Keep up the great work. Drum on....
Thanks so much for all the positive feedback on our videos! The more subscribers we get, the more of these types of videos we'll be able to do!
*Please note that the Tour Custom Maple shell is made with North American Maple outer plies, and Chinese Maple inner plies.*
DrumCenterNH thank you for the clarification. A nice set of drums for the price. Can you get them in 10/12/14/20?
You can! We have them in stock on our website, or click the link at the end of the video to bring you right to the page!
What are the differences between NA maple and Chinese maple?
Zenon Castro assuming North American maple means rock maple, NA maple is harder than the Asian maple. Rock maple is also more expensive. Based on the research I have done, I am assuming that Yamaha built these shells using an inner and outer ply of NA rock maple and inner plies of a softer, less expensive species of maple (probably Asian). I bet it’s a similar sound to the many drums that use inner plies of a softer hardwood like poplar or gum (Ludwig, Gretsch etc.) and outer plies of hard maple for projection. Using less expensive maple as a core might be a way to advertise an all-maple kit at a lower price point, but it also might create an interesting sonic variation of a basic maple kit. Whatever. The drums sound great, look great and are very reasonably priced.
Zenon Castro www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/differences-between-hard-maple-and-soft-maple/
Bottom line: Yamaha just makes a phenomenal line of kits! Thanks for putting all the energy into making this high quality video; great recording and nice playing guys!
I don’t know if it’s just this video or if my ears are deceiving me but that Stage Custom kit sounded the best of all of them (followed by the PHX). They all sounded great but that kit really blew me away. Maybe hearing the kits live in a room might tell a different story, but on this recording it sounded incredible.
I agree. Especially ' fitting ' in a mix.
I agree with you guys except my 2nd would be Hybrid. Once our sound hits the mics, we're at the mercy of the guy turning the knobs! My Stage Customs are from '95 and still sound great!
I own the most recent stage custom and I promise you they really sound that good. No complaints from me.
What's crazy is that your opinion is pretty legit...
I have the recording custom but the stage custom sounds so good, i want one!! Haha
GEEZ!!! This is awesome.... this is one of the most professional reviews i have heard in a long time.. great info, love that y'all are using two drummers for demoing. Really shows the flavor that can be pulled out from each drum. I would love to see a little more latin rhythms and four on the floor style beats being played, just to see how they compare in these fields. Overall I LOVED IT. Immediate subscription! Can't wait to see what else y'all have in store.
Thanks, Matias! That means a lot to us. Stay tuned for all kinds of good stuff coming in the future!
I knew Yamaha was had great sounding kits but WOW. I think Yamaha will be my next kit after watching this.
I can't get over how nice the Stage Custom Birch sounds .... and not overly too far off from the Recording Custom ......
This video is absolutely amazing guys. I think it really shows that spending the extra money on each line does change the sound a good bit whether the sound is right for some or not.
as weird as it may sound the Toms on the Stage custom were my favorite out of all the rest. I guess that's what makes drumming so great that everyone has their own unique sound they like
Dang that was super informative! Do more of these videos please!
Great demo video for all Yamaha drum lovers! Thank you so much.
Thanks alot! Great Job! 1 - Yamaha Recording Custom. Clean, volume, readable and expected drum sound
Thanks for watching, Dmitry!
Fantastic video guys! I bought my first Yamaha Recording Custom drumset in 1989 (and still own it). Yamaha drums set the high water mark for me on professional equipment! There are many phenomenal sounding and performing drums made today... but to me- Yamaha is always the brand I compare things to. And they will always be very dear to me, as I’ve essentially grown up with them!
Thanks DCP!!!!!
All sound great . . . PHX sings so beautifully . . . Recording sounds tight . . . Hybrids sound in between . . . the Live sound like the recording, but more midrange definition to me, honestly, I think they actually sound as defined by their product line placement . . . they do what they say they do . . . which is exactly what one should hope for.
I love my Stage Custom. I bought from you guys in 2011 and it’s been everywhere from a small bar to recordings to the deck of a French helicopter Ship. Solid kit
To me, Yamaha drums has always had that awesome sound. Those Live Customs are beautiful!
Great Stuff here! I own a white Stage Custom, a black Hybrid Maple & a PHX in Natural Burled Ash and now I know that I definitely made the right choice with Yamaha Drums! They all sound (and look!) amazing and like Shane said, they are really made for touring. And with this video I am sure that every drummer can find his personal Yamaha Sound!
Dang lol. I can barely afford a stage custom.
Which has your favorite tone?
@@larrytate1657 I really like the PHX Drums (setup in my Studio). The Projection is just crazy good & the Bassdrums sound huge! But the Hybrid Maple (which is my gigging kit) has some similar characteristics of the PHX. So this follows very close behind the PHX. The Stage Custom is setup at my music school and sounds amazing for the price. I don't know another kit that sounds this good in that price range.
Nice, would you say the hybrid maple is an improvement over the old maple absolute noveau in sound?
@@larrytate1657 yes to my ears they have more sustain and sound fuller than the absolute nouveau drums.
Absolute Hybrid is my pick, I like to have a drum with sustain as I can always tune it to reduce it when necessary. Although, I’ve had 2 of the newer style Stage Customs Over the last 10 years for gigging and there is no better kit for the price. Also, their hardware is by far the best. Easily manipulated and built like a tank. I’ve been tempted to get an AQ2 kit for gigging after playing a bob setup at GC here in Houston. I was stunned by the sound of it. After watching this video I’ll probably just get another Stage Custom lol.
17:02 - this comparison shows how similar they sound.
I honestly have to disagree. I played a lot of these kits here and there and got into them. I‘m also playing tons of drums in my life. Each of them got an own character imho. When i heard the stage custom i got kinda annoyed because we had this set in university and i don‘t like its unsensitivity. The Oak set sounds much harsher. Recording Costum has that nice bongo-kind-of tom sound and a more subtle and more organic approach. Hybrid is hell of sterile and pretty sharp in sound - i also just remembered the studio where i played it. And the phx is imposant and sounds like a caddilac. Subjective opinion but in my drummer ears there is a big difference. Maybe not after 5 mins of hearing, but after playing them a while (or being soundengineer with these kids for a while) you get their strong and weak points. I think that this i also relevant for the final music and not only for drum-nerdy satisfaction
You don’t like the hybrids?
Or shows how much the mic and mix are influencing the sound to a common denominator
The best comparison video ive ever seen, period. Guys, you have excelled yourselves, take a bow. I've never understood why manufacturers don't do this themselves rather than relying on retailers, but that's another story. You have totally sold the benefits and sound qualities of each kit in the range in a way that truly translates through to my living room. Personally, I'm loving those recording customs. Takes me back to when I started in the 80's. Seriously considering it following this video (Gadd black of course!)
Thanks so much, Matt. Glad you enjoyed it! We're big fans of your content, as well.
This is one of the best comparison Videos today.
I Play a Live Custom, there before a Yamaha Power Tour Custom Mahagony Kit of 1986.
So I spent a lot of time for searching a new one with actually sizes.
The best tone, presens and wormth what I found, in my opinion, is in the Yamaha Live Custom.
I play it in Rockbands, Jazzbands but also in Philharmonic Orchestras.
All my musicans always say the same:
"What a great sound". They are looking forward If I play my Live Custom Kit.😃
Greetings from Germany,
Arnd
Thanks so much for the kind words Arnd!
Fantastic idea, spot on. Love those comparisons, so incredibly helpful. Now, when you do something similar with Pearl, the video will probably last 3 hours due to their many confusing lines. :-)
Hopefully this is just the start of similar videos for other brands: Tama, Sonor, Gretsch, Pearl?
Rock on, guys. And thanks for your work.
Thanks, Mike. We are planning on doing more videos like this in this future, stay tuned!
This ^ !! Please! ... Ludwig, Sonor, Gretsch, Tama ... :)
Birch is such an underrated wood for drumming. The recording custom's bass drum sounded thunderous!!!
However overall if I had my choice it would be the hybrid maple. It sounded the most balanced out of all the kits in my opinion.
All are great kits.
I agree! I have the Yamaha AHM drums and they sound great, really! I bought a 10, 12, 16 and 22 shell pack and added a 14 FT and 20 BD, as well, all in vintage, natural finish and they sound and look great. The drums are also receptive to various head changes! You can’t go wrong with any oth these drums, really. It’s what appeals to you or what’s in your range, really.
🙏❤️
Underrated by who? Maple fans?
Awesome video! You guys did a really great job and provided some really good info 👊💯
Yamaha just makes killer drums; period. Nice vid and great demo! Live custom Oak and the Maple Hybrids are my favorite.
Great demo of all these kind TX. And those Danish cymbals are awesome..
Great video guys! Do this for all the Sonor lines please! :)
I DID NOT expect the sound of the SC kit, damn ! For $650.00 ?? That’s a lot of quality sound for entry level price. Much better than entry set from Pearl I once had and Tama too IMO. Thank you so much for the hard work to make this. Excellent video !
Randy Porter My 1st kit was a stage series & I absolutely loved it. Still one of my favorite kits!
I can sure see why Chris ! That’s a kit that should be better known. But, you have to hear it to appreciate it.
Randy Porter Another thing I’d add is that Yamaha stands & kick pedals are the absolute tops. They’re pricey, but even the entry level stands I got with that Stage series kit was as good, or better, than the upper line hardware I’ve used from other makers (Gibraltar comes to mind).
Thats why this chanel put SC and TC in this video when other brand comparation video doesn't include lower line
I love Yamaha drums! They all sound great but I own the recording custom kit same as the one you tested! They are awesome live or studio!! They are my pick!!
PHX, Recording Custom and Hybrid Maple in that order. Can I have all 3? I've said that if I ever bought another kit it would be a birch kit. I had an 8 piece Ludwig Melodic concert tom kit (no bottom heads) and yes they were loud but had no tone to speak of. I bought them in the late 70's and tried to get a good tone from them but could never get it. I constantly changed heads and various methods of tuning but I never got the sound I wanted. I always blamed it on the maple but I was wrong. Lesson learned. Kids, keep your bottom head on. Now if you could do a comparison of a Sonor SQ2 Birch and a Ludwig Legacy Mahogany that would be sweet! Great vid guys..you rock!
Excellent video! Well thought out (or you fooled us-LOL) THANK YOU for the basic pattern at the the end with all the kits back to back. That alone was worth the thumbs up on the video. Would have liked to hear just a single overhead mic of the kits - unprocessed. I have a hard time with my floor tom tuning. Real to my ears versus close mic'd. And ALL those floor toms sounded great. I have the Yamaha Rock Tour Kit (Big leaf mahogany. Remember the TV spot with the car driving through the warehouse triggering the drums. Mine kit is one of those 20 used in the spot.)
I own (and gigged multiple times) a stage custom birch and it’s absolutely ridiculous how great it sounds. All sound guys I’ve worked with loved it too. Mic’d up very easy and is very, very warm sounding. I honestly prefer the sound of the stage custom birch over my gretsch USA custom.
Awesome comment 👍👍
I have a stage custom and I think this is a great choice for everyone !!! :)
Thank you so much for these side-by-side comparisons and descriptions! I was looking at Yamaha Drums' website and eventually found this video. I'm a part-time/student drummer doing informal, preliminary research into my next drum set. I chose Yamaha as my favorite drum manufacturer in the late 1980s and invested in a Power Tour Custom (1989), Maple Custom (1996), and Stage Custom Standard (2001). I've always aspired to own a Recording Custom, but it's more likely that I would purchase a Stage Custom Birch or possibly a Tour Custom Maple. I really needed to hear this lineup (which is still current as of November 2022) and I'm impressed with the Stage Custom Birch considering its low price point.
For your 2001 Stage Custom, what batter and reso head do you use?
@@elliestevens9204 Remo Clear Ambassadors for both.
Those Toyota PHX sound amazing
Shane, I'm a 69 year old drummer (if you can call it that???) . I was gifted a Cheapo Gammon Drum kit in 2018 as a Xmas gift from my wife. I had not played for over 50 years - you know , a garage band in 1967-69 that never got out of the basement. I expressed an interest to play drums again , and whamo, my wife gets me a drum kit . Now I'm retired and play the drums nearly everyday as it has become a Resurrected pleasure (Thank God ), where I am Playing for enjoyment to My Music (You know.....the best there ever was !!). Question is that I have replaced the Drum heads , added new Cymbals (Paiste PST 7s and 8s), and recently a DW Design series Nickel over Brass 14 X 6.5 Snare (used), a Mapex 13 X 3.5 snare and a pdp concept maple Popcorn snare 10 X 6 , and on my Xmas list is a DW Design series 8 X 10 Tom. Its sounding pretty good, but can't help to think that I have started a Hodge Podge compilation, notwithstanding the Paiste cymbals. Probably not the way to go vs. just getting a complete new or used complete drum kit like the Yamaha Stage Custom ? Does Drum Center of Portsmouth have Used Kits?
Hello, Aldo! We absolutely carry used kits. You can check them out here: www.drumcenternh.com/used/drum-sets
For the price, though, a new stage custom is an excellent choice. Thanks for watching!
Shane and Co - thanks for these videos. You are an incredible asset to the drumming community. There is really no substitute for these sort of side-by-side comparos when you are trying judge differences in relatively similar items. As you guys know recording conditions, head selection, room, tuning, and even the technique of the drummer all make such a huge difference in how a set sounds. So when you have an opportunity to take all these variables out and really try to show drums in same vs. same conditions, you get a lot more useful information.
I also like the expert commentary from Shane - he's one of the best. I have bought a lot of things from him over the years because I appreciate his insights and accurate commentary. It's very hard to make it as an independent in this business and the reason Shane is successful is that he offers a lot of value add.
Regarding Yamaha drums - I have often said the same things about the build quality and consistency of their product - I have a lot of their sets (Phoenix X 2, recording custom, maple custom, oak custom, Washi birch) but also sets by every other major builder (DW, Tama, Pearl, Gretsch, Sonor) and also many more esoteric ones (Craviotto, Noble & Cooley, Dunnett, Ocheltree,, Rocket, trick, etc.) and nobody made a BETTER drum than the Japanese-era Yamahas. I mean "better" in terms of consistency and build quality.
Two things I was left wondering about:
-what were the mic's used and the post processing? My suggestion here is that you put an overview of what you did into the text description of the video or have a pointer to a video that says "how we record drums " if you do that the same way every time. Note: you did a video where you went through mics and recordings about 2 months ago - point to that? The unbelievably good bass sound you are getting from a 699 kit has to be partly a function of spectacular room sound and microphones.
-would love to drill down a bit on your commentary on tuning the Phoenix kit. i have two of these kits:
sapphire fade: th-cam.com/video/RCIsFFNtV0o/w-d-xo.html
custom copper: th-cam.com/video/D5Xdj_MT28A/w-d-xo.html
on the sapphire kit I have 2 ply emporers and on Jimmy's kit I kept the coated ambassadors.
I find them both to be very tunable across a wide range (one of the signs of a truly great drum) while maintaining the tonal character of the Phoenix drum which is truly unique. I really think these drums sound much better with 2 ply heads because they bring out that amazing bottom end on the low toms. Can you just explain more about what you meant there? I respect your opinion, just want to understand it.
Those Phoenix kits are just unreal!!! I have a 90's Yamaha Maple Custom with the gold lugs and I'll never give it up. But if I ever was it would be for the Phoenix
Hard to hear the drums with all the crashes! Haha. I bought the 1st Stage Custom kit to hit San Diego in 1994. It was set up, and I bought it instantly. Needed a sturdy good sounding kit for steady gigging. Also, if something happened to it, cheap to replace. Never failed me. I recently sold it. Served me well for 25 years!! Great comparison.
The last ten tears of my career was with a Recording Series that I customised to suit the genre I was playing. I came out of retirement in 2015, tracked down my old kit but couldnt convince him to sell it so found the last Japanese made Yamaha Maple Custom Absolute in Australia. Did some studio sessions, some reunion gigs and then settled into my home recording studio. Due to my accomadation situation was unable to make any noise so reluctantly sold the kit and went the electronic way in 2022. Here I am, Jan 1st 2024 and about to order my Yamaha PHX kit. My skin preferences are organised so it is down to which Black finish and will I also get the 18" floor to go with the 16", 14", 12" and 10". Love this review although some harder playing would have been appreciated. The PHX stood out fractionally ahead of the Recording kit. It was the hi tom that did it and was tonally similiar to the rest of the kit. FYI I am listening on my mortgage Yamaha YH 5000 headphones that I use for mixing. They do not lie. Peter
Live custom!!🎉🎉🎉
Man I really enjoyed this and the stage custom sounds amazing!! I maybe giving you guys a call very soon.
I have a Yamaha Maple custom kit and a Stage Custom kit, Both great sounding kits, The hardware is absolutely fantastic 👌🏻
You're really outdoing yourselves with these incredible demo's! They are so well thought out and performed. I personally am through with my drum purchasing binge.....for the time being lol! BUT if I were interested in a kit I wouldn't dismiss Yamaha. Not traditionally a brand that comes to mind of when I think of drums and yet everything they manufacturer is of elite craftmanship, weather it's a motorcycle or a piano. I've always liked the Live Custom based on performance and value. They all sound great, really, but based on the mics here, the Recording Custom and PHX are the elite of the brand as they should be considering cost. These videos are an online consumer's dream! You guy's deserve a ton of credit for this, literally! Hopefully, in turn, as karma should have it - you'll sell a bunch. Awesome playing BTW Tom and Shane!
Yamaha makes excellent electronic drums, as well. I so want to buy a DTX-532. Alas, I will have to sell lots more of my acrylic paintings before I can do that. LOL.
We all have to make sacrifices, to a degree, in able to attain what we desire. You're right, Yamaha does make good electronic kits. Good luck!
All these drums are spectacular, but those Tour Custom maples are probably my pick. Always loved maple shells.
For me.. Stage Custom, Absolute Hybrid and Live Custom! Love the Oak!!
Brent McGuire couldn’t agree more. The PHX too
So pretty much all of them, ha ha :)
all of them sound fantastic, looks amazing, great value....hats off to Yamaha and you guys, thanks very much for this video
The Greatest Comparison Set up and Let us give these Fantastic Drummers Some everyone of them extremely talented and knowledgeable. If you're going to Drop Several Thousand dollars on a set I believe to get the most bang for your buck and that includes having a great knowledgeable staff dedicated to their profession and craft demonstrate these Fabulous drums for you. Answering every question with honesty and conviction NO BS here. They are meticulous in every detail. Sean is set apart from every other Professional Drum Shop. Its a Paradise for Drummers an active museum for Drummers. It worth the Flight to see this Drum Mecca. Buy your Set there they will ship it to with a Professional packing unsurpassed by any other company including some from the manufacturers themselves . That's the level of dedication to detail I'm referring to you with no qualms.
Shane? Is that you?
Just kidding. Thanks so much for the kind words. It means a lot to us when we receive feedback, especially glowing endorsements! We appreciate you.
Drum Center of Portsmouth are those ambassadors or emperors on the Toms?
As a former Yamaha endorser, I’ve owned and played both Tour Customs and Live Customs (also, Rock Tours and Club Customs-I’ve owned six Yamaha kits). My faves are the Live Customs, but I agree with you about the price/quality argument for the Stage Customs. Great drums.
I find those Sabian HHX Prototypes just amazing !!!
Excellent,enjoyed your reviews and many thanks for doing them.
Thanks for watching them!
Nobody wants to pay more for something that is not necessary, so Yamaha live custom is the best value for money..
We have a stage custom at music school and it sound amazing even compared to Gretsch renown maples. I'm still blown away.
Man you guys know how tune a floor tom. These kits all sound great.
Great video. Really cool to see all the lines of drums one after the other like that to really hear the difference. Thanks for making this video. I would love to see this style of comparison for some of the other drum company's lines.
I bought a stage custom in fusion sizes to take with me when I went off music school 15 years ago. It was the best kit I could afford at the time, and I used that kit for about 8 years exclusively. Super versatile set, really great choice for a serious student who's expecting to have to play a lot of different styles. I sold the kit off around 5 years ago for just around the same price that I paid for it all those years back. It's the best kit at that price point in my opinion.
That recording custom is really something, though. There's a reason it's such a classic.
Another fine video by your staff. Yamaha makes really nice affordable drums
Holly heck, theyre all fantastic. Ive once played a maple hybrid, it just blew me away. They sounded so pristine like they were already mixed and mastered. Amasing
Great video guys, well explained and demonstrated. Good job
Thanks for watching!
I can't get over how good those stage customs sounds. Best kit you can get for the price.
all these drums sound beautiful
I luv my Stage Custom. Would also like to have an Absolute Hybrid Maple.
One of the things that is so overlooked in drum tuning is sympathetic resonance. When you discuss how the PHX floor tom and kick tune right up, but the rack toms are a pain, it's the sympathetic resonance of these drums that drive people crazy. As a PHX owner, I had the same issue when I first got them . . . why don't these tune up like my Maple Customs or DW Collectors?? The reason why the Recording Custom is what it is, is because those drums are basically designed (intentionally or not) to minimize sympathetic resonance. That's why they use those full length (high tension lugs). I always wondered why "low mass lugs" - single screw, small lugs like the Yamaha MC are not everywhere? Why does DW still use those big round lugs on their collectors? Why would anyone use something like "silver sealer" on the inside of their drums like Gretsch? Etc. Etc. So many drum tuning videos show the "experts" tuning one drum at a time on a table or stand etc. We all try to do that and often the drum sounds great . . . (by itself) . . . then we mount on the kit and it doesn't sound right and people get frustrated. So out come the tune bots and the drum dials and all the toys to tell us that we tuned correctly . . . but that's not the problem . . . acoustic drum sounds are shaped by their surroundings, not just their tom mounts. I think it would be a great video for you all to explore tuning and the effect of sympathetic resonance . . . and how to tune with it. Resonance is a blessing and a curse and knowing how to control what and when would probably help a lot of drummers who can play a paradiddle at 5000 bpm lol, but can't tune a tom tom.
Great demonstration. Great drums.thanks.
Much appreciated!
Love the video!! I just bought the burgundy Yamaha BCA you had
I was surprised with how good the stage customs sounded, i think it had the best sounding rack toms out of the lot!
If the PHX is hard to tune, well, after it's tuned, it's the best freaking drums I've ever heard, so might be worth the hassle.
Those RC’s have far less sustain than all the rest. Very interesting.
I may be weird, but I like the AHM best! And I was sure it was gonna be PHX. Hmm. Thanks for putting this together guys. You all ROCK!!!!
Any wonder why both of my drums are Yamaha? (AMH + AMC 1988) Absolute LUV! 🥁 Great VDO guys, congrats ❤
Can't believe how good the Stage Customs sound! Personally, I'd rather get 3 Stage Custom kits for the price of one Recording Custom, sorry :)
You could 6 stage custom kits for the price of 1 recording custom
Great review!!
Phoenix, Live Custom, then Tour Custom, for mine ... Nice!
I picked up the Tour Custom (20, 14, 12, 10) last year for a secondary "inexpensive" tour kit, so glad I did! Amazing value, great hardware, tunes up so quick. It defiantly sounds like a more expensive kit. To be honest I think the toms sounded best on the Tour Custom, just had a more open sound. Of course they all sounded good! Thank you for making these comparison videos, I'm positive it helps with the buying and selling process. Cheers!
Thanks, Myk!
Awesome comparison video, would love to see more with other brands. Keep it coming guys!
Great video, and I LOVE the Dubly shirt!
It would have been interesting to hear higher tunings as well, for a jazz context. Nonetheless, the video is really useful and well made.
The incredible thing is that all these drums sound great... from the Stage Custom to the PHX. But the PHX costs a lot more than the Stage Custom!
Nice guys! Great playing as well. When I joined the Yamaha family about 7 years ago, They loaned me an Oak Custom kit until my actual kit came in. What a pleasure it was. Full rich tone but with that mid-range that helped the drums speak over any situation. Then the Hybrid Maple kit showed up. I'm still finding new tuning ideas with this kit. It's simply stunning. At various points I've borrowed a PHX kit, Stage Custom, toured with a Live Custom twice and was fortunate to be asked to demo the Recording Custom for another music store. Across the board, every kit performed beyond its expectations, particularly the Stage Custom. Now I have a Tour Custom coming as a "B" kit I keep at a satellite location where I gig a lot. You guys have done a great job showing the quality and consistency that makes Yamaha such a valued and trusted brand. Too bad the Live Oak Hybrid wasn't around for this. It's magnificent with maybe the greatest bass drum ever made. All the best! Jimmy ... I hope to visit the store someday! Cheers.
I recently just got the stage customs and they are that good!!! Clean punchy sound and hardware is so nice for the price
Ive owned yamah oak, beech absolute and older stage customs and these are best of the lot I just dig the sound
Excellent video folks! I would love to see videos like this of each manufacturer. A ton of work, but Wow! What a great and informative reference.
Thanks Doug. It was a ton of (fun) work!
DrumCenterNH Makes me want to go buy a Stage Custom for a gigging kit!
I have stage custom from the 90s and every other drummer love the sounds it produce. It still holding up all those years.
Gotta do a Sonor Kit Comparison! Woo! AQ2(please not the safari, bop, or martini!), Vintage, SQ1, SQ2
That PHX is the best sounding kit I've ever heard. I like how you set it up as maybe kinda sketchy and say "let's see how it goes.." Then the best four sounding drums I've ever heard, haha
The sound of Maple is more "dark", clone do. The sound of Birch is more "Bright", opened. This is my impression...