MGR/TBradford « Yamaha Maple Custom Absolute »
Published on 11/22/07 at 15:00I am 54 years old, and have been playing trap set, mainly as a hobby, but also as a freelance musician since high school. My first "real" drumset was a set of Rogers drums that I bought in 1979, which never really gave me the sound that I was after. I tend more towards jazz, and by that time CBS/Rogers was rock focused. I have since bought Yamaha Stage Customs and individual Rodgers drums from the '60s of of Ebay, rewrapping most, which I have fashioned into a set.
With the purchase and rewrapping of the Ebay drums, I had really fulfilled my goal of having a smaller Jazz set, so I was not in the market. However, at PASIC approximately one month ago, I was "auditioning" ride cymbals from the different manufacturers. At the Paiste booth, I sat at this small set without paying attention to what they were and started playing the cymbals. While playing around the set, I noticed how musical the toms were(8X12, 14X14), how crisp the snare and how punchy the 18" bass drum. When I realized that they were Maple Custom Absolutes, I was in love. The drum shop, Columbus Percussion, gave me what I consider a good deal on the set; $1900.00 (drums and tom mount), taxes and shipping included.
What I like about the unit besides the known Yamaha quality is the sound that I can get from the drums; round, warm sound from the toms and a beautifully defined punch from the 18" bass drum. The snare sounds so much better than the one that came as a part of the Stage Custom set that it's hard to believe that they were manufactured by the same company.
Its hard to come up with what I don't like about the set, except that I have not yet been able to tune the 14" tom just like I want it. I think that is more of reflection on my tuning abilities than the drum's potential.
Great quality from the finish to all functional parts.
I played my first Jazz gig with these drums (and the Sabian HHX Evolutions, also from PASIC) one week ago. I loved every minute of it. I do believe that the sound of the drums actually helped me play better. I look forward to many years of joy from playing this set.
This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com
With the purchase and rewrapping of the Ebay drums, I had really fulfilled my goal of having a smaller Jazz set, so I was not in the market. However, at PASIC approximately one month ago, I was "auditioning" ride cymbals from the different manufacturers. At the Paiste booth, I sat at this small set without paying attention to what they were and started playing the cymbals. While playing around the set, I noticed how musical the toms were(8X12, 14X14), how crisp the snare and how punchy the 18" bass drum. When I realized that they were Maple Custom Absolutes, I was in love. The drum shop, Columbus Percussion, gave me what I consider a good deal on the set; $1900.00 (drums and tom mount), taxes and shipping included.
What I like about the unit besides the known Yamaha quality is the sound that I can get from the drums; round, warm sound from the toms and a beautifully defined punch from the 18" bass drum. The snare sounds so much better than the one that came as a part of the Stage Custom set that it's hard to believe that they were manufactured by the same company.
Its hard to come up with what I don't like about the set, except that I have not yet been able to tune the 14" tom just like I want it. I think that is more of reflection on my tuning abilities than the drum's potential.
Great quality from the finish to all functional parts.
I played my first Jazz gig with these drums (and the Sabian HHX Evolutions, also from PASIC) one week ago. I loved every minute of it. I do believe that the sound of the drums actually helped me play better. I look forward to many years of joy from playing this set.
This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com