Yamaha is a household name in the music industry. If you’re a drummer, then you know it is one of the best manufactures.
Among many products from this company, you will love the Yamaha Stage Custom Birch. This 5-piece drum set is ideal for all levels of experience.
In this review, I will introduce some features I liked with this kit, as well as what didn’t work for me. Having reviewed drums for many years, perhaps I will help you make a more informed decision.
Why Yamaha?
Before we review this drum kit, let’s take a closer look at Yamaha as a brand.
For many years, Yamaha has been producing world-class musical instruments. Over time, they’ve become a reputable brand that all musicians can rely on.
The first Stage Custom was introduced in the market in 1995, and for more than two decades now, the company has designed and built universal sound qualities for a fair price point.
In 2014, Yamaha introduced a new and improved Stage Custom to keep in the market. And it was counted among the best drum kits in its category.
The Yamaha Stage Custom Birch is built for those on a budget. Hence, it is suitable for beginners and medium-expertise players.
Now that you know a little bit about Yamaha, let’s continue our review of their Birch drum kit.
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About the Yamaha Stage Custom Birch
The Yamaha Stage Custom Birch is listed as Yamaha’s most affordable 100 percent birch shells pack. It is an excellent option for beginners, as well as experts in music. It comes with a thin shell that is built to last.
The set also features low-mass lugs that keep the shells vibrating to improve the sound. The construction ensures every drum shell has uniform quality, is perfectly round and durable.
Configuration
The drum set comes with:
- A 22 x 17 in. bass drum
- A 10 x 17 in. and 12 x 8 in. tom(s).
- One 16 x 15 in. floor tom
- 6 pieces in total.
Birch Shells:
- Made from steel
- Suspended mounts
- Triple-flange hoops
- Standard lugs.
Other items:
- Branded heads
- Lacquer finish
Top Features
Appearance
The Yamaha Stage Custom Birch is visually appealing. Yamaha is known for creating a timeless design.
The finishes on this particular product are nothing less than amazing. First, the lug design makes it admirable to anyone in the drumming industry.
There are a few different finishing options. You can choose whichever design suits your style. Besides, the hardware construction is phenomenal regardless of what finish you select.
You get seven finishes offered for these shells, with only two not focusing on the beautiful wood grain.
If you pick the matte black and dark silver metallic finishes, you’ll have a solid aesthetic.
The remaining five are more for organic visuals with sapphire blue being my favorite design for this kit.
But the real value of these drums lies in the solid shell mounted hardware. These include the triple, flange hoops, rigid lugs, and improved YESS tom mounts. They are lightweight yet offer sturdy positioning in a small space.
When I was setting up this kit, I discovered the bass drum legs and padded hoop claws were very important. I never noticed them in other drums sets, but it seems Yamaha hasn’t forgotten their attention to detail.
The ball mounts and clamps are among Yamaha’s celebrated hardware. It keeps your rack tom angles in check. The YESS suspension included in the floor tom legs is an improvement from the previous design.
In short, the Yamaha Stage Custom Birch is sleek and dependable. It never let me down, and I believe every player will find it worth their investment.
100% Birch Construction
When choosing a drum kit, one of the most important features is the shell construction. The material used will determine how much you enjoy the drum and for how long you can use it.
The Yamaha Stage Custom drum shells are built with 100 percent birch. This material is known globally for its unique sound quality.
Birch adds sharpness and punches in the drums. This makes the beater feel the experience of playing high-end drums sets.
Besides, it also features 6-ply construction. From this, you can better manage vibrations. Hence, sound comes depending on the intensity of the beating. But every level is quality.
Yamaha enhanced Sustain System
One of the reasons Yamaha has remained a market leader is because of their persistence to improve their products. An example of this is the Yamaha Enhanced Sustain System.
This feature is important because it minimizes contact between the hardware and the shell. Such contact can decrease the sound quality, making it seem as though the beater is not doing a good job.
Also, the feature is greats in terms of improving toms’ placement. You can find the best area to set them, and they will not interfere with the hardware.
Low-mass lugs
The only other drum set I have seen this feature is perhaps the Tama CL72S Drum Set. This feature influences the shells’ vibrations, hence improving the tone.
Performance
The kit I was working with was purchased in 2014. The toms range between 8 and 22 inches in size while the wood snare measures 14 x 5.5 inches.
The Stage Custom produces a more overarching tone. It does not have the strong features displayed in exotic wood, hybrid, or metal shells.
But this is not a bad feature because it works in its favor. I noticed the drums produce the exact sound you would expect from a middle of the road classic drum set. If you’re looking for a well-rounded tone, you don’t need to look any further.
One of the reasons these shells work is because they are quite versatile. However, one should consider taking their composition at face value. You may not get the same quality sound from the 6-ply birch as you would from the 3-ply vintage maple or a top-end 11-ply hybrid. But you should not be discouraged by this.
You can be sure to get a great sound when the tone of the drums is centered. There is a beautiful sustain where their mounts aid the rack toms. With this, you can get a variety of tunings.
The snare drum performs exceptionally in the middle range. It would be better if you used it as a low, fat snare. If you are looking to really get the best tone, perhaps the use of quality heads would serve you better.
Are Yamaha Stage Custom Birch Drums any good?
It is not easy to convince someone to try a new drum kit. This is especially true for beginners. However, the Yamaha Stage Custom Drums is an optimal choice. A solid snare set up and a reliable bass drum make this kit suitable for most playing styles. Compared to many products in the same price category, you can easily agree they are standard. Consider the following benefits:
They are made by a reliable manufacturer
Yamaha is a household name in the music instrument industry. When it comes to quality products, the brand name is perhaps its best asset.
Yamaha is trusted by people from all parts of the world. So you can be sure of the highest quality standards. If you ever need to replace any parts, you can easily find them online or in most music shops. It often sends out promotions to those who have given their email address.
Great hardware
There is no secret the hardware included in this set is impressive. For example, it comes with die-cast claw hooks that help in noise reduction by using a rubber insertion. Therefore, it’s easy to improve sustain and resonance.
It offers Punchy Sounds
Perhaps the thing drummers care the most about, more than the brand is sound production. The punchy sounds created by the Stage Custom Birch make it an excellent choice. Chances of disappointing you are very minimal.
Alternatives
If you feel like the Yamaha Stage Custom Birch is not for you, then perhaps you can consider the following:
- DW Design Series Drum Set Tobacco Burst
- Gretsch New Renown Maple 4-Piece Euro Drum Set
Who Is the Stage Custom Birch For?
This kit is suitable for intermediate players. It is a general-purpose drum and not for a specific music genre.
It is also for those looking for musical instruments from a reputable brand. So beginners may also find it useful.
Verdict
From the brand name to the hardware and performance, the Stage Custom Birch by Yamaha is truly impressive. It is a product that will not disappoint you.
