The Yamaha Maple Custom, along with the Absolute and Definitive variations were drum kits made by Yamaha Drums which is a subsidiary of the Yamaha Corporation. Yamaha Drums is a top drum manufacturer that makes acoustic, electronic drums and percussion instruments.

All images are property of Yamaha Corporation, for more information and history on the Yamaha Drum Brand see the Yamaha Drums review.

 

Yamaha Maple Drums & Maple Custom Drum Set

Yamaha first introduced Maple drums in 1991 even though there was a risk that consumers would reject the change from Birch shells. The switch to Maple was influenced by fusion drumming in the 80’s that demanded a brighter and more rapid response. This also led to the development of lighter lugs to increase resonance and an extremely thin “vintage” dubbed finish. The YESS mounting system was also born with the Yamaha Maple Custom drum set.

 

Yamaha Enhanced Sustain System (YESS)

Having a long history with Yamaha’s high end drum sets, the YESS mounting system is standard on all Maple Custom drum sets. This rod clamp system permits attachment of the drum shell to the tom holder without the need of a hole in the shell for the rod to clear. The YESS clamp is connected to the shell at the nodal point with two bolts which allows the drum to move freely without corrupting the shell’s resonance.

 

Set Features

• All Maple Shells
• 7ply Toms
• 10ply Bass
• Air Seal System
• Vintage Finish
• Gold Lugs
• Bass Drum Spurs
• YESS Mounts
• Triple Tom Holder

 

Yamaha Maple Custom Review & Price

The Yamaha Maple Custom is a quality intermediate to semi-professional drum kit that was very popular during its production run. For this reason it is still fairly easy to find good condition used sets on resources such as eBay and Craigslist.  Depending on the condition and pieces included a Maple Custom set should go for anywhere from $1,500 to $4,000. Part of this wide range depends on rather you are buying the kit from a private seller or dealer.

 

Yamaha Maple Custom Absolute

The Yamaha Maple Absolute was first introduced in 1998; seven years after Yamaha first introduced the use of Maple wood in drum shells. At this same time beech shells came out along with the Musashi snare and subkick low-frequency capture device.

 

Yamaha Maple Custom Absolute Specs & Price

The Maple Absolute bass drum came in 18×14, 20×14, 22×16, 24×16, 20×18, 22×18, 24×18 and Special Order 22×14 as well as 20×16. Mounted toms came in 8×7, 10×7.5, 12×8, 13×9, 8×8, 10×9, 12×10, 13×11, 14×12, 15×13 and 16×14. Floor toms came in standard Yamaha sizes of 14×14, 16×16 and 18×16.

Because of the huge selection of drum sizes the Absolute prices vary widely on the used market. Be prepared to spend at least $2,500 for a kit in good condition.

 

Absolute Features

• All Maple Shells
• 6ply Toms
• 7ply Bass
• Air Seal System
• Vintage Finish
• Chrome Lugs
• Floating Bass System
• Bass Drum Spurs
• YESS Mounts
• Ball Clamp
• Triple Tom Holder

 

 

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