The Yamaha Oak Custom, is an acoustic drum kit 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 OAK Custom: Drum Shell Construction & History

Yamaha is one of the few if not the only major drum brand to offer oak as a material for their drum shells. Not only do they offer it, but they have a complete drum set made of oak. The OAK Custom was first introduced by Yamaha in 2002 and has since become standard in the Yamaha lineup. Yamaha, is are able to work with the extremely difficult and hard nature of oak wood by utilizing the patented Air Seal System technology.

 

OAK Shell Finishes

• Silver Sparkle
• Red Sparkle
• Red Oak
• York Honey
• Amber Oak
• Amber Sunburst
• Black Sparkle Sunburst
• Mushashi Black

 

Yamaha Oak Custom Features & Specifications

Oak Custom drums are part of Yamaha’s professional line of drums and thus have the featurs that have come to be expected with high quality Yamaha kits. This includes Yamah’s Air Seal System and YESS Mounts. Of course the shells are 100% oak with the mounted toms and floor toms at 6plys and the bass drums at 7-plies.

The Yamaha Oak Custom drums also come in both “jazz” and “power” depths with the universal sizing. This includes bass drums at 18×15, 20×17, 22×17 and 24×17. Floor toms are standard at 14×14, 16×16 and 18×16. Other important features include sleek, low-mass lugs, a floating bass drum system, spurs, round ball clamp and triple tom holder.

 

Yamaha Enhanced Sustain System (YESS)

Having a long history with Yamaha’s high end drum sets such as the Maple Custom, the YESS mounting system is standard on all OAK 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 and tonality.

 

Yamaha Maple Custom Snares

The OAK custom kits can be purchased with an accompanying OAK custom snare, however Yamaha also offers these snares as individually purchasable items. The three snares currently in the Oak Custom lineup are listed below with key features, model numbers, sizes and other specifications.

 

14×7 Loud Series Snare

Model Number NSD-1470
–Shell: 14″ x 7″ 8-Ply | 8 air vents
–Bearing Edges: 60°, 45° Bottom
–Snare Beds: 2.7mm
–Lugs: Single-Bolt Chrome Plated
–Hoops: 10-Lug Die-Cast
–Snares: 20-strand hi-carbon

 

Loud Series OAK Custom Snare

Model Number NSD-1455
–Shell: 14″ x 5.5″ 8-Ply | 8 air vents
–Bearing Edges: 45°
–Snare Beds: 2.7mm
–Lugs: Dark Chrome Plated
–Hoops: 2.3mm Steel Dynahoops
–Snares: 20-strand hi-carbon

 

Yamaha OAK Custom Snare

Model Number NSD085A
–Shell: 14″ x 5.5″ 6-Ply Oak
–Heads: Remo Ambassador
–Snare Beds: 1.8mm
–Lugs: Small Lug, 10 Tuning Blots
–Hoops: 2.3mm Steel Dynahoops
–Snares: 20-strand hi-carbon

 

Yamaha Oak Custom Review & Price

If you are looking for a kit with a powerful, loud and unique sound then the Oak Custom is a solid choice. Even though some experts classify the use of wood in the shell construction as “experimental,” it is time tested with over 10 years on the market. You can rest assured that your Oak Custom will last for years of vigorous drumming.

The Yamaha Oak Custom kit is the first entry into Yamaha’s professional line of drums and thus they are moderately priced. Shell packs are priced at $2,000 to $3,000 depending on specific drum sizes and snare selection.

 

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