The Yamaha Stage Custom Birch is made by Yamaha Drums which is a part of the Yamaha Corporation an international company based in Japan. Yamaha Drums is a top drum brand that makes both acoustic and electric drum sets along with hardware and concert percussion.

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The Yamaha Stage Series was first introduced was first introduced in 1985 however it was not until 1996 when the Yamaha Stage Custom line burst onto the drumming scene. The Stage Custom aimed to offer higher end drum attributes such as birch shells, one-piece lugs and high quality finish at a more affordable price.

 

Yamaha Enhanced Sustain System (YESS)

Having a long history with Yamaha’s high end drum sets like the Maple Custom, the YESS mounting system is standard on all Stage Custom drum sets. This rod clamp system permits attachment of the drum shell to the tom-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 pulse freely without corrupting the shell’s resonance or tonality.

 

Yamaha Stage Custom Birch

The “Birch” is Yamaha’s current model of the Stage Custom line featuring 100% birch shells. The Birch can be purchased in three (3) preset configurations with 700 series hardware or as individual drums. These drums are designed for the beginner drummer with shell packs ranging from $500 (3pc) to $900 (5pc with Hardware) brand new. Bass drums are available in 18×15, 20×17, 22×17 and 24×17 sizes. Floor toms are available in 14×14, 16×16 and 18×16. Mounted toms come in 8×7, 10×8, 12×9, 13×10, 14×12 and 16×14. Lastly, Stage Custom snares come in 14×6.5 as well as 14×5.5 in both wood and steel.

 

Yamaha Stage Custom Birch Finishes

The Stage Custom Birch is available in the following high-gloss lacquer finishes.

• Cranberry Red
• Dark Silver Metallic
• Natural Wood
• Raven Black
• Sapphire Blue
• Matte Black
• Honey Amber

 

Stage Custom Advantage

Stage Custom Advantage Drums is a drum set that was produced by Yamaha that featured drum shells made of an outer layer of birch and an inner layer of falkata, combined with Philippine mahogany plies and sealed together with their patented Air Seal System. The Advantage was also available with deeper 9ply bass drums at 20×17 and 22×17. A matching 14×5.5 wood snare was also included. 8 ply Mounted and floor toms were also available in standard Stage Custom sizes. The Advantage model is the most popular of the Stage Custom line in the used market and can be found on Craigslist and eBay starting at $400.

 

Advantage Nouveau

The differences with the Nouveau version includes the FRC Nouveau Lug made from exclusive fiber reinforced composite for less vibration and quicker head changes. Nouveau shells were also made out of an outer ply of Birch (gloss finishes) or Oak (matte finishes), six plies of Philippine Mahogany, and an inner ply of Falkata. Gloss finishes includes Honey Yellow, Cranberry Red as well as Fade Raven Black and Brown Amber while the matte finish was a Matte Sienna. Nouveau drum kits can be found online used for $500 and up.

 

Stage Custom Standard

The Stage Custom Standard is a now discontinued drumset that was made by Yamaha Drums. This kit featured shells made of 8ply Philippine Mahogany with an outer ply of Birch. They were fused together utilizing Yamaha’s patented Air Seal System. The hardware on the Standard featured a round ball clamp and triple tom holder that mounted two toms as well as a cymbal. The Standard also featured lugs that that attached at two points and incorporated spring-less lug bolts.

 

Yamaha Stage Custom Standard Drum Sizes & Configurations

Standard Bass drums were available in 20×17 and 22×17. Floor Toms were available in 14×14, 16×16 and 18×16 sizes, while mounted toms came in 8×8, 10×9, 12×10, 13×11, 14×12 and 16×14. The a steel 14×5.5 snare came with every Yamaha Stage Custom standard set. Standards are still popular on the used market and cab be picked up for as low as $300 on places like Craigslist and eBay.

 

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