Thinking about buying a cheaper bop kit (Yamaha Stage Customs) for portability/do not have to baby them. Anything I should know before I proceed?

[aarono2690]

In the deals thread someone posted that a lot of music stores are having sales on Yamaha gear. Yamaha Stage Customs 3 pc bop kits are going for $500 new. This piqued my interest due to all the high praise I've seen given to the Yamaha Stage Customs, but I've never owned a bop kit nor have I ever played live for a crowd.

My situation: I currently have a Tama Starclassic maple (MIC) and a Tama Starclassic Performer birch (MIJ). I do not want to have 3 drum kits so I'm thinking I will sell my Starclassic Performer as the drum sizes are pretty close to my SC maple kit (redundant) and while I feel I do not have to baby the Starclassic Performer as much when moving them around the drums are still big and heavy (not gaining much for portability vs. my Starclassic Maple). I feel a small bop kit would fill a role that neither of my current kits meet.

If I proceed with buying the Stage Customs I'd use them as my practice and jamming kit while I keep the Starclassics at home. For music styles I like rock, funk, some jazz (I like trying to play it, not so much listening to it), and metal. I realize the bop kit will struggle with some music genres.

Questions:

1. Will I see a noticeable drop in quality in the drums/hardware by going to a Stage Custom from a Starclassic/Starclassic Performer? I had a Gretsch Energy kit as my first kit and the thing felt like a child's kit. I've seen Stage Customs while out on the town, but have never been up close to one or played on one. I have to assume the Yamaha, while an entry kit, is quite a bit better than the Gretsch I played on.
2. If I'm jamming with friends (guitar and bass) will a bop kit be hard to hear over their amplified instruments? How about at a bar/live music venue when I get to that point in my playing ability?
3. Is it stupid that I'm thinking about selling a mid-tier made in Japan kit for an entry level Chinese kit?
4. I've seen a few people mention that these Stage Customs detune easy. Is that still a problem with the newer kits?
5. Anything else to know or consider?

 

[trynberg]

1. Yes to the hardware, perhaps on the drums. They are true drums though (not "entry level"), so perfectly fine for rehearsing or gigging. The hardware is a slight drop-off but still functional and reliable for gigs.
2. Well, the toms are the same size as a non-bop kit, so no issues there. The bass drum will certainly not be a powerhouse and would need miking earlier than a 22" drum. I'm guessing still fine for typical indoor gigs.
3. If you no longer need the kit, what's stupid about it?
4. Stage Customs come with 1.6mm hoops instead of the modern 2.3mm hoops and they also come with Taiwan Remos instead of US Remos. Factor in an upgrade on at least the batter heads before too long.

 

[crash]

No. Have never played a set of them that didn’t sound great.

 

[Jazzhead]

Because they raised the price on Gretsch Catalinas, I would say stage customs but Sonor will put all of them in the back pocket. SONOR makes the BEST affordable kits, the quality and sound are way above its price point.

 

[Ptrick]

If I were going to get a stage custom for the most versatility, it would be 20/10/12/14, or 20/10/12/16. (I have stage custom birches in 20/10/12/14/16 and just mix and match)

No problem with volume and projection on the 20” kick. The whole set is very light.

They are super fun drums to play! Tune up great, wonderful tone. I use coated 2 ply on the batters (coated G2’s) and it fattens them up a bit from a standard coated or clear single ply.

I put Nylok tension rods on all the tops of the toms, which have some nylon wrapped around the threads to combat detuning, and they haven’t budged in years.

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[aarono2690]

Talking the AQ2 I presume?

Because they raised the price on Gretsch Catalinas, I would say stage customs but Sonor will put all of them in the back pocket. SONOR makes the BEST affordable kits, the quality and sound are way above its price point.

 

[covinasurf]

Talking the AQ2 I presume?

If you're interested in the AQ2, SW just got some more of the Bop kits in WMP, $779. Mine came Monday after a 6 month wait. DCP also has them but the price is higher there. The lacquer version are more expensive ($999 for the bop) so I went for the WMP as it's a kit for the practice room.

JH

 

[T_Weaves]

If you're interested in the AQ2, SW just got some more of the Bop kits in WMP, $779. Mine came Monday after a 6 month wait. DCP also has them but the price is higher there. The lacquer version are more expensive ($999 for the bop) so I went for the WMP as it's a kit for the practice room.

JH

I would think the AQ2's would be a better choice than a Yamaha SC. I owned an SC for a brief period. It was not a pleasant experience. I'll leave it at that.

 

[aarono2690]

I would think the AQ2's would be a better choice than a Yamaha SC. I owned an SC for a brief period. It was not a pleasant experience. I'll leave it at that.

Haha, now I'm curious! I may hold off on pulling the trigger on the SC. I went down and banged around on both Tama kits this morning and it felt good - I still have a connection to both of them, so I'm not sure I'm ready to sell and downgrade.

 

[BruceOrl]

I bought a Custom Gig kit, but didn't like the toms. So I mounted the snom alongside the included 10 " tom, added a small floor.

For playing out, I'll use three pieces and leave the 10" at home. They are much lighter and easier to transport than my main kit.

You'll notice the hardware is a step down. Lugs and tension rods feel cheaper than a lot of higher end stuff. But the shells are rocking and I really like the bass drum.

Best part about the Customs is that you can easily mix and match colors/drums with other kits.

 

[shuffle]

Nothing wrong with Stage Customs,great bang for the buck

 

[5 Style]

A friend of mine has a set of Stage Customs for his studio and I've played then and think that look and sound great. The hardware, fit and finish are all excellent, particularly for such an inexpensive kit. I like them far better than a Gretsch Catalina bop kit that I've played, which while not terrible seems to be made of softwe wood and for my taste lacks the volume, projection and crisper tone of the Stage Customs. I'll add that I found the matching snares for both kits to be all but unusable...

 

[Rich K.]

At first glance, the lacquered Stage Customs look like a much more expensive set. I considered them, but couldn't get past the 6 lug 18" bass drum.

 

[mydadisjr]

I had a set with the 20"... really disliked the 20 mainly cuz of its 17" depth. Toms were good tho.

I might have liked the kit better with the 18" kick BUT, like Rich K just said, I am really turned off by the six lug bass. Really cheapens the look of the set.

Spend a few more $$ and look for a used Gretsch Renown kit.

 

[Rattlin' Bones]

You can get a Tama Superstar kit for less than $1,000. That's what I use for gigs. Very lite weight, great hardware, sound great. Much better choice. Or the Sonor kits in this price range. Either would be IMHO your best choices.

 

[aarono2690]

You can get a Tama Superstar kit for less than $1,000. That's what I use for gigs. Very lite weight, great hardware, sound great. Much better choice. Or the Sonor kits in this price range. Either would be IMHO your best choices.

Will keep this in mind. I do like the look of Sonor kits as I think they're very classy and refined looking.

 

[Jazzhead]

Talking the AQ2 I presume?

Yes, Sonor’s sound and quality, even the lower tier drums, is at another level when you compare to other companies.

 

[mydadisjr]

This:

AQ2 with 8 lug 18" kick, 8 lug FT... seven ply maple

A serious upgrade from Yamaha SC (birch, 6 lug bass, 6 lug FT)

Brand new, $780 free shipping online (SW, MuFr, GC etc)

 

[mydadisjr]

double post... sorry!

 

[mtarrani]

I own one of those kits and had the bass drum cut down to 12" deep. It sounded absolutely fine (and perhaps even better) at the original 15" depth, but I was not getting the rebound I wanted and for me that counts for a lot. Even at 12" deep it is a canon. But the kit itself is pro-quality. Way better than any of the Catalina kits, and equal or better than the Sonor AQ2 kits IMHO.