Yamaha Birch Custom Absolute Nouveau T-rods and lugs

[Clint Hopkins]

One of the advantages of the Absolute series is you can get the birch toms with a maple bass drum and the finishes will match.

That's Gadd's configuration.

Don't want to be picky here but Gadd has a Maple Custom bass drum (discontinued), not a Maple Custom Absolute

Now, what is the difference between a Maple Custom Absolute and a Maple Custom bass drum?

From Gadd's website:
Steve popularised small 10' toms and introduced floor tom-tom
stands. He still likes birch tom-toms, but recently has preferred a
maple bass drum. His Clapton kit comprises 22x14 Maple Custom Absolute bass, 12x8 and 13x9 hanging,
and 14x12 and 16x14 floor-mounted Birch Custom Absolute toms. Othertimes he uses a small 10x7.5 tom,
which he made famous in his studio days, and drops
the 13 tom. For live work he prefers his steel 14x5.5 signature
snare drum. There are five other Steve Gadd signature models
in the series.

Source: http://www.drstevegadd.com/setup.html

[circh bustom]

I believe the Maple Customs were 7ply/7mm while the Absolutes are 6ply/6mm. I also think the Absolutes have a different vent hole configuration.
About the MCA vs BCA bass drum thing, I personally do not think of Yamaha(anymore) when it comes to maple drums. When the original Maple Customs were out, yes. But to me Yamaha's specialty has always been birch. Im sure the PHX are great to play, but there is something about the purity of birch in Yamaha's hands.

[jem]

From Gadd's website:
...His Clapton kit comprises 22x14 Maple Custom Absolute bass, 12x8 and 13x9 hanging,
and 14x12 and 16x14 floor-mounted Birch Custom Absolute toms.
Source: http://www.drstevegadd.com/setup.html

That is wrong, it's a Maple Custom, not a Maple Custom Absolute.

See for example http://usa.yamaha.com/news_events/drums ... -drum-kit/ and http://usa.yamaha.com/products/musical- ... mode=model

Bass Drum: 22”x14” ten-ply maple with chrome Maple Custom style lugs, and Solid Black finish. The bass drum has a low fundamental with great attack and lot’s of punch. The 14” depth makes the drum very responsive for any musical situation.

[DSOP]

I didn't see any of the "absolute" series drums at NAMM. What's up with that?

[drumnhands]

I didn't see any of the "absolute" series drums at NAMM. What's up with that?

We had a Maple Absolute 20/12/14/14x6 in Blue Ice Sparkle on the upper tier(that's going to Drum Center of Portsmouth this week). This was the first time E Drums had a chance to display all configurations built around the three modules to the got the big chunk on the main floor. Live Sound also had the iso room with the new speakers (that are killin'), so we took the outer edges to show what was new. The one new thing was Hex Rack II, and we had the new colors in RC and SCB, plus the matte finishes we are now stocking in Club Custom.

[DSOP]

We had a Maple Absolute 20/12/14/14x6 in Blue Ice Sparkle on the upper tier(that's going to Drum Center of Portsmouth this week). This was the first time E Drums had a chance to display all configurations built around the three modules to the got the big chunk on the main floor. Live Sound also had the iso room with the new speakers (that are killin'), so we took the outer edges to show what was new. The one new thing was Hex Rack II, and we had the new colors in RC and SCB, plus the matte finishes we are now stocking in Club Custom.

That's good to hear. I did see the hex rack, and the brown club customs; nice!

By the way, who was that gorgeous tall blonde standing in front of the iso room? I was too intimidated to even talk to her. Jebus!

[Matus]

Oh boy, have I been waiting for the Hexrack II...

[Christopher]

Oh boy, have I been waiting for the Hexrack II...

That does look cool!

http://usa.yamaha.com/products/musical- ... uct_lineup


Yamaha would do well to offer cases for their racks in some form or fashion.

I’m always amazed that none of the rack manufacturers offer any kind of cases for their racks. And they don’t exactly fit well in existing hardware cases.

Even soft cases with separating pockets for the tubes would be better than nothing.

[drumnhands]

We had a Maple Absolute 20/12/14/14x6 in Blue Ice Sparkle on the upper tier(that's going to Drum Center of Portsmouth this week). This was the first time E Drums had a chance to display all configurations built around the three modules to the got the big chunk on the main floor. Live Sound also had the iso room with the new speakers (that are killin'), so we took the outer edges to show what was new. The one new thing was Hex Rack II, and we had the new colors in RC and SCB, plus the matte finishes we are now stocking in Club Custom.

That's good to hear. I did see the hex rack, and the brown club customs; nice!

By the way, who was that gorgeous tall blonde standing in front of the iso room? I was too intimidated to even talk to her. Jebus!

She's the girlfriend of our Southwest District Manager, they live in Vegas. She's really very sweet, really bright and down to earth, and a talented singer. And yes, she is smokin' hot.

[drumnhands]

Oh boy, have I been waiting for the Hexrack II...

That does look cool!

http://usa.yamaha.com/products/musical- ... uct_lineup


Yamaha would do well to offer cases for their racks in some form or fashion.

I’m always amazed that none of the rack manufacturers offer any kind of cases for their racks. And they don’t exactly fit well in existing hardware cases.

Even soft cases with separating pockets for the tubes would be better than nothing.

The problem is that everyone tends to customize the rack to fit their needs, so a "one size fits all" case or bag is such a crapshoot. No one pulls the clamps when they tear down and they all sit at different angles so pockets for the tubes doesn't work. How many T-legs do you account for, etc. I see the need for some kind of case but for a manufacturer to design and stock several different models and make it easy for the consumer to know which one to order......could make them too expensive to be practical. We'll have to see how this develops.