Yamaha Drums...No Hagi...but High End Prices?

It's interesting looking at Yamaha's new drum line, now made in Taiwan, Japan doesn't like making drums anymore?
However, Yamaha still has the same high end prices on their drums like they did when Hagi was producing them.
As if because the Yamaha logo is on them we are suppose to blindly pay high end prices for an inferior product?

My conclusion is that Yamaha Drums are not the same company everybody once knew,
they have cut corners on their once heavy duty hardware and the drum shells are not the same as they use to be.

It's not that the drums are bad, but I think they loss something that they use to have, that made them unique.
It's fine for endorsers to use because they don't pay for them, but for the rest of us that do, it might be smart to look elsewhere.
Read the badge....Made in Taiwan......

Here's the thing, you don't have to pay these
ridiculous high prices for ANY kit! I paid about
$1000.00 for the biggest kit I have which consists
of 2 bass drums, 3 rack toms two floors and a snare
and it sounds about as good as anything I've heard.

I also have kits that cost less and sound better than
the aforementioned one. Drum companies aren't really
making the money they used to because the average
consumer just isn't paying these crazy prices for these
"high end" kits. You used to be able to get a nice high
end kit for a fair price but not anymore. I was in Guitar
Center the other day looking at a four piece DW kit with
20" bass drum. The sale price for the kit was $3,500.00
NO WAY!!!!

Sure, you'll get some well to do family that will go out
and pay $25,000.00 for a replica of Neil Peart's kit for
their kid who wants a set but experienced players
don't fall for that hype. They can't afford to.

All those kits are for the endorsers anyway. They're
are not the bread and butter of the company anyway.
It's like the $100,000 Nissan GT-R. Cool ride but the
staple car and bread and butter of the company is the
$25,000 Nissan Altima. The Gt-R's are for the far and
few between. Likewise for these drum companies and
their high priced, high end drums.

In the end, buying the mid grade essential kits for yourself
is what keeps the companies going. What you see the big
boys using in the magazines is simply to get you in the door
to buy one of the bread and butter drum sets. And if you
happen to be able to afford to walk out with one of those
$10,000 butes then all the better...

Drinks are on the house, all around.

Also in how one tunes. I try to tune the drum to where
'IT' likes to be rather than what particular pitch I want
to hear from it.

I believe that every drum has a sweet spot where each is
at it's peak level of performance in terms of volume, tone,
projection and sustain. Heads and head combination are key
here. When done properly, it would have had to have been
an extremely horrid drum shell if you couldn't get it to sound
decent after applying these methods.

Your right D.
I buy high end drums, but USED...either through a music store or Ebay, I am always searching for high end bargains.
Drums that may be older, but were top of line for their time and can now be acquired at a real deal.

There are decades of used high end gear floating around out there, if you bargain hunt, it's amazing what you can find.

I like what you guys are
saying and encouraging.

For cymbals, you have
to pay but if you hunt,
you can find what you
are looking for.

Drumheads are worth
the investment.

It is a good idea to
know what you are
looking for in terms
of sound for your snare
and that might have an
effect on the actual
snares on the drum.
Also worth the time
in researching.

Hardware is not as
important as people
think but pedals are
worth the invest-
ment but listen to
drummer's advice
on this. They can
help save you $.