Yamaha Stage Custom Mark II 2014 Pure White
Our thoughts: Yamaha have always made killer kits and their midrange offerings pack a huge punch. The Mark II is the iteration Yamaha landed on in their '95-present evolution of the Stage Custom series after numerous adjustments to shell construction and hardware to hone the build, borrowing from their higher end models. Hardware-wise, the kit has Absolute lugs and YESS tom mounts seen in the Hybrid series. The shell construction sees rounded bearing edges for more shell resonance as well as slightly thicker 1.1mm plies for more projection, mimicking the Oak Custom. The toms each have 6 plies of birch with the bass drum having 7.
We're pretty familiar with these kits and would argue that they're some of the best you can nab for their price point. Sit it next to a similarly priced Pearl Vision and you'll find the Vision wanting. The tone carries a thick low mid attack with warmth and tone for days. The toms are loud (a good thing) and the bass drum packs a swathe of low end. The hardware is good quality and the tom mounts don't choke the notes.
Verdict: For the price point it's very hard to do better than this. We've all spent a bit of time behind these kits and we're perhaps somewhat biased. However, there is no denying that there is a lot on offer tone-wise for what is ultimately a budget kit. If you didn't know, you could easily believe it's a high-end kit.
Manufacturer: Yamaha Drums
Series: Stage Custom
Model: Mark II
Made: China, March 2014 (HKJ)
Sizes: 10x7 | 12x8 | 16x15 | 22x17
Shell Material(s): Birch 7/6 1.1mm plies
Shell Pack Contents:
- 10 x 7 Rack Tom (SBT1007)
- 12 x 8 Rack Tom (SBT1208)
- 16 x 15 Floor Tom (SBF1615)
- 22 x 17 Bass Drum (SBB2217)
- YESS 3 post bass drum tom arm holder
- 2 x YESS ball joint tom arms
Current Setup: (Batter/Reso)
- SBT1007 :: 10" Remo UT (1 Ply, Clear) / 10" Remo UT (1 Ply, Clear)
- SBT1208 :: 12" Remo UT (1 Ply, Clear) / 12" Remo UT (1 Ply, Clear)
- SBF1615 :: 16" Remo UT (1 Ply, Clear) / 16" Remo UT (1 Ply, Clear)
- SBB2217 :: 22" Remo UT Bass Drum Batter (1 Ply, Clear) / 22" Remo UT Bass Drum Reso (1 Ply, Ebony)
Additional Notes: Very tidy. The kit has mostly been in storage. No noticeable damage besides pedal rash on the bass drum batter hoop. All hardware in good working order with near no blemishes. Factory heads still installed. Overall: excellent condition (9/10)