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, August 2014 (HKO)
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" Evans G2 Clear / 10" Remo UT Clear
• SBT1208 :: 12" Evans G2 Coated / 12" Evans G2 Clear
• SBF1615 :: 16" Evans G2 Coated / 16" Evans G2 Clear
• SBB2217 :: 22" Evans EMAD / 22" Remo Powerstroke 3 Ebony w/ Kickport

Additional Notes: There are some light scratches, scuffs and marks across the kit but the damage is only cosmetic. Hardware is sound and there are no stripped threads. The worst of the damage is on the bottom of the batter-side bass drum hoop where the pedal is attached. We assume it is just wear from pedal mounts. Overall: good condition (7/10)