1998 Yamaha Stage Custom Restoration

[RockIsland]

Hopefully the images showed up! I wish I had taken before photos but this was a shed pull facebook deal for $100. The shells had mold growing inside of them, tension rods were rusted, and lugs looked very weathered. Even the mylar on the clear heads were yellowed and frosted over. I first scrubbed the inside of the shells down with mean green cleaner and found the plies and bearing edges to be perfect! Next I took all the tension rods and soaked them in vinegar overnight then took each tension rod individually to a wire brush attached to my bench grinder. I finished them off with some brasso to get a good shine. Bass drum claws were cleaned the same way. The high tension lugs were cleaned with brasso and that stuff worked wonders. The floor tom mounts were cracked and I was able to pull some off a generic floor tom I had in the deal and I redrilled a little bit and they attached to the yammies no problem.

The hoops I couldn't save and at low tunings the drums made a farting noise so I put 2.3 gibraltar hoops on and holy cow do these drums sound good with onyx on top and coated single ply on the bottom. I'd be happy if these were my only drums (I have a set of Masters BRX and PDP Concept Bop). I am beyond impressed that the hardware was able to be restored so well. I've had maybe 6 sets in my lifetime including Saturns and Sonor 3005 and I think Yamaha build quality takes the cake. If you find a set cheap enough they really are something special.

The drum hoops are hopelessly out of round and the bass shell is too slightly. I think I can get the shell straightened out. For now I just put some black steelies on.....

[RockIsland]

[Josh Conover]

Nice work!

My first Brand New kit purchase was from the same series and near the same year (one or two years later they introduced the Stage Custom Advantage) in Cranberry Red. That kit sounded incredible for the money!

[Kevaruka]

That's scrubbed up well

Great kits are the early Stage Custom's

[Eric]

Welcome to the Forum. Sweet rig.

[Andy H]

I had the same color SC kit, just different sizes: 20" bass drum, 10" tom, 14" rack tom. For a while it was primary gigging kit. Easy to transport and set up on tiny stages.