As a follow-up to my previous post about the rarely-seen Yamaha Custom Drums series from the mid-1990s, I came across a PDF of Modern Drummer from October 1996.  An article about these drums (and some other new offerings from Yamaha) begins on page 32. For those of you who are too lazy to click on … More Yamaha Custom Drums, Part 3

As a short follow-up to my previous post about the Yamaha Custom kit I picked up earlier this year, I got a comment from JS, who had also recently acquired a set of Yamaha Custom drums.  We exchanged a few e-mails, and he shared some photos with me. As much as I love the deep … More Yamaha Custom Drums, Part 2

One of the things I love about collecting vintage drums and percussion is the idea that each instrument has a story or mystery behind it – the old Deagan marimba that ends up in a pawn shop, the dusty xylophone that’s been stored in an attic, the pristine Gretsch kit that’s been hidden in a … More 1959 WFL Salesman “Banded Pearl” Snare Drum

Back in August, my amazing local drum shop posted this photo with this description: Rare pre Maple Custom Yamaha drum set. 22/10/12/14/16 all toms are suspended. Includes matching 6×14 snare. Gold maple custom lugs. I was immediately intrigued – it seemed like a great deal for what looked like a Maple Custom kit. So I … More Yamaha Custom Drums

As much as we like to thing we’re all unique, 30 seconds on Google will quickly dispel you of that notion.  For example, a search shows there are at least six individuals who share both my first and last name.  Included in this illustrious group is an infamous “scrounger” who has been banned from every … More Meet the Dearloves