Yamaha late 60's early 70's...any info? [Archive]

matthroberts

09-25-2007, 10:07 AM

Hey there....does anyone have any information about this set? 3 piece Yamaha 12" tom 14" floor 18" bass....looking for a matching snare (if it even exists) or just some info on the set. I've had it for years and have recently brought it out of storage for my neighbor to hone her blossoming musical skills on. Thanks all.
Oh...by the way, there is no serial number I can find anywhere on the drums, no "Nippon Gakki" on the emblem or numbers...Just "YAMAHA...MADE IN JAPAN" original bottom heads all around that say "YAMAHA Nippon Gakki, bass drum or tom-tom, etc..."

O-Lugs

09-25-2007, 11:27 AM

Well, I can tell you that there is a growing collector's market for vintage Yamaha (and other "brands") of vintage Japanese drums. That finish is a cool one, so I would put it at the high-end of the collectibilty-factor.

Basically, I have read that these early Yamahas were quite well-made...although I've never really put my hands on a set of them.

Likely, yes, there is a matching snare drum somewhere...but "matching" could mean a chrome snare drum.

Hey...with those dimensions (18" bass drum, 12" and 14" toms), you have a Japanese Jazzette! Just out of curiosity...What is the depth of the shell (measure from bearing edge to bearing edge -not from hoop-to-hoop) of that bass drum?

matthroberts

09-25-2007, 11:37 AM

thanks for the reply....without taking the heads off I measure approx. 13-14 inches deep on the bass...it's a great set in wonderful condition, has not been messed with and all original parts.

O-Lugs

09-25-2007, 12:22 PM

Matt,

Okay, then...it's likely a 14" depth. VERY unlikely that it's 13" depth...BUT, if it's 12" in depth, then we should talk some more! :)

matthroberts

09-25-2007, 12:24 PM

Well...if i get a wild hair tonight I'll take one of the heads off to get a precise measurement for you.....I'm assuming you are a collector of the "jazzette" kits?

O-Lugs

09-25-2007, 12:36 PM

Indeed, I am!

matthroberts

09-25-2007, 12:48 PM

Man...sorry to burst your bubble, I was even wrong about the bass width...here's the official measurement. Bass 20Wx14D, floor tom 14x14, and tom-tom 12Wx8D....I'd still consider this a "jazz", although...I'm sure there is no distinct definition...your thoughts?
Also.....do you know of any resources online or anywhere to find out the year this set was made? That would at least give me some idea as to what to hunt down re: proper hardware, snare, etc.....

O-Lugs

09-25-2007, 02:53 PM

I don't know exactly when the kit was made and, other than getting a hold of someone at the Yamaha musical instruments division who is a historian, I wouldn't know where to point you. But, rest assured, your kit is now and will continue to be collectible. Just keep it in good shape and keep the original heads off the drum if you plan on playing it. Save them for when you re-sell (if ever) and replace them with some coated Remo Ambassadors (or Diplomats).

Too bad (for me) it's not a "Jazzette" size kit or I would be begging you to sell them to me...and I don't need anymore drums! (of course I do!). Nevertheless, a 20" bass drum is a "cool" size. Someone around here is an avid collector of this type of kit. I forget his name at the moment...maybe you could look through some of the older posts here at this section and find him. He was heavy into researching this stuff. Maybe HE might see your post. Give it some time. In the meantime, be careful not to get too wild on that thing! Parts may be nearly impossible to find. EBay if you're lucky.

Webmaster

09-25-2007, 03:14 PM

The badge is from the early 70's...

I think the most recent issue of Classic Drummer has a Yamaha timeline, but the badge which I have seen many times usually dates to around that time possibly late 60's, but the general time frame is early 70's. to get an exact date is impossible unless you are the original owner with the original receipt.

Then again they could have been sitting around for awhile before they sold.

Your question is probably the most asked question about a vintage drum and unfortunately the drum companies back then did not really consider it important.

We now have to go on the badge, finish and other details to get a range of dates.

David

Here is a link to my Yamaha snare Click Here (http://vintagesnaredrums.com/yamaha_hardware.html). This version badge has a serial number and yours does not, making yours an earlier version if I remember correctly.

reother4

09-29-2007, 01:56 PM

I have always been a bit intrigued by the vintage yamahas, were they high end? Atleast thats what I have heard. What are the shells made of maple or something.

O-Lugs

09-29-2007, 07:59 PM

Yeah, I think the shells are maple and I also heard they were made well -not the typical "fire wood" (luan) variety stencil kit. They were probably as well-made as anything of that era. Lots of times, the finishes were cooler-looking than their American contemporaries, in my opinion. I would recommend taking good care of that kit and getting some other kit for the kids to play.

matthroberts

10-01-2007, 11:58 AM

Not certain about the wood type....don't really know how to determine what it is by looking....i did find one that is very similar on a british website, it's a red tiger stripe and model "C200"....no clue, can't find anything online about this number....anyone else? (it does answer the question about "matching" snares though...)

http://www.thedrumcentre.co.uk/pages/full.asp?pid=939

MIKEY777

10-02-2007, 03:25 AM

HI EVERYONE--I JUST CAME ACROSS A OLD YAMAHA SET.AT A MUSIC STORY THAT I GO TO.. LIKE THE ONE POSTED BUT THIS ONE IS RED AND BLACK--NOT YELLOW AND BLACK---SIZES OF THIS SET ARE--12X18 BASS[[I DID CHECK IT]] A 8X12 AND A 14X14 TOMS AND A WOOD MATCHING SNARE 5X14--- SET LOOKS NEW BUT BASS HEAD ON FRONT HAS BEEN REPLACED--BUT THE GUY IS ASKING 700.00 FOR THE SET WOW!!!! MAYBE I TRY TO GET IT FOR 500.00 LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS THINK-SHOULD I BUY IT?? IAM NOT INTO VINTAGE JAPAN DRUMS BUT ITS A COOL SET...MIKEYD' Drummer

Webmaster

10-02-2007, 08:52 AM

Let me know the store and I will check for you! ;)

Just kidding, if you say the condition is excellent and all original then $700 would be a good price.

Of course $500 would be better!!!

The snare drums usually go between $100 and $200 in excellent shape depending on the finish and who wants it.

David

alance844

10-18-2007, 09:02 AM

hey i think i have some drums from the same set...i have the snare, the floor tom, and a small tom, and one ring from the bass drum...had these for about 15 years now, how much do these sell for? i could never find any info on them...

O-Lugs

10-18-2007, 09:47 AM

Cool drums!

matthroberts

10-18-2007, 02:02 PM

well...."ask and ye shall receive".......email sent. (hopefully....x-mas3 )

ARCHxANGEL

12-12-2007, 01:56 AM

Nice kit. My Yamaha has a 20" bass drum but same lugs and I'm not sure what wrap was ever on it. That kit has a very good value as pre 80's Yamaha drums are rare to come across in America. This is because they only started to mass distribute here in the 80's. I'm not sure if this has changed but when I talked to Yamaha about a year ago they said they couldn't even find a vintage kit to display. So that should say alot about vintage Yamaha kits.

Webmaster

12-13-2007, 09:38 AM

I did see a photo over at Drumsmith of a vintage Yamaha in a display....

It was a recent photo, so they must have found one...

I agree though, I have seen maybe a few complete original sets...

David

asle_fjeldstad

01-07-2008, 07:06 AM

Hi!

If the link below works, and the info is correct, it should answer your questions.

http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-YAMAHA-DRUM-SET-4-PIECE1968-GOLDEN-DRAGON-RARE_W0QQitemZ200190024074QQihZ010QQcategoryZ11901 5QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

According to this ebay seller it is a "1968 Yamaha 4 piece drum kit with A beautifull "Golden Dragon" finish" starting at $500.

Very nice kit!

the_drum_dad

01-07-2008, 09:40 AM

I'm wondering how he dates the kit. Archangel....can you verify that it is 1968?

big daddy

01-07-2008, 01:47 PM

Awesome drums - Gotta love the wrap!!

Looking at the eBay kit, the photo of the interior of the tom (?), looks a lot like maple to me. I'm not a wood expert, but I've had my hands on more maple than the average guy (furniture maker for about 5 years).

O-Lugs

01-07-2008, 02:24 PM

I agree. It appears to be maple. That would be a reasonable wood choice for drums made in Japan, due to the fact that maple trees are common there. The shells look like they are pretty nice.

Wow, that "Golden Dragon" finish is really cool. I wish I had unlimited space for such things, but I must resign myself to admire them from here. :(

grantr1964

04-04-2008, 09:27 AM

Snap!! I have been looking for a matching Snare for years I have a Green Snare with the same pattern and would like to find a Yellow one to match my Kit

wayne

04-10-2008, 09:36 AM

Excuse me,may i but in for a moment...I could have an early 70,s bowing ball finish [Ringoish] for a good price.Size;22,13,16 in good nick...Are these maple shells??..thx for letting me but inflower

Artista2000

10-08-2008, 10:14 PM

I have the full set, picked it up from a guy from Latvia, the only thing missing is a bass lug plate, does any one have one?
It is very rare, I may need to have a custom piece made.

renebeat

01-18-2009, 09:03 PM

hi, it´s my first post.i have this yamaha drum kit.serial number into snare drum 2179.bass drum 20, 12 tom tom, 14 floor tom tom, 14 snare drum....any information...please.?

Jaye

01-19-2009, 01:28 AM

These are all very early Yamahas. The closest attribution to a date which folks here have come up with is '68-'72-ish.

I would agree with that.

The way to determine whether it's decent wood and not Luan is quite simple...if the grain on the interior of the shell runs vertical...it's probably luan, like old Pearls. But if it looks like birch or maple and runs horizontal..it probably...is.

Japanese companies didn't start re-orienting the grain on their Luan shells until the late '70's-early '80's.

Incidentally, gotta remark on that wrap...it's like a diagonal-onyx pattern. But the cool thing about it is...it's not that Yamaha just took a regular onyx pattern and appled the wraps diagonally (Premier did that with their ripples for a while...they took their horizontal ripples but applied them to the drum...skewed.. so the pattern ran diagonal). This wrap was actually floated and patterned diagonally before it was sliced/cut.

That's pretty dang wild, dude....Mind Blowi

wayne

05-19-2009, 09:40 PM

I just picked up a 20,12,14 in oyster pearl and i was told they are 5 ply birch shells with the grey painted interiors...no??..Mine have the rail mount.

Jaye

05-20-2009, 03:21 AM

Post some pics including of the drum interiors. It would be interesting to see if they painted birch shells. Usually grey paint means luan shells...but this was Yamaha, not Pearl, so maybe they did use birch and painted 'em. Pics will help determine...

sansacras

07-25-2009, 12:16 AM

hi!, searching information (year of manufacture) on a drum kit yamaha ami uncle belonged to, so I found this forum and your post, and be surprised because the kit golden dragon is almost the same kit (except for color, and on the rail upon the bass drum), including the lugs are the same, but the number of lugs on the bass drum (which in my case it is 8 per side), the measures of my kit are: 20x14-12x8-13x9-16x16 ,the extent of the snare drum is made of steel 14x5(but in the photo are: 20x14-13x9-16-16) below show them some pictures of my kit, and another photo of the plaque with the serial.
ps:the serial number is:5950
http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr17/sansacras/lasantiagowuander035.jpg

sansacras

07-25-2009, 12:18 AM

sansacras

07-25-2009, 12:23 AM

http://i465.photobucket.com/albums/rr17/sansacras/lasantiagowuander037.jpg

JIE

08-01-2009, 04:09 PM

Hello.

I have simmilar kit but in blue oyster pearl. The drumsizes are just the same. My serialnumber is 5045 and there is a metaldrum in 14x5 with serialnumber in 30xx, don`t remeber. My opnion is that the kit is made of birch(painted grey inside the shells) and have 5 or 6 layers. Its made in 1969 or 1970 i think.It sounds good and and i both it used in 1975. Sold it in 1980 and both it the second time in september 2006. No i`m playing in 2 bands and its a nice sounding set. I use Remo Controlled sound clear with black dot on the toms and Powestroke 3 on the bassdrum. I have tried a lot of heads but this is the best. Ambassadors was singing to much i think. I use 2002 sound edge 14" hats and 20" 2002 ride in black labels. Also use a 20" Formula 602 medium(pre-serial) and a 22" Zildjian flat ride. 18" Paiste Stambul65 and 16" Dimension thin crash.
I no use a Yamaha Oak Custom 14x7 snare with the set in the blues/ and rock band.

49 year boy from Molde in Norway.

renkov

08-12-2009, 09:31 PM

Here are my two pictures fromthe shell's interior , and one from the drumkit few weeks before it's fully finished.
You can see it has 5 ply shell, and also the grey painted interior what mentioned here several times before. I've found some information from Yamaha drums somewhere which wrote their first 100% birch was the Recordin Custom. But I haven't found any useful info from the kits made before the 9000 series.
On the last pic the inside mufflers are missing ( I had to buy new ones, 'cause the originals were not in when I bought it). The logo from the resonant head is also missing, but I've made up for the want of this.
My tom holder is also an interesting thing. I'll post a pic from it, 'cause here it's not visible clearly. It's a ball joint tom holder, looks like an early shot of the YESS (not literally, but I could only suggest to this).
Sorry for my "kitchen english" I hope it's understandable what I've written here, and also sorry for the picture's "quality".
I hope the truth from the early Yahama drums will be decode soon. :)
I haven't got any idea why Yamaha does not take care of their early drum history. These pieces are still great, so they should not forget the drums used to made before the impact of the RC.

JIE

09-08-2009, 03:23 PM

Hello!

What serialnumber is on your set. My kit is simmilar with the nr: 5045. The metal snare has a 3000 number, don`t remember.The color is Blue Oyster pearl. The soud id amazing. I have tried a lot of different heads. The Remo Ambassadors didn`t get the sound i like. Evans EC2 gave a fat sound, but didn`t last any long. I think single ply is the right thing type of heads.
Just no i use Remo CS with the blac dot. These are nice with these drums.

I play drums in a blues and rock band called Oakland Mountain Band. I use Audix D series mikrofones and Paiste vintage symbals.

Jon Ivar Eikeland
Molde in Norway

JIE

09-08-2009, 03:28 PM

Your tomholder is not original. Those where a weak point and is not possible to get. I had repaired mine, because they broke.

JIE

sansacras

09-29-2009, 04:27 PM

Your tomholder is not original. Those where a weak point and is not possible to get. I had repaired mine, because they broke.

I AGREE , MI also broke TOMHOLDER ,That's why I use a STANDSNARE FOR AMOUNT (ONLY FOR NOW)But the truth is not mine ,MY COUSIN IS THE OWNER Who in turn inherited from his father (PLEASE CHECK IT OUT ON YOUTUBE )http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhEZpUj2_4k VIDEO FROM 1994 .

mabeknot

12-24-2009, 03:45 PM

I have a Yamaha 5pc I bought in 1984 that is yellow. (like a Corvette) It came with luan shells, and a chrome snare.(I no longer have) The neat thing is it's oversize with a 24" base, 18" floor, and 14" &13" toms. It's been the best set I've ever had. The Serial # is H1. I wonder how many of these were made (in this color) if I should modernize some of the hardware, or leave it alone?

jayjaydrummer

12-24-2009, 08:41 PM

Hi, I need a little help please.
I bought a Yamaha-drum that looks like a recording custom, but the badge says "Made in Taiwan, Republic of China".
The serial number says: FT-916E PK 5015
The finish is something like the "Real Wood"-finish.
A rather round bearing edge, apparently a good qualitiy drum.
Any clues?
Thanks, Jan

Reagan

03-28-2010, 09:13 PM

Found this thread while searching for info on my old yamaha kit, nice to see what the original hardware looks like. Unfortunately mine is not complete, it is missing the rail consollete and the original snare. I've been trying to find out how to mount my tom only to find that these rail mounts are rare and expensive, I'll probably just use a snare stand. The bass is 20, the floor tom is 14 and the tom is 12, I believe the bass is 14inch deep. I bought this incomplete kit on craigslist for $200 years ago.
Here are some pictures, you can see the wood on the bass through a chip in the wrap...and my missing mount :[ I have the hardware for the cymbal bass mount around somewhere, except for the actual cymbal arm.

Not pictured is the tom
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v48/Cancerous/IMG_5747.jpg?t=1269824831

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v48/Cancerous/IMG_5748.jpg?t=1269825450

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v48/Cancerous/IMG_5208.jpg?t=1269825484