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Thread: Yamaha Roy Haynes Signature Snare Drum Review

  1. #1

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    Default Yamaha Roy Haynes Signature Snare Drum Review





    I've owned this snare drum since new and had it for just over 8 years. Unlike all my other drum gear, I bought this snare sight unseen -- justified because I was impressed with the high quality of the Yamaha gear I already owned, and the beautiful copper shell totally appealed to my sense of aesthetics. It cost CDN$700 back in 2002.

    Size-wize, the drum is pretty average at 14"x5½". What really drew me to the drum was the hand-hammered copper shell. The shell has a clear lacquer finish so it doesn't tarnish -- it still looks as nice as the day I got it. Yamaha included an internal mute and used top quality hardware throughout, including self-locking tension rod lug nuts with nylon inserts. Each head is held down by 10 tension rods. A Yamaha-branded Remo Coated Ambassador came on top and a Yamaha-branded Remo Ambassador Snare head was included on the bottom. The snare has 25 strands.

    Pros
    • Beautiful unique apperance
    • Virtually impossible to knock out of tune
    • Not as loud as brass snares, but still a clear bright performer
    • Crackling rimshots
    • Sensitive for quiet playing, grace notes, etc.
    • Wonderful sound with brushes
    • Sounds great over a wide range of tuning
    • Mute doesn't rattle even when completely disengaged from the head


    Cons
    • A little on the heavy side
    • The snare throw off fell apart while I was practicing a year or so after I bought the drum. A screw had come loose (luckily at home) and I recovered all the bits and put it back together. It has been fine ever since.
    • Murder to photograph (reflections everywhere!)


    Although I love the way this drum sounds and it is a real work horse, I can't justify the cost based on sound alone. To me, the drum is also a work of art and that's what captured my imagination. I can't imagine ever parting with this drum -- it's a keeper!

  2. #2

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    Default Re: Yamaha Roy Haynes Signature Snare Drum Review

    Nice drum. Thank you for the review.

  3. #3

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    Default Re: Yamaha Roy Haynes Signature Snare Drum Review

    Beautiful drum!...and that's one of the original seamless shell models...definitely hold on to that one...

  4. #4

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    Default Re: Yamaha Roy Haynes Signature Snare Drum Review

    thanks for the review! this has been the top of my wish list for as long as i can remember. i missed the boat on seamless. but now with the possibility of all Yammie sig snares being discontinued I might have to snag one.

    how does it sound in a reflection filled room. I'm looking for a snare I can use when we have to "turn down" but still has defined notes.

  5. #5

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    Default Re: Yamaha Roy Haynes Signature Snare Drum Review

    Looks really nice.

  6. #6

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    Default Re: Yamaha Roy Haynes Signature Snare Drum Review

    Looks great. I'd love to hear how it sounds.

    sk
    "A man can NEVER have too many cymbals"

    Proudly Playing

    Sonor Force 3007 Stage One Piano Black 22X17.5 kick, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14 and 16" toms
    Pork Pie Big Black Snare
    Vater Sticks/Brushes
    Remo Vintage Emperor, Emperor X, and Powerstroke Pro Heads
    Paiste Twenty/2002/Signature Cymbals
    Sonor/DW/Gibraltar Hardware

  7. #7

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    Default Re: Yamaha Roy Haynes Signature Snare Drum Review

    Quote Originally Posted by SladeGT40 View Post
    ...how does it sound in a reflection filled room. I'm looking for a snare I can use when we have to "turn down" but still has defined notes.
    Well, the drum is far from quiet. Having said that, I've never played a quiet snare I like -- they just sound too dead to me. If I need to play quieter music or venues, I either use a zero-ring, switch to brushes/blasticks/roots etc., or just play quieter -- depends on the situation. Another option I have yet to fully explore is the internal mute. I suppose that would tone it down a bit.

  8. #8

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    Default Re: Yamaha Roy Haynes Signature Snare Drum Review

    I've had one of these for about four months now and it is the best snare I have ever played. Very dynamically responsive and sounds wonderful. I've never heard a snare drum that sounds better (very subjective, I know). I have an Evans Staccato Strata 700 concert snare head on it, which sounds amazing with brushes. This is the head it came with. The owner of the shop where I bought it told me that Roy Haynes actually played the drum at a clinic held at that shop. Who knows, but it's a nice story. I agree that it is a work of art, really beautiful to look at.

  9. #9

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    Default Re: Yamaha Roy Haynes Signature Snare Drum Review

    i finally bought mine, sold my maple custom absolute to get it, couldn't be happier. started for a couple of weeks with extremely low tuning as i gauge a quality snare by its ability to tune down, not up. had a nice guttural sound like a gretsch USA 8x14 and now its at home in a nice midrange tuning. still have the stock heads for now, but there is a vintage a in the wings waiting for me. since they've been discontinued now i couldn't hold off pulling the trigger on it. best decision ever!

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