Yamaha. For 5 reasons.
1. Shell construction. No one else has a rounder, smoother shell.
2. Hardware. Their hardware is really, really strong, and the YESS tom mounts are the same as they use on all their high-end kits (maple custom, recording custom, beech custom). Yamaha' s toms are all suspended, and with the Exports (correct me if I' m wrong) the tom arms go right into the drum, thereby crippling sound and resonance.
3. Yamaha' s YESS tom arms are resin balls with pegs in them, so you can adjust them how you like. Pearl' s tom arms are, frankly, inefficient and really behind the times.
4. Finishes. Yamaha has some really beautiful finishes on their Stage Custom line. (My favorite is the Cranberry Red stain finish)
5. They' re just better drums for the price. My experience has been that if you slap on some pinstripes and ambassadors on the toms (the ol' Portnoy combo), they' ll sing, with almost no bad overtones (if you tune them right). Another good combo is coated ambassadors on top, and Evans G1 glass resonants on the bottom if you want a brighter sound.
I guess the care and quality they put into their lesser value kits is what inspired me to become a full-time Yamaha guy. I used to be hardcore into Tama, but nowadays, I like my Oak Custom just fine. They' re the best sounding drums I have ever played. Ever.
< Message edited by sirpsychosexy -- 2/14/2003 11:17:55 AM >