Showcase: Yamaha Phoenix PHX Drum Kit

PHX Kit Unleashes a New Era for Yamaha Drums

"New Ultra High-End Drum Set Pushes Musical Boundaries"

Not resting after celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, Yamaha Drums will begin its push to further drumming innovation over the next 40 years when it introduces its ultra high-end PHX Drum Set.

In Yamaha's quest to continually expand the boundaries of musicality for drummers, the company used newfound Asian woods to create the PHX kit.

"These particular woods, jatoba and kapur, have never before been used to make drums, and when you put them together in a specific combination, they produce an amazing musical tone," says Dave Jewell, marketing manager, Yamaha Drums, Pro Audio & Combo Division. "We've discovered one of nature's secrets."

In addition to sounding great, the 11-ply shells are a sight to behold. The center ply, jatoba, is an extremely hard wood that provides the drum's core note. On either side are four plies of kapur, which is a softer wood than jatoba. The inner and outer plies of the shell are customized, using maple or a combination of a burled ash outer ply and a maple inner ply.

The concept behind the PHX shell construction is to use the hardest wood in the middle surrounded by softer plies of wood; this produces a sonic "ripple effect" similar to the sound a pebble creates with waves when dropped in water.

"The trend today is thin shells, but frankly, these drums made with this specific wood combination do not sound 'thick,'" said Jim Haler, product manager, Yamaha Drums. "They go against every sonic standard of a thick shell."

Joe Testa, Yamaha Drums international artist relations manager, added that "We brought these drums into the studio with some of our top artists, and the difference is astounding. I describe it this way: when most drums are struck, the sound comes from them and hits you. With this kit's sound, it hugs you. Imagine your current Yamaha sound with a natural preamp on it. Generally, a kit's sound improves with age. On the PHX, the aging process seems to be accelerated. Within just a week of playing it, the sound matured immensely. It really is beautiful."

Not only is the shell construction a new venture for Yamaha, the kit's new and improved mounting system is, too. Developed to make the fundamental tone of each drum clearer and better defined, the wooden tom mount, combined with shock-mountable rubber contact points, provides ultimate resonance. As with all Yamaha drums, the mounting points are positioned at the nodal points of the shell.

The newly designed detachable lugs are mounted where the overtones are the highest. The balance of the nodal point mount and the overtone point of the lugs help mute unwanted overtones, making the fundamental tone come alive with much more clarity.

"The PHX was not made to replace our current high end drums, but rather to supply drummers with another musical voice in their arsenal," said Jewell. "Yamaha Drums will continue to create instruments that further a musician's capability to create better music. We pride ourselves in being the choice for those serious about their music."

Available with chrome or gold hardware and in nine impressive finishes (four maple, five in burled ash).

Shells
The shells of the PHX are 11-ply hybrid shells. The woods used are progressively harder from the center ply to the outer plies. The center ply is jatoba; this is a very hard wood' and it "anchors" the fundamental of the shell. Sandwiched on either side of this is kapur. This wood is in the mahogany family and adds warmth to the sound of the drum. The inner and outer plies are maple, except in the case of drums using the optional burled ash outer ply. These drums use an outer half-ply each of maple and burled ash. Maple rounds out the tone adding high and mid frequencies to the shell.

Bearing edges
All drums have a 30° bearing edge, but each "family" of drums uses a different profile. Bass drums have a sharper edge cut toward the outer plies. This gives the bass drums attack and shortens the decay. Floor toms have a slightly rounded edge to give them a perfect balance of attack and sustain, making them very articulate at all dynamic levels. Toms have an even more rounded profile for warmth and sustain. This combination of shell composition and bearing edges makes PHX what many of our artists described as "the most musical drums [they] have ever played".

Hardware
PHX uses redesigned versions of the Nouveau lug and YESS. The new lug mounts on a square hook rather than a round post. This keeps the tension rod in perfect vertical alignment and eliminates the need to use two hands while tuning the drum. We used the aluminum die-cast hoops made popular on our Absolute series for PHX. These hoops are very light but rigid, giving you the open, warm sound of a triple-flanged hoop and the accurate tuning of a die-cast hoop. Lugs and hoops are available in chrome or gold.

The new version of the YESS mounting system supports the drum at the top and bottom. The new version mounts the tom bracket onto a piece of the shell, and that wooden plate is isolated or shock-mounted using rubber grommets. A 3-piece fastening system is used to attach the new YESS to the shell, and the inside and outside fasteners do not touch. This system totally isolates the drum and allows the full tone to come through and maximizes sustain.

Finishes

PHX is available with either maple and burled ash exterior plies, and with gold or chrome hardware.

The finishes available on the maple outer ply are:

• Matte Natural
• Matte Black
• Polar White
• Cherry Sunburst

The finishes available on the burled ash are:

• Garnet Fade
• Sapphire Fade
• Turquoise Fade
• Textured Amber Sunburst
• Textured Black Sunburst

* Shells: 11-ply hybrid jatoba, nkapur, maple, and/or burled ash
* Lugs: New design Nouveau detachable, chrome or gold finish
* Mounts: New design YESS
* Hoops: Aluminum die-cast, chrome or gold finish
* Bearing Edges: 30°, varied profiles

PHX is available with either maple and burled ash exterior plies, and with gold or chrome hardware.

The finishes available on the maple outer ply are:

• Matte Natural
• Matte Black
• Polar White
• Cherry Sunburst

*The finishes available on the burled ash are:

• Garnet Fade
• Sapphire Fade
• Turquoise Fade
• Textured Amber Sunburst
• Textured Black Sunburst

PHX Components

• Maple Outer Ply is available in: Matte Natural, Matte Black, Polar White, and Cherry Sunburst.
• Burled Ash is available in: Garnet Fade, Sapphire Fade, Turquoise Fade, Textured Amber Sunburst, and Textured Black Sunburst.
  

For more info contact us here at Gelb Music.

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