To date I've owned nothing but American-made vintage drums, outside of a few low-end MIJ kits. However, I've been considering picking up a Yamaha Maple Custom Absolute snare. I'll be looking at it tomorrow. It's very similar to the one in the pics that I've posted. I'm hoping to get some input regarding the sound and build quality of this particular model.
Is the "Absolute" considered Yamaha's high-end snare? I can't seem to find much information on it. Also, do any of you happen to know when they switched from the triple-flanged hoops to the die-cast? From the research I've done, I believe that the one I'll be looking at was built in May of 1981. It's got a serial number of HL4XXX.
Any "words of wisdom" would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for your time and your help!