Canopus has added some new models and colors to their already impressive snare line up. Until last month these Yaiba Birch and Yaiba Maple models were only available with the Yaiba kits I reviewed earlier this year. They are now available as individual drums.. They are not up on the Canopus website yet so this is kind of a sneak peek. If you want to read my review of the entire kits, which are superb drum sets, please click here: http://www.notsomoderndrummer.com/not-so-modern-drummer/product-reviews/review-canopus-yaiba-bop-yaiba-groove-kits

The 6.5" Yaiba maple drum I was sent to review has the Antique Amber Mat lacquer finish which is a classic, traditional type of look. The 6.5" Yaiba birch snare has the Ice Black Sparkle finish. It's a very subtle sparkle, almost like a car glitter finish- more twinkly than sparkley. Except for the difference in woods and difference in those particular woods’ sounds, all the other appointments and features of the drums are the same. Both come in 6.5” and 5” depths.

The Sound? One word; snappy! Most plywood snares sound boxy to me, but both these drums had a nice bright attack with lots of body and no midrange boxiness. Snare response is exceptional from the edge of the head to the middle. Snare wire tension sounded great at loose, medium and tight settings. Tuning it was easy. big fat and rich sound with lots of snap and high end cut. The maple drum was a little mellower with the typical subdued high frequencies of a maple drum. Birch = punch and volume. Maple = longer resonance and lower tunings.

features:

·-nice deep snare beds

-canopus vintage snare wires sound great,

-bearing edges are great – tuned right up, very rich fat sound, great snare response from very edge to center

-snare throw off is a Canopus proprietary p85 type that works great and has “Canopus” molded into the side of it, a nice touch

-the snare drums sounded great at all snare wire tensions; loose, medium , and did not choke out when tightened heavily

-the one piece faux double die cast lug design is very attractive and clever

-No generic hardware on the drums. All proprietary made specifically for or by Canopus

-Nice embossed badge. The logo on the bass drum is very classy

-Coated hazy ambassador heads and ambassador snare side heads

-Beautiful elegant finishes

-Canopus’s “Bolt Tight” leather washers included on each tension rod on all drums. Two leather washers with a metal washer in between keeps the tension rod from loosening and also isolates the hoop and bringing out the low end of the shell – they work

Specs:
Yaiba Maple series
models: JSM-1455 and JSM-1465

MSRP $583.33

MAP $350.00

Shell : ALL MAPLE 6ply

Tension : 8 Tension

Hoop : 2.3mm Steel Hoop

Lug : Yaiba Die Cast Lugs

Wire : Non Plated Vintage Snare Wire

Antique Amber Mat Lacquer

Antique Ebony Mat Lacquer

Antique Brown Mat Lacquer

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Yaiba Birch