I got some drums... - edit: Yamaha Power V Special

The new bass head makes a remarkable difference, but, it should, as I think (I'm not positive) that the head I removed is the original.
As in, from 30 years ago, original.

It sounds better now. :D
 
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As mentioned above, here is the info I've gathered so far about these drums, collected here for future... yeah. ;) Collected from a variety of online sources, including some not great scans of factory literature. If anyone has additions or corrections, please contribute. Thanks!
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----

If your kit was made in Japan, it consists of 9 ply basswood with a Philippine mahogany outer layer for the BD and 18"FT and 8 ply for the TT's and 16"FT.
Kits made in England (in the early 90's Yamaha owned the Premier drum factory, they installed their machines and instructed the Premier production workers how to manufacture the Yamaha's) have 9 ply poplar and Philippine mahogany for the BD and 6 ply for the TT's and FT's.
The usual kit consists of a 22X16" Bass drum, but the specifications says there was a 20X16" available as well.
Most sizes are the same, although the toms vary, and the Japanese made kit has an extra option for a 8x8" tom.
So:
Specifications and components for
Japanese Power V Specials:

9 ply Basswood / Mahogany for BD/ 18"FT
8 ply Basswood / Mahogany TT/ 16"FT
BD 22/20x16" (Mahogany/Basswood hoops)
FT 18/16x16"
TT 8x8"/10x9"/12x10"/13x11"/14x12"/15x13"
Steel SD 14x6.5"
High tension lugs
Round ball clamps
Jet Black/ Red Granite/ White Granite

English Power V Specials:

9 ply Poplar / Mahogany for BD
6 ply Poplar / Mahogany TT/FT
BD 22/(20)X16" (Birch/Mahogany hoops)
FT 18/16x16"
TT 10x10"/12x10"/13x11"/14x12"/15x13"
Steel SD 14x6.5"
High tension lugs
Edged ball clamps
Jet Black/ Marble Red/ Marble White

Both kits are produced with "Air seal system" shells.


Yamaha Power V Special (made in England)

Model No. and Sizes
VTT-610 10"x10" mount tom
VTT-612 12"x10" mount tom
VTT-613 13"x11" mount tom
VTT-614 14"x12" mount tom
VTT-615 15"x13" mount tom
VFT-616 16"x16" floor tom
VFT-618 18"x16" floor tom
VBD-620 20"x16" bass drum
VBD-622 22"x16" bass drum
VSD-246 14"x6.5" snare drum

Color Finishes:
Jet Black
Marble White
Marble Red

Wood Types:
Poplar + Mahogany (9-ply BD & 6-ply TT/FT)

Yamaha Power V Special (made in Japan)

Model No. and Sizes
TT-608 8"x8" mount tom
TT-610 10"x9" mount tom
TT-612 12"x10" mount tom
TT-613 13"x11" mount tom
TT-614 14"x12" mount tom
TT-615 15"x13" mount tom
FT-616 16"x16" floor tom
FT-618 18"x16" floor tom
BD-620 20"x16" bass drum
BD-622 22"x16" bass drum
SD-246 14"x6.5" snare drum

Color Finishes:
Jet Black
White Granite
Red Granite

Wood Types:
Basswood + Mahogany (9-ply BD/FT18" & 8-ply TT/FT16")

The Yamaha Power V Special has got the hi-tension (continuous) lugs and the clear inner ply.
The Yamaha Power V has got the single (separate) lugs and the painted black inner ply.
--

For a period of time Premier was owned by Yamaha, and the Premier factory was upgraded with new technology ( air seal system for shells).
The hardware produced by Premier of the time had a very distinct Yamaha look to it.
Yamaha 9000 ( Recording Custom) kits were made in the Premier factory, probably as a way to avoid or limit import duties and taxes . The drums made in England were near identical to the sets made at Yamaha Japan. One thing the English drums had in their favour was their superior chrome plating. England uses a higher voltage in the chrome plating process , which gives their plating a better finish with much more gleam than Asian or North American sources.

The Power V was designed to complete with the Pearl Export and Tama Rockstar of the time. But the Yamaha version was slightly more expensive, while not offering anything different.

Premier, however, introduced their APK and XPK, which was competitive and took off for brief period of time. So Yamaha started selling their version of the APK under the Power V name, but it was too little, too late
It wasn't until Yamaha introduced the Stage Custom a few years later that Yamaha had success at that price point, but the Stage Custom really killed off any resale value of the Power Vs and Power V Specials.

Don't get the Yamaha Power V and the Power V Special mixed up. The first one was a budget kit with of course Yamaha quality but has no high tension lugs and the inner shells are painted in black. The Power V Special has bare inner shells.
Reportedly, Yamaha said the Power V Specials were essentially the same as the Stage Custom Advantage. They also said the Power V and the Power V Special had different build quality and that the Specials were better. Either way they are a solid entry/mid kit.

According to catalogs, Power V was made with black interiors like Premier APK for example, short lugs, and the wood is birch with some luan.

Power V Special have long lugs from hoop too hoop, clear interior and mahogany and poplar or mahogany and basswood shells.

There is a third variation and this is the Yamaha Stage Custom in fact, called Power V Special, with different tom mounts and shell component (basswood). At some point Yamaha cut production in England and started in Indonesia.

---
more as I find it.

also-
--
Japan brochure
PVS3.jpgPVS4.jpg
--
England brochure
PVS2.jpgPVS1.jpg
 
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The new bass head makes a remarkable difference, but, it should, as I think (I'm not positive) that the head I removed is the original.
As in, from 30 years ago, original.

It sounds better now. :D
Sorry didnt catch this. on previous reply
 
Last edited:
As mentioned above, here is the info I've gathered so far about these drums, collected here for future... yeah. ;) Collected from a variety of online sources, including some not great scans of factory literature. If anyone has additions or corrections, please contribute. Thanks!
----
----

If your kit was made in Japan, it consists of 9 ply basswood with a Philippine mahogany outer layer for the BD and 18"FT and 8 ply for the TT's and 16"FT.
Kits made in England (in the early 90's Yamaha owned the Premier drum factory, they installed their machines and instructed the Premier production workers how to manufacture the Yamaha's) have 9 ply poplar and Philippine mahogany for the BD and 6 ply for the TT's and FT's.
The usual kit consists of a 22X16" Bass drum, but the specifications says there was a 20X16" available as well.
Most sizes are the same, although the toms vary, and the Japanese made kit has an extra option for a 8x8" tom.
So:
Specifications and components for
Japanese Power V Specials:

9 ply Basswood / Mahogany for BD/ 18"FT
8 ply Basswood / Mahogany TT/ 16"FT
BD 22/20x16" (Mahogany/Basswood hoops)
FT 18/16x16"
TT 8x8"/10x9"/12x10"/13x11"/14x12"/15x13"
Steel SD 14x6.5"
High tension lugs
Round ball clamps
Jet Black/ Red Granite/ White Granite

English Power V Specials:

9 ply Poplar / Mahogany for BD
6 ply Poplar / Mahogany TT/FT
BD 22/(20)X16" (Birch/Mahogany hoops)
FT 18/16x16"
TT 10x10"/12x10"/13x11"/14x12"/15x13"
Steel SD 14x6.5"
High tension lugs
Edged ball clamps
Jet Black/ Marble Red/ Marble White

Both kits are produced with "Air seal system" shells.


Yamaha Power V Special (made in England)

Model No. and Sizes
VTT-610 10"x10" mount tom
VTT-612 12"x10" mount tom
VTT-613 13"x11" mount tom
VTT-614 14"x12" mount tom
VTT-615 15"x13" mount tom
VFT-616 16"x16" floor tom
VFT-618 18"x16" floor tom
VBD-620 20"x16" bass drum
VBD-622 22"x16" bass drum
VSD-246 14"x6.5" snare drum

Color Finishes:
Jet Black
Marble White
Marble Red

Wood Types:
Poplar + Mahogany (9-ply BD & 6-ply TT/FT)

Yamaha Power V Special (made in Japan)

Model No. and Sizes
TT-608 8"x8" mount tom
TT-610 10"x9" mount tom
TT-612 12"x10" mount tom
TT-613 13"x11" mount tom
TT-614 14"x12" mount tom
TT-615 15"x13" mount tom
FT-616 16"x16" floor tom
FT-618 18"x16" floor tom
BD-620 20"x16" bass drum
BD-622 22"x16" bass drum
SD-246 14"x6.5" snare drum

Color Finishes:
Jet Black
White Granite
Red Granite

Wood Types:
Basswood + Mahogany (9-ply BD/FT18" & 8-ply TT/FT16")

The Yamaha Power V Special has got the hi-tension (continuous) lugs and the clear inner ply.
The Yamaha Power V has got the single (separate) lugs and the painted black inner ply.
--

For a period of time Premier was owned by Yamaha, and the Premier factory was upgraded with new technology ( air seal system for shells).
The hardware produced by Premier of the time had a very distinct Yamaha look to it.
Yamaha 9000 ( Recording Custom) kits were made in the Premier factory, probably as a way to avoid or limit import duties and taxes . The drums made in England were near identical to the sets made at Yamaha Japan. One thing the English drums had in their favour was their superior chrome plating. England uses a higher voltage in the chrome plating process , which gives their plating a better finish with much more gleam than Asian or North American sources.

The Power V was designed to complete with the Pearl Export and Tama Rockstar of the time. But the Yamaha version was slightly more expensive, while not offering anything different.

Premier, however, introduced their APK and XPK, which was competitive and took off for brief period of time. So Yamaha started selling their version of the APK under the Power V name, but it was too little, too late
It wasn't until Yamaha introduced the Stage Custom a few years later that Yamaha had success at that price point, but the Stage Custom really killed off any resale value of the Power Vs and Power V Specials.

Don't get the Yamaha Power V and the Power V Special mixed up. The first one was a budget kit with of course Yamaha quality but has no high tension lugs and the inner shells are painted in black. The Power V Special has bare inner shells.
Reportedly, Yamaha said the Power V Specials were essentially the same as the Stage Custom Advantage. They also said the Power V and the Power V Special had different build quality and that the Specials were better. Either way they are a solid entry/mid kit.

According to catalogs, Power V was made with black interiors like Premier APK for example, short lugs, and the wood is birch with some luan.

Power V Special have long lugs from hoop too hoop, clear interior and mahogany and poplar or mahogany and basswood shells.

There is a third variation and this is the Yamaha Stage Custom in fact, called Power V Special, with different tom mounts and shell component (basswood). At some point Yamaha cut production in England and started in Indonesia.

---
more as I find it.

also-
--
Japan brochure
View attachment 93524View attachment 93525
--
England brochure
View attachment 93526View attachment 93527

Interesting stuff but I don't think the Premier chrome plating was better because of our voltage in the UK, I think Premier always had an excellent reputation for their chroming because they simply had a good labour and time intensive system and did a good job of it. Also I'm pretty sure that factories manipulate voltage and current to suit the job at hand as opposed to being stuck with 230v 50 hz. And yes I was surprised to learn that our 240v was harmonised with Europe to 230v in 2003.
There were stories circulating in the 80s that Premier were so good at chroming that Rolls Royce sent them their front grilles to chrome. There was a counter story that what Premier did was send THEIR metalwork to Rolls Royce because it was Rolls Royce that were so good at chroming. And then there's my story which is that Rolls Royce wouldn't have sent JUST their radiator grilles to be done, and there's plenty of photos circulating showing Premier hardware in the factory with, I think, the base copper alloy plating on the metalwork prior to the chroming process. I'm pretty sure Keith Moon saw stands and shell hardware in this rawer form an had Premier make him a kit and stands in the copper finish too.
 
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Thanks for this. :)

:edit: I will say that the parts I know to be from England do look quite good.

Interesting stuff but I don't think the Premier chrome plating was better because of our voltage in the UK, I think Premier always had an excellent reputation for their chroming because they simply had a good labour and time intensive system and did a good job of it. Also I'm pretty sure that factories manipulate voltage and current to suit the job at hand as opposed to being stuck with 230v 50 hz. And yes I was surprised to learn that our 240v was harmonised with Europe to 230v in 2003.
There were stories circulating in the 80s that Premier were so good at chroming that Rolls Royce sent them their front grilles to chrome. There was a counter story that what Premier did was send THEIR metalwork to Rolls Royce because it was Rolls Royce that were so good at chroming. And then there's my story which is that Rolls Royce wouldn't have sent JUST their radiator grilles to be done, and there's plenty of photos circulating showing Premier hardware in the factory with, I think, the base copper alloy plating on the metalwork prior to the chroming process. I'm pretty sure Keith Moon saw stands and shell hardware in this rawer form an had Premier make him a kit and stands in the copper finish too.
 
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I used to have the Made in England Power V kit (birch/luan) in a chrome wrap as my first "real" drum kit as a graduation present from middle school. I had it paired with Made in Japan 700-series hardware. Loud and punchy kit, it was fun to learn on. When you look back at that time, pretty archaic mounting arms and whatnot but I tell ya, solid as an Ox!
 
Solid, indeed. Even though mine has a mix of mounting stuff it is insanely solid, wiggle free, and dead easy to adjust. The ball clamps are English, the receiver and bases are Japanese, and they work flawlessly together (I also think they look good together, and arguably look better this way).




I used to have the Made in England Power V kit (birch/luan) in a chrome wrap as my first "real" drum kit as a graduation present from middle school. I had it paired with Made in Japan 700-series hardware. Loud and punchy kit, it was fun to learn on. When you look back at that time, pretty archaic mounting arms and whatnot but I tell ya, solid as an Ox!
 
Chrome update!

Yesterday I finally got around to listening to a recent episode of The Drum History Podcast which was an hour dedicated to Premier Drums with Premier expert Mike Ellis as the interviewee. He's spent many years documenting the history of Premier and collecting an oral history by talking to ex employees, some of whom are no longer with us, and I'll always take his information as the best source available.
So it's well known that Premier was owned by the Della Porta family until the early 80s. What isn't so well known is that the chroming plant where both Premier and Rolls Royce had their work done wasn't owned by either company, it was owned separately by the Della Porta's. So when Yamaha bought Premier in the early 80s expecting that the purchase included the legendary Diamond Chroming plant they received a nasty surprise when they learned that they could have their hardware Diamond Chromed, but they would have to send it to, and pay on top of their purchase price of Premier to, the Della Porta owned plant. I know a fair amount about Premier but I never knew this.
 
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