PHX
The Sound of Excellence
When asked what they wanted from their drums, a long time Yamaha Drum artist had three requests - a louder sound, a fatter tone, and even more sensitivity.
So with this in mind, Yamaha pursued these three goals, and drawing on long term research and development, and their vast manufacturing experience, they decided to make a masterpiece which epitomized all of them.
As a result, PHX was created, with the widest dynamic range of any drums created by Yamaha, and with an even greater, richer, mid-low response.
Hybrid Shell
The unique Hybrid shell was designed to perfectly achieve the three targets of the PHX concept - more volume, more tone and more dynamic range.
The shell uses the heaviest and hardest wood in the centre core, and the wood plies get gradually softer toward the inner and outer surfaces. This construction allows the shell to vibrate perfectly, free of constraint.
The shell uses the hardest and heaviest wood, Jatoba for the centre core. The Jatoba is surrounded on either side by layers of Kapur, another hard and heavy wood. Then, surrounding the Kapur is Maple, the softest wood in the whole shell, which is used for the outer and inner shell plies.
Countless trials, prototyping and sound checking with artists went into finding the perfect shell make-up for PHX.
Bearing Edge
The bearing edge is the single most important element to dictate the tone and articulation of each PHX shell.
All PHX bearing edge are cut at 30-degrees. However, what makes each type of shell different - whether it be a tom, floor tom, or bass drum - is the radius of the top of each bearing edge. These radiuses are where the drum head touches the wood of the shell, and the size of the radius allows more or less vibration to pass from the head through to the shell.
Therefore, the bass drum edge creates a clearer and sharper sound, while the tom edge makes a fatter and more rounded sound.
The bearing edges are shaped by craftsmen who have specialized knowledge of the characteristics of each wood. During rounds of sanding and special surface finishing, each edge gradually becomes perfectly shaped for its intended use.
Hardware
The lugs, tom mounting system and hoops have a crucial role in achieving the perfect drum sound.
The PHX uses the Y.E.S.S.Ⅱ system for mounting the toms, which is perfectly matched to the hybrid shell. It is super stable and comfortably supports the thick PHX shell while bringing out its natural resonance without compromise. The mounting plate itself is made of the same maple as is used on the outer plies of the Hybrid shell, further contributing to the rich resonance and enhanced low end.
The Hook Lug on the PHX was designed with a small footprint, which doesn’t disturb the shell vibration, and accentuates the fundamental tone. In addition, Yamaha’s unique 3.0mm aluminum die-cast hoop features high rigidity and extreme light weight, so it maximizes the head resonance, and creates a rich, melodic tone with a full attack.
Beautiful Shell Exteriors
The PHX range is not only packed with great features which make it a fantastic drum range, but it also has all the beauty of an exquisite, hand made musical instrument.
Highly skilled craftspeople repeat the painting and sanding process many times while continuing to achieve a rich and beautiful finish and high hardness. In addition, the finish is extremely thin, so it doesn't disturb shell vibration. These steps include the consistent application of coatings by wiping and spraying combined with meticulous sanding and buffing. Matte finishes are no easier to produce, requiring multiple levels of accomplished craftsmanship.
Furthermore, the Hook Lugs and aluminum die-cast hoops are available in either chrome or a deeply exclusive gold, to match or contrast with the shells perfectly.
Product Information
The colors and finishes shown may vary from those on the actual products.
