Product details
The Warm One in a Cold Family
Recording Custom has been on records since the late 1970s, and Yamaha rebuilt the line in partnership with Steve Gadd. Yamaha's own description of the metal snares is blunt about the ambition: they represent the addition of Yamaha's finest snare drums, using Steve's input to its maximum, adding a consistency that lets a drummer use the whole kit's sound.
Aluminium is the metal that behaves least like a metal. Where steel cracks and brass darkens, aluminium gives an open, woody tone — close to the body of a wood snare but with the projection and consistency of metal. If you have avoided metal snares because they sounded brittle, this is the one to hear.
At a Glance
What You Get
- 1.2 mm seamless aluminium shell with the centre bead formed on the outside of the shell — see below for why that matters.
- 3.0 mm aluminium die-cast hoops. Heavier and more rigid than triple-flanged, they tighten the sound, sharpen the rim shot and hold tuning through a hard set.
- One-piece lugs with an internal lug lock mechanism, which resists the slow detuning that comes from sustained hard playing.
- Q-type strainer on the release side, DC3-type butt side — heavy-duty hardware built for stable, smooth operation and quick wire changes.
- Remo US Ambassador Coated batter and Remo US Ambassador Snare side heads, fitted at the factory.
- 45-degree bearing edge and a 2.4 mm snare bed.
- Developed with Steve Gadd, whose playing defined the original Recording Custom sound on countless sessions.
Three Details That Define It
Snare Wire — and Steve Gadd's own set in the box
The 14 × 5.5" carries a 20-strand SN1420H high-carbon steel wire; the 14 × 6.5" carries a 25-strand SN1425H. More strands means a denser, more even wire response under the head.
The 5.5" also arrives with a second wire in the box: the SN1410H “SG type”, the wire Steve Gadd himself prefers. It is a 14-strand wire with the middle four strands removed, which sharpens how abruptly the sound stops — a crisper, more staccato note. Swapping between the two is a genuine change of voice, not a subtle one, and it is included at no extra cost.
Centre Bead — on the outside, for the first time
A centre bead is the ridge pressed around the middle of a metal shell; it stiffens the shell and focuses the fundamental. Yamaha has always formed that bead on the inside of its snare shells. After repeated rounds of evaluation with Steve Gadd, this drum moves it to the outside.
The result, in Yamaha's own words, is a more open sound than their conventional drums, with crisp and articulate response. It is the single change that most separates these snares from the metal Yamaha shells that came before them.
Q-Type Strainer
The heavy-duty Q-type strainer is the throw-off you engage and disengage every time you switch between snares-on and snares-off. Yamaha built this one for robustness: solid, stable and smooth in operation, with fine adjustment that holds where you set it.
It also makes changing the wires quick — which matters more on this drum than most, because on the 5.5" you have a second set of wires in the box and a real reason to swap them.
Hear It
Yamaha's own sound demos, each depth recorded at three tunings with Ambassador heads. Press play — the difference between the two depths is easiest to hear on the low tuning.
RAS1455 — 14 × 5.5"
20-strand SN1420H wire
RAS1465 — 14 × 6.5"
25-strand SN1425H wire
Audio: official Yamaha sound demos.
Choose Your Size
14 × 5.5" — RAS1455
The standard depth. Fast response, high sensitivity at low volume and the crack most engineers expect. Fitted with the 20-strand SN1420H wire, and it is the only one of the two that includes Steve Gadd's 10-strand SN1410H signature wire in the box. If this will be your only snare, take this one.
14 × 6.5" — RAS1465
The same shell an inch deeper, with a denser 25-strand SN1425H wire. More body, a lower fundamental and more weight behind the backbeat, for a little less speed. No bundled Gadd wire. A strong second snare alongside a 5.5.
Shared by both
1.2 mm aluminium shell, external centre bead, 3.0 mm die-cast hoops, one-piece lugs with internal lug lock, Q-type strainer, 45-degree bearing edge, 2.4 mm snare bed and Remo US Ambassador heads.
Which Metal?
All three Recording Custom metals share the 1.2 mm shell, the external centre bead, the 45-degree bearing edge and the Q-type strainer. Two things change: the metal, and the hoop. Aluminium is open and woody, the warmest of the three, and the only one fitted with 3.0 mm die-cast hoops. Stainless steel is a cutting crack, built to be heard over loud guitars, on 2.3 mm Dyna Hoops. Brass is dark intensity — heavier, with more body and a lower fundamental, also on Dyna Hoops.
| Shell | Models | Sizes | Hoops | Character |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminium 1.2 mm | RAS1455 / RAS1465 | 14 × 5.5" or 14 × 6.5" | 3.0 mm die-cast | Open and woody, all-rounder |
| Stainless steel 1.2 mm | RLS1455 / RLS1470 | 14 × 5.5" or 14 × 7" | 2.3 mm Dyna Hoop | Cutting crack, loud stages |
| Brass 1.2 mm | RRS1455 / RRS1465 | 14 × 5.5" or 14 × 6.5" | 2.3 mm Dyna Hoop | Dark intensity, weight and body |
FAQ
Q. What is the Steve Gadd snare wire, and do I get it?
It is the SN1410H, a 14-strand wire with the middle four strands taken out, leaving 10. Removing the centre strands sharpens the cutoff so the note stops more abruptly — a tighter, more staccato sound. Yamaha bundles it with the 14 × 5.5" (RAS1455) only. The 6.5" does not include it.
Q. 5.5 inch or 6.5 inch?
5.5 inch is the standard: faster response, more sensitivity at low volume, more crack — and it comes with the extra Gadd wire. 6.5 inch gives more body and a lower fundamental, on a denser 25-strand wire. If this is your only snare, 5.5 inch is the safer choice. Select the depth you want above — the price updates with it.
Q. Why does the centre bead being on the outside matter?
The bead stiffens the shell and focuses the fundamental wherever it sits. Yamaha's earlier snares put it inside; moving it outside opens the sound up relative to their conventional drums while keeping the articulation. It is the defining change in this generation.
Q. Does it come with a snare stand?
No. This is the drum alone, in either depth. Ask us and we will add a suitable Yamaha snare stand.
Q. Aluminium or the birch Recording Custom?
Aluminium projects further and stays consistent at high volume; the birch RBS1455 is drier and more focused, with 30-degree bearing edges and lightweight hoops that suit close-miked studio work. Many drummers own both.
Why Buy from YMS?
YMS For Music is an authorised Yamaha Premium Retailer. Every drum is genuine Yamaha stock with full manufacturer warranty.
Play the metals side by side in Bengaluru or Mangaluru — aluminium, steel and brass are genuinely different instruments, and ten minutes with all three settles it faster than any description. Secure delivery across India.
Specifications
Overview
| Models | Yamaha RAS1455 and RAS1465 |
|---|---|
| Series | Recording Custom Metal |
| Type | Aluminium snare drum |
| Diameter | 14 inch |
| Depths Available | 5.5 inch (RAS1455) or 6.5 inch (RAS1465) |
How the Two Depths Differ
| RAS1455 snare wire | SN1420H - 20 strands, high carbon steel |
|---|---|
| RAS1465 snare wire | SN1425H - 25 strands, high carbon steel |
| Bundled extra wire | RAS1455 only - SN1410H (SG type, 10 strands, high carbon steel), the Steve Gadd signature wire |
| Everything else | Identical across both depths |
Shell
| Material | Aluminium |
|---|---|
| Thickness | 1.2 mm |
| Centre Bead | Outward - formed on the outside of the shell |
| Bearing Edge | 45 degrees |
| Snare Bed | 2.4 mm |
Hardware
| Hoops | 3.0 mm aluminium die-cast |
|---|---|
| Lugs | One-piece lug with internal lug lock mechanism |
| Strainer - Release Side | Q type, heavy duty |
| Strainer - Butt Side | DC3 type |
Heads
| Batter | Remo US Ambassador Coated |
|---|---|
| Snare Side | Remo US Ambassador Snare |
Character
| Tone | Open and woody - the warmest of the three Recording Custom metals |
|---|---|
| Best For | Session work, pop and rock, drummers who want a metal snare that does not sound brittle |
| Design Background | Developed in partnership with Steve Gadd |
Supplied
| Included | Snare drum with Remo heads fitted; RAS1455 also includes the SN1410H Steve Gadd signature snare wire |
|---|---|
| Not Included | Snare stand, sticks, case |
Sold as a snare drum only - a snare stand is a separate purchase. Choose your depth on the product page. Specifications from Yamaha's official Recording Custom Aluminum Snare Drums product data.
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