Half the weight without sacrificing stability.
Like many gigging drummers, I’ve been on a seemingly never-ending quest to construct the lightest setup possible. For the past month, I’ve been toting around the all-aluminum Yamaha Crosstown Advanced Lightweight hardware pack, which comprises two straight cymbal stands, a snare stand, a hi-hat stand, and a soft bag with protective sleeves. Each of the components is also available for purchase individually.
The Hi-Hat
As I often do when testing hi-hat stands, I threw up a couple of 20” ride cymbals on the Crosstown Advanced to challenge the strength of the spring. The stand was a bit sluggish, but it held up the top cymbal with no sag. The spring tension isn’t adjustable, but it’s preset at a good point between easy to play and fast acting for crisp articulation. With my paper-thin 14” hi-hats, the pedal was super quick and responsive and felt very similar to Yamaha’s standard HS650A single-braced stand. However, it weighs just 4.8 pounds, which is four pounds lighter than the single-braced steel version.
Snare Stand
The Crosstown Advanced snare stand weighs 3.3 pounds, which is half the heft of Yamaha’s single-braced steel offering. The features are otherwise
very similar, and I felt no hesitation about putting my thick-shelled, die-cast hooped, 6.5×14 snare on this stand. It felt just as sturdy as the double-braced stand that has been in my hardware bag for many years.
Cymbal Stands
The Crosstown Advanced cymbal stands are also remarkably light, at just 6.1 pounds each. A clever feature of these stands is the inclusion of interchangeable fittings that allow you to remove the middle tube if you don’t need the extra height. Despite their ultra-light weight, the stands felt sturdy and didn’t wobble or tilt more than any other lightweight stand. The only downside with these is that the uniquely shaped legs don’t cozy up to the side of the bass drum as closely as flat-base stands do. Currently there aren’t options for a boom or convertible boom in this series, but you could potentially Frankenstein boom arms from other Yamaha models with the Crosstown Advanced bases since the tube diameters are compatible.
Gig Bag
The gig bag features a simple design, a lightly reinforced bottom, and small feet that elevate it off the ground about .5“. The straps are long enough to throw over your shoulder and short enough to comfortably carry by your side. If you currently use a wheeled hardware case, don’t fret—the Crosstown Advanced stands are so light that you won’t miss having a bag with wheels. The bag seems sturdy enough, but time will tell how long it can withstand getting tossed into the trunk of a car and smashed into a closet. The protective sleeves will protect the aluminum from scratching and dinging when the stands are in the case.
Final Verdict
These Crosstown Advanced stands are killer. When they were delivered, I couldn’t wrap my head around how light they were. They’re just as sturdy as steel, single-braced options, yet taken together have over ten pounds less heft. If you’re looking to put together a super-lightweight setup, go check these out. Get it at your local Yamaha dealer or from Amazon.
