Tama Drums & Percussion

MUSIC123 ~ $2600 INCLUDING HARDWARE BEUTIFUL SOUNDING DRUMS WITH GREAT PROJECTION, GREAT LOOKING, RIMS MOUNTING SYSTEM IS EXCELLENT I'M STILL WAITING FOR THE 16" FLOOR TOM. IT WAS SUPPOSED TO TAKE 1 MONTH. IT'S BEEN 8 MONTHS AND THERE'S STILL NO WORD. I'VE CONTACTED TAMA BUT THEY DON'T PROVIDE ANY INFO. BEUTIFUL DRUMS. IF YOUR PLANNING ON ORDERING ANY ADDITIONAL PIECES BEWARE, THEY MAY NEVER COME. THEN YOU'LL BE STUCK WITH HALF A KIT. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I bought this kit brand new from a local music store here in town. And paid a lil over 700 for it and that included throne, dampening rings, and sticks. So it was a pretty good deal Oh i love this kit it is a great set-up for the price. Tama has always been known for there sturdy hardware and it is rock solid like they say. Got the best sounded kick ive ever heard if ya dampen an tune it right itll have that big low in. Also since they've added the starcast mounting system makes them even more attractive. What i didn't like about the kit is the heads it came with there terrible, so i recommend take bout 50 or so bucks and put some evans G2's on these babies and theyll be sounded good. I bought the fusion size kit 10,12,and 14. And quality yes they do have, these things will rock when you want them too. Who said you had to be a beginner or whatever too play on this set. This thing sounds great when you put a little extra money in it with good heads an some top quality cymbals as well. I seriously recommend this kit for anyone whos lookin for a good quality drumkit at a good price. Always remember its who's sittin behind the drumset is what really matters. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

The snare drum probably is the most critical element to any drummers drum setup. The drum sets helps to set the tempo and really allow the rest of the band to follow along. Without a tight snappy snare drum the drums will fall off into obscurity in the band mix. This drum has a robust power drive that will create a inner tempo with the other rhythm section. The crackling of this drum creates a punch to which the drummer finds the feel of the groove. Feeling the groove is easy with this wood combination drum. The maple burl while beautiful to look at had a nice crisp high that is extremely transparent with the rest of the percussion arrangement. You can allow yourself to gets lots in the groove quite easily with the powerful connection you feel with this drum. TAMA Maple Starphonic 14" x 6" Snare Drum Features: * Super Sensitive Hi-Carbon Snappy Snare gives you crisp attack * Outer ply of Satin Mappa Burl lends an aura of class * Bearing edge shape enhances drum resonance Resonance is critical when comparing the snare drums. A snare that doesn't have that snappy attack with the combination of a good sustain will ultimately be throw away. At new these drums snares come in at around $500. That is a reasonable price for this high quality wood and head. This might be a little bit out of the price range for some people but having a solid build and correctly tuned snare is absolutely critical to having a tight sounding band and grooving feel in the music. The robust booming tone of this drum is very drummer friendly and articulate. Sometimes you give one or the other, the tightness which can be unforgiving or the loose feel that is easy to play but can get a little sloppy. This drum is the best of both worlds. You get the fat tight tone and the concentrated attack to which a drummer needs to stay in time and tempo. Details Type Snare Shell Size 6" x 14" Shell Construction 6mm/6ply maple + outer 1ply mappa burl Shell Material Maple Hoops Grooved hoop, 10-hole Color Satin Mappa Burl

Iron Cobra pedals (w/double kick power glide hardware) are among the best bass drum pedals on the market. I have never owned these personally but I have played them frequently and have extreme respect for their capabilities. They are all around great pedals and I see them all the time. TAMA has long been known to have extremely solid hardware, but the iron cobras really blew me away. I was never a super double bass heavy player, but most of my friends that play double bass all the time all use iron cobras. The first thing I have got to say about these is that they are very smooth. I am not exactly sure how they worked it out, because all the springs and connectors look more or less standard, but the pedal control is immense. They are probably the best feeling pedals I have ever played, with both high and low tension being very comfortable. They are easy to adjust and quick to set up. Most models come with a case, which is extremely convenient, especially with the double pedal. There is also a holder for the tuning key underneath the footboard, which is minor but still cool. In my experience, the Iron Cobras are more prevalent in more progressive rock or metal genres of music. This is probably due to the prevalence of double bass work in these songs, but also the fact that the beaters on these pedals tend to create a more compressed sound. The only reason why this pedal may be at a slight disadvantage is that it has slightly shorter footboards than the axis long boards or the high end pearl pedals. If you are looking for a longer footboard, it should be no surprise that the Axis Long board may be the better choice. Other than that, the Iron Cobra really pushes the envelope of great pedals.

The Tama Rockstar is one of the best beginner level drumsets. Tama kits aren't usually my specialty, but I have played many rockstars and know that they are a great deal. The hardware is sturdy, the shells sound good, and the price is affordable. It is really amazing how good entry level kits are these days, giving even pro kits a run for their money at times. A little money goes a long way when invested wisely in the right kind of drumset. The real talking point about this kit is the hardware. More than any other entry kit, it has excellent, excellent hardware (starcast system I think). It is easy to set up and arrange. When the toms must be unmounted, the can be removed and returned with no alterations made to the arrangement. This is convenent when gigging (if you dont have drum cases) so that the pack up is quick. Once stationed where you want them, the toms really stay in place. Even the hi hat and snare stand seemed better than normal, very sturdy and effective. The wood used is a mix of mahogany and basswood, and the shells sound good. One drawback was that the heads that came with it were really thin and hard to tune. When replaced, it sounded a whole lot better. Overall, this is another example of an excellent entry level kit. It is robably a few steps above the Pearl Forum/Ludwig Accent level, and comperable t that of the Gretsch Catalina line. It sounds great, is mounted great, and looks fine. I would recommend this to any drummer looking for a good deal and a drumset they can use even as their taste grows more expensive and more exclusive. It is a great drumset.

I owned the Tama Iron Cobra Power Glide Kick Pedal for a little over a year, and I ended up replacing it with the Pearl Eliminator. The pedal is very solid, and has nice action, but not for very long. After constant use at practices and gigs, the action slowed, and the pedal became less smooth. It was very well built, but even after I greased all the hinges and such. It still wasn’t as good as it was. This was the pedal I played when I switched from a single chain driven pedal to double chain driven one, and there is a large difference in the action. But when comparing this to other double chain drives, it falls short to the DW 5000 and the Pearl Eliminators, in my opinion. The action on these two pedals is much smoother than on the Iron Cobra. I believe this may be resolved by buying the Rolling Glide, but I have never personally played on those. The weight and the overall longevity of the pedal is where I have problems. The attack and intensity of the pedal are amazing in the first stages of use, but over time the action gets less smooth and the pedal starts to squeak, causing for it to be a handful while recording. The weight isn’t a big problem, it just weighs more than others, but that is the price you pay for having a pedal built like a tank. The Tama Iron Cobra Power Glide kick pedal is an good pedal. It has sleek looks and plays relatively fast, it just doesn’t stand up to some of the other pedals in it’s price range. If I had to choose again, I would play the Pearl Eliminators from the start. Iron Cobra’s are better when they are played as a double kick pedal.