Tama Rockstar Standard

I was looking for a kit to offer customers using the practice studios I building for local musicians. The studio build $'s were adding up, but I wanted to offer a solid kit for my patrons. So, I was looking for something in my price range. I ended up buying a pearl forum 5 piece and when I went to arrange the drums, I found the variety of positions very limited. The next day, I recieved a call for a used 5 piece tama rockstar kit. Although I just purchase the pearl kit the day before, I wanted to at least compare one kit against the other. Once I tryed the tama kit, I was sold. The sound was solid not booming like the pearl. The versitility of the hardware was incredible. I was finally able to get the drum positioning that I find Ideal. It came with a brushed aluminum wrap, that I think will look great under any stagelighting. I purchased the 5 piece drum pack for $250.. I thought that I was walking away with a deal on a quality kit that anyone would enjoy playing as a practice studio supplied drum kit. After paying for a drum kit the night before, I would not have bought this kit, on my limited budget, unless I wasn't totally overwhelmed with the quality, tone and ease of adjustability. I couldn't be happier with my purchase.

Tama's Rockstar kit is a popular line of drums sets, usually consisting of five pieces - a kick drum, snare drum, floor tom, and two rack tom tom drums. I've recorded with a few of these kits over the years and find them to be pretty average kits in general. I'm not primarily a drummer, so I can't speak too much about the make up of the kit in terms of materials used and all that, but it's not the most well made kit I've ever seen, as it's definitely a mass produced instrument. Having said this, it's definitely decent enough for a beginner's kit and will probably do you well even if you're a bit past a beginner. When I was recording bands in my basement a few years back, I did a few sessions with drummers who had this kit. While not the best sounding kit for recording, it's not the worst, and for the price it's a pretty good deal. I don't know what kind of differences there are between newer and older versions of the Tama Rockstar, but they seem to more or less all be in the same vein. I also don't know if the size of the drums themselves varies, but I think they're pretty standard sizes for the most part. The drum set doesn't come with cymbals, but it does come with stands which is nice. Basically, the Tama Rockstar kit gives you an easy place to start to get a decent drum kit at a good price. You can find cheaper kits, but go any lower and you're going to be getting something more in line with a toy than an instrument. The Tama Rockstar drum kit is definitely worth considering for anyone who is looking to start up on the drums or looking to upgrade their kit that's almost unplayable.

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.