
Tama's old catalogs online
#1
Posted 11 June 2008 - 06:13 PM

#2
Posted 11 June 2008 - 07:24 PM

#3
Posted 11 June 2008 - 08:36 PM

In the early 80's they were the "IT" drum company. Look at the roster of endorsers during that time -- Peart, Copeland, Bruford, Elvin, Cobham, Simon. Beautiful catalogs and top notch quality from the flagship line down to the entry-level. Hardware that raised the bar for everyone. Once MTV broke around that time - you could not go 3 videos without seeing a Tama logo. Local music stores here in the DC area could not keep their stuff in stock. Venamens and Chuck Levin's had waiting lists for Tama kits.
Innovative products, hot endorser list, slick marketing - there was a time when they were at the top of the heap and forced every other company to raise their game.
I will always have a soft spot for that company. They were a very important part of my youth. I probably thought about Tama everyday between 8th - 12th grade.
#4
Posted 12 June 2008 - 08:24 AM

#5
Posted 12 June 2008 - 10:21 AM

In the early 80's the were the "IT" drum company.
Local music stores here in the DC area could not keep their stuff in stock. Venamens and Chuck Levin's had waiting lists for Tama kits.
I got all Nostalgic reading that. It took me back to the Drum Shop in Shaftbury Avenue -Music City iirc - which had a wooden spiral staircase into the basement, where the hallowed 8 Tama Concert toms on their stands got salivated on, regularily.

That Tama history site is great. Scott/The Rev has done a fantastic job on the Sonor Museum, too. I only wish there was a YAMAHA site.
#6
Posted 12 June 2008 - 10:42 AM

#7
Posted 13 June 2008 - 11:21 AM



#8
Posted 13 June 2008 - 11:27 AM

#9
Posted 13 June 2008 - 03:35 PM

#10
Posted 13 June 2008 - 07:02 PM

Actually I had a bunch of them early 80s Tama catalogs that I got from NAMM shows but they got swiped by some scum kid (at the time--am talking 80s here!) so-called friend of my son. Too bad 'cuz they sure are pretty to look at! I still lust after a 7-piece Artstar kit. Wish I had bought one back then.

Bought a 9-piece X-Tra Superstar super-mahogany set in 1983 with all Titan hardware (too bad I didn't get the smaller toms though!

But recently I brought the 14x8 Artstar snare drum back home to work on the throw off, which somehow got damaged years ago, so the drum just sat there on storage collecting dust.
Took the drum apart for cleaning, etc., and got the throw off working properly again. Replaced the original snare side head with a medium weight Attack head (my son recently replaced the batter head with an Aquarium Focus X, so being new I left it on) and a 15" strainer (yep, 15").
The drum is beautiful to look at (well, at least to me anyway!


Anyways, still think them 80s Tamas are some of the best non-custom built drums ever made (and I have some frames of reference to judge them by; vintage Ludwigs, Custom Studio Yamahas, Gretsch round badge, and a very recent vintage Tama Imperialstar kits)...
-elcid
#11
Posted 13 June 2008 - 08:07 PM


#12
Posted 14 June 2008 - 02:29 AM

Splat said:

One of the 1983 Superstar bass drums is a 24 inch job (the other is 22"), and now that my son put on an Aquarium Superkick 1 (I think) batter head the thing sounds really good and better than ever has before! The Tamas stay put at his place as he uses the Yamaha kit for gigging with his band, so they're well taken care of.
He picked up the 5-piece Imperialstar (the snare drum isn't Tama, though, but matters little as my boy has more than a dozen snare drums to choose from) couple of months ago for $175. The set looks like new, although am not too crazy about their red color wrap.
Anyway, I understand them PDP maple drums are supposed to sound great. Personally I like their looks better than most drums available out there now days. How do you like them?...
-elcid
#13
Posted 15 June 2008 - 04:10 PM

Anyway, I understand them PDP maple drums are supposed to sound great. Personally I like their looks better than most drums available out there now days. How do you like them?...
I like my PDP kit a lot. I tried a few different heads to see what I could get from them but the Pinstripes sound the best. IIRC I have a Powerstroke 3 on the kick with a standard black Remo ported reso head. It sounds great. I just like a bigger kick and got a deal a the 14x24 Imperialstar kick which I'm now using. The only thing with the PDP kits, and I've heard this from other guys, is the 12 and 14 toms don't really gel together. No matter how I tune each drum they just don't sound as good as they should together. I am still thinking of getting the 12's edges redone. I don't know about PDP's hardware but it seems OK from what I've seen. I do get compliments on the sound of my kit. If you tune them well they sing nicely. I highly recommend them for the price they're asking.
#14
Posted 15 June 2008 - 04:35 PM

I like my PDP kit a lot. I tried a few different heads to see what I could get from them but the Pinstripes sound the best. IIRC I have a Powerstroke 3 on the kick with a standard black Remo ported reso head. It sounds great. I just like a bigger kick and got a deal a the 14x24 Imperialstar kick which I'm now using. The only thing with the PDP kits, and I've heard this from other guys, is the 12 and 14 toms don't really gel together. No matter how I tune each drum they just don't sound as good as they should together. I am still thinking of getting the 12's edges redone. I don't know about PDP's hardware but it seems OK from what I've seen. I do get compliments on the sound of my kit. If you tune them well they sing nicely. I highly recommend them for the price they're asking.
I seen Tommy Igoe playing PDPs as well as DWs; the PDP kit he used on one of his instruction DVDs sound terrific, which aroused my curiosity.
Too bad about the rack toms, though, but am sure you'll find an eventual fix.
Recently bought a bunch of lower priced PDP cymbal stands (straight and boom) and a mid-line hi-hat and found them to be of excellent quality, finish, and good looks for the money, though boom cymbal stands tend to be a bit unstable if accessories such as extra cymbal arms, etc., are attached to them, that's why I use 80's Tama Titan boom and double tom stands for that particular application...
-elcid
#15
Posted 15 June 2008 - 04:41 PM

Thanks for the post. I have a Tama Camco DBL BD pedal from the mid 80's that functions very well

my brother in NY still has my mid 70's stands as well
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