1980 Tama 10" Concert Tom Tragedy....

  • Thread starter smittyboy63
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smittyboy63 said:
Yeah, I saw those. They look like mine but they are the longer bass drum lugs. From what I understand this style/look lug was used on bass and toms.
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Oops. I linked too fast.

Here's one with the shorter tom lugs. Not cheap. But at least "reasonably fair." And they may have a few more if you need them.
That seller does strip drums when required.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/326702784485?_skw=tama+imperialstar+lugs&itmmeta=01K12NAXWN8HV4GAY0WDR645WE&hash=item4c1100dfe5:g:dAkAAeSwiJZoZjql&itmprp=enc:AQAKAAAA8FkggFvd1GGDu0w3yXCmi1evxVkrpN4dGN52X874D1pIg/fycJGGwsMEaC3m+nIIgsSGbTF1lDH/7TF63tXgWzX7tk4plGJqOL6RT7JOPkFImT+vltIHTdgl0AiPGcka+DhDynjfzwz/jX9NDCMcK0u6hAkRNec5datqxVYpVZeskAYPSVCUgGybrjq3f41ped6R3YjMfVE5nTnKLq9dd7KzsVqLlbGW3tJ9SsbBENawbHnR1Ci0pwM2DPJG/ZQJxfK5S2q3NV4R3aIJZHnWx6eGJykR7oi9mA6IEhX/OgiyCF0+kcbtYWe18hlh9QcMSQ==|tkp:Bk9SR7zeq9WIZg
 
Tama CW said:
Oops. I linked too fast.

Here's one with the shorter tom lugs. Not cheap. But at least "reasonably fair." And they may have a few more if you need them.
That seller does strip drums when required.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/326702784485?_skw=tama+imperialstar+lugs&itmmeta=01K12NAXWN8HV4GAY0WDR645WE&hash=item4c1100dfe5:g:dAkAAeSwiJZoZjql&itmprp=enc:AQAKAAAA8FkggFvd1GGDu0w3yXCmi1evxVkrpN4dGN52X874D1pIg/fycJGGwsMEaC3m+nIIgsSGbTF1lDH/7TF63tXgWzX7tk4plGJqOL6RT7JOPkFImT+vltIHTdgl0AiPGcka+DhDynjfzwz/jX9NDCMcK0u6hAkRNec5datqxVYpVZeskAYPSVCUgGybrjq3f41ped6R3YjMfVE5nTnKLq9dd7KzsVqLlbGW3tJ9SsbBENawbHnR1Ci0pwM2DPJG/ZQJxfK5S2q3NV4R3aIJZHnWx6eGJykR7oi9mA6IEhX/OgiyCF0+kcbtYWe18hlh9QcMSQ==|tkp:Bk9SR7zeq9WIZg
Click to expand...
I saw those too. Been writing back and forth to the guy.
My only concern is they look a bit worse for wear...zoom in on them.
 
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smittyboy63 said:
I wonder if I could use brand new these? Top one on the right...
The problem is it's a different footprint on the wrap, and it would show the old marks.
I need the 13mm distance too.

Imperialstar lugs
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If you're get too fussy you won't find anything. And with the vintage lugs, there's always a chance you can get some that are already bent or corroded.
Though with Ebay's return policy, you'll be made whole.

You'll have to carefully estimate the foot print if you want to be sure no old outline of the orig lug is showing. Check out the old style "stepped" swingstar
lugs. They are 39 mm and may have the wider foot print you need as they look more rectangular than the Imperialstar lugs. Hard to go wrong at $1.79/lug.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/3061520961...4TM1YW&hash=item4748164175:g:wDoAAeSwLABnzYo6
 
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I have a mid-80's 10" Cherry Wine Superstar tom with 12 lugs on it. I bought it with significant "tom rash" ....and "helped" it out with some touch up paint.
But lugs are nice. I could strip the drum but not sure I want to. But you can find similar drums cheap enough to "buy" the parts right off the drum.


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Tama CW said:
I have a mid-80's 10" Cherry Wine Superstar tom with 12 lugs on it. I bought it with a distressed finish....and "helped" it out with some touch up paint.
But lugs are nice. I could strip the drum but not sure I want to.


View attachment 739787
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That's cool, but I don't want you to mess up a good drum.
Those are my lugs though.
 
smittyboy63 said:
I'm tempted to buy just this one...it fits my footprint exactly and it is my lug's patent number. The only difference is the shaft chamfer and I can live with that, as it's barely noticeable. I know it's costly, but it appears to be in good shape and not all corroded like alot of others on Ebay.

VINTAGE 1980's TAMA SMALL TOM TOM & FLOOR TOM DRUM LUG-VG!
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I would think all the Tama Superstar/Imperialstar tom lugs of this period have that exact patent number and say "Japan" on them.
The foot prints are all identical. I don't know what you mean by shaft chamfer. I've never heard anyone used that term before on lugs.
Matt Picken's lug should be the same as everyone else out there.....just not 2X to 3X the price.
 
Tama CW said:
I would think all the Tama Superstar/Imperialstar tom lugs of this period have that exact patent number and say "Japan" on them.
I don't know what you mean by shaft chamfer. I've never heard anyone used that term before on lugs.
Click to expand...
Oddly enough, my lug doesn't say Japan anywhere...???

The chamfer on Matt Pickens lug:
s-l1600.jpg


My lug:
04170003.JPG
 
smittyboy63 said:
Oddly enough, my lug doesn't say Japan anywhere...???
Click to expand...
Interesting. I don't ever recall seeing that taper/chamfer before. I checked 2 of the toms in my kit......no chamfers.
It's just a lug insert and are easily and often replaced. Matt might have altered that lug if he had received one w/o an insert.
 
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Tama CW said:
Interesting. I don't ever recall seeing that taper/chamfer before. I checked 2 of the toms in my kit......no chamfers.
It's just a lug insert and are easily and often replaced. Matt might have altered that lug if he had received one w/o an insert.
Click to expand...
I just sent him the pics I showed you, so we'll see what he says.
 
Tama CW said:
He has other Tama lugs with the correct insert. No reason he couldn't swap it.
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I just sent him a message.
Since he's charging an arm and a leg for that lug you'd think he'd help me out.
We'll see.

Interesting that Tama didn't write me back...which doesn't surprise me.
I wrote Gibraltar with questions about converting my Ludwigs to a rack system and they also never wrote me back, LOL.
So much for customer service nowadays...
 
smittyboy63 said:
I just sent him a message.
Since he's charging an arm and a leg for that lug you'd think he'd help me out.
We'll see.
Click to expand...

I've tried working with that guy before on something I just "had" to have. Paid through the nose. But, generally I avoid Matt P. like the plague.
He banks on collectors who just have to have it now....and he's sometimes the only source, though at a hugely inflated price. The drum destroyers like Matt, Lee County Music,
and others depend on "crisis" mode. Those guys are finding out that they now have tons of parts....and it's not 2018-2024 anymore. Buyers are scarce.
 
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Tama CW said:
I've tried working with that guy before on something I just "had" to have. Paid through the nose. But, generally I avoid Matt P. like the plague.
He banks on collectors who just have to have it now....and he's the only source at a hugely inflated price. The drum destroyers like Matt, Lee County Music,
and others depend on "crisis" mode. Those guys are finding out that they now have tons of parts....and it's not 2018-2024 anymore. Buyers are scarce.
Click to expand...
So, basically, he's a drum scalper. He just wrote me back and asked me what a chamfer was, LOL. And I had sent him the comparison pics above. I reworded myself...it's now a bevel. I told him I was not aware of those lug posts coming with a bevel, and asked him to swap it out for an original without the bevel. We'll see what he says.
 
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