What are the best Tama lines?
I will never divulge what set I use or think is best; that will be my secret. But here I will discuss some of the Tama lines. Any of the Starclassics are generally the most satisfying drums they ever made, but are they the best examples of maple drums? That’s for you to decide. I think a lot of the features may have looked good on paper, or in theory, but dont make them any better than other companys. The thicker Artstar Custom were fine rock drums, but a bit less resonant than Artstar II, due to die-cast hoops, and even more limited in size/color range. People still simply preferred Ludwigs, DWs and Gretsches for a warm, maple tone to any Japanese drums for a while there although thats changed in the last ten years. ACs are basically extinct and would have gone sooner if not for so many in stock. Artstar II’s were superb – especially if fitted with two piece lugs. The colors stateside were limited again. The Bird’s Eye kits were fun to play – lot of body and rich tone. The Starclassic
