View Full Version : tama imperial star
purityundone
02-07-2009, 12:50 AM
for starters, hello everyone.i dont know to much about drums and i just got a tama imperial star from a friend. My question is, does the imperial star only come as a 5 piece? When i got it i was told it was a vintage 10 piece but i just realized the bass drums have different serial numbers.It has Japan tags on all toms and bass drums, and a speckaled interior. I was also wondering when it might have been made. If u can clear this up for me i would appreciate it.
Mid-70's early 80's. The Japan badges and zola-coated interiors give that away.
It might have been a huge rockin' kit whic lost some shells over time. Go to Tama website they have some nice archival catalogs there....
Keep in mind, ALL shells have different serial #'s (i.e. each separate shell has it's own). So, if the serial #'s are in the vicinity of each other, then probably the kit's pieces are all original. If you find a # which is way off...say, like you find a 300,000 when the rest of the drums are an 80,000 or something....it was probably a later add-on.
post some pics ?
mcjnic
02-07-2009, 02:23 PM
Imperial Star came in several different configs. I purchased a set back in 85 that consisted of 24 bass (x2), 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15 toms (all double headed), 16 and 18 floors, and 14x6.5 snare. It was a catalogue purchase. There was a 5 piece, a 7 piece, and one or two others. The big difference was the bass size. They would offer a couple of configs and then double the options by changing the size of the bass. That's what I remember, anyway. They were pretty cool drums. Mine was Arctic White, as I recall. I wanted a Pewter, but it was discontinued just prior to my order. At least, that's what I was told. I waited 6 months for those drums to arrive. It was torture.
purityundone
02-07-2009, 04:21 PM
Thank you both and i bet that was torture. I bet it looked fine. This kit is kinda gun metal grey looking. It has no bottom heads, 6,8,10,12,13,14,16 inch toms and two 22 inch bass. I will put up some pics when i get the chance, right now im doing this on my phone. The previous owner got it in bad shape and then he just kept it stacked up in storage. The rims are bubbled and rusted a little. Each bass drum was missing one leg, on the 13'' tom a lug was busted, and did not come with the snare.
I tried to find another lug and leg at a couple local music shops and i was told that they stopped making these specific parts. If not, would you know where i would find these, and do to the wear of the toms do u think it would be ok to sand down the outside and paint them?
I dunno if you do eBay...there are tons of vintage Tama parts available thru eBay...you may have to be patient for a couple of months, but they are out there. Also, post a want ad here. These kits were ALL OVER THE PLACE in the '80s....there are tons of parts and kits still floating around...
the metal grey wrap you speak of (horrible name for a wrap, incidentally) is actually a standard available wrap from drum parts suppliers.
I would NOT sand down and paint that kit...you would destroy the value of it...the paint won't last long in good shape....and it'd just be an all-around tragedy.
I mean, granted, 80's Tamas aren't the end-all of vintage drums...BUT...a nice old set of early Japanese-produced Imperialstars is still way cooler than most of what is available today. They were some of the earliest Japanese kits made to take the market by storm...and for better or worse, Tama and Yamaha basically elbowed their way into the American market and blew the American brands out the door (the typical story for the '70's-80's....the Japanese imports gave you so much MORE FOR THE MONEY that the classic American makers did...and they could never really recover the market afterwards; domestic makers could only do so by cutting back the quality or bailing on domestic production and contracting overseas...which, again, resulted in poorer quality).
If all that sounds familiar, it should....but I digress. Sorry.Coffee Break2Violin
Find someone to re-wrap the drums which are trashed....or if you need help, PM me. I do that sort of thing for folks (for a small charge, of course).
Looking forward to the pics.
purityundone
02-12-2009, 05:06 PM
sorry it has been awhile but i will probably have the pics up this weekend. Like i said though they are in pretty bad shape or so i think.
kellyj
02-12-2009, 05:52 PM
Sounds like a nice kit!
About two years ago I picked up a Japanese built Imperial Star 10- lug snare with die cast hoops. What a beast a real heavy metal dream!
Plays nice tuned tight too and is actually versatile.
kellyjCool1
sorry it has been awhile but i will probably have the pics up this weekend. Like i said though they are in pretty bad shape or so i think.
Well...if the shells are structurally sound and the chrome isn't pitted and/or rusted beyond all heck...and if all of the pieces are there....(regardless of aesthetic condition or wrap/finish condition)
then it's NOT beyond being renovated into a very nice kit....
purityundone
02-14-2009, 03:54 PM
yeah.even though i have only hi hats, ride, and one crack cymbal for now, it is a good kit for metal.right now i have it set up as a 6 piece. the tom holders on this kit is the dumbest thing i have ever seen. the toms have slots on the side where the toms slide straight down on them.you cant just adjust one, the other tom moves with it.which is why i have it set up smaller than what i can.i guess i will have to get a rack system.
Ninefingers
02-15-2009, 04:05 PM
Can you post a picture of that ? It sounds like the old marching-tom slotted system,and that doesn't sound like a vintage Tama tom mount system to me. I am wondering if it was swapped out at some point.
It would be a worth investment to get some real Tama mount system, probably.
I checked old catalogs...I haven't noticed that sort of slotted mount....bu maybe they used some of those back then....
They do suck...no independent motion on the 2 racks....
purityundone
02-15-2009, 07:08 PM
here are the few pics i took on my phone.
Wow...that sucks.
Good news is, finding a replacement standard Tama ball-arm sorta arm systm is relatively easy on eBay or such...just make sure the diameter of the central post fits the existing bass mount (it ususally would).
If you are handy with a drill and screwdriver, just replace the tom plates with correct ones to fit the new tama arm.
Or, you can save yourself $ if you just buy some Generic replacements.
Do KEEP the original system though...in case you ever wanna resell.
purityundone
02-16-2009, 05:08 PM
well.i am on a very tight budget.i cant decide what i want to do as far as replacing the parts on this kit and restoring it,or just see what i could get for it to put towards a newer kit since i want to get my music going a little faster.another thing is, given the condition it is in, i wouldnt know how much i could get for it or even start to ask. i know i would have to pretty much wait for someone looking for this specific kit though. any suggestions please let me know.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Tama-Omni-Sphere-Dual-Tom-Mount-Omnisphere-Ball-Joint_W0QQitemZ220362656400QQihZ012QQcategoryZ4708 9QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
http://www.buy-safe.net/1-800-NEW-DRUM/www.drummaker.com/FMPro?-db=DM_Orders.fp5&-format=jumpblowouts.htm&-new
(2nd link go to left menu and find "tom mounts")
Looks like about $70 would get you all you needed to switch out those rack tom mounts.
It's a cool old kit.
From your pics I am figuring, with all those drums included and if the finish is in fair or better condition and the shells aren't damaged (i.e. trashed bearing edges or cracked anywhere)...
Asking price could be about $600 up....not incl. snare. If you throw in the snare...$700 plus.
'Cuz they ARE Japanese ones....those are slightly more valuable than the current Taiwanese runs.
Seattle Drum Guy
09-07-2010, 03:25 PM
Hey all.
I'm getting ready to sell my vintage Imperialstar. I was curious what you think they're worth? I was thinking $600-$800 since Anvil cases are involved
Black Wrap
24" Kick
18" Floor Tom
16" Floor Tom
14" Rack
13" rack
12" rack (I think)
Anvil cases for all.
Anvil Hardware case with casters included. (no hardware)
No Snare.
Drums are in great shape. A couple small scuffs here and there from normal use. Have been stored in the cases always. Thanks in advance.
rcjames
11-27-2010, 06:17 AM
here are the few pics i took on my phone.
Hi you ever restored you're drumset? How does the tom sound? Like the sound of metallica? LOL Seriously how does it sound i'm thinking about
getting one of these but a 9 piece one bass drum rest are tom tom and floor tom i think only last floor tom is double sided rest are concert.
teverson-sr
11-27-2010, 08:58 AM
Clip style mounts were very common on concert toms for almost any brand.My Gretsch's had them and Ludwig had them.They are good resonance-wise also,since they "float".Since concert toms are usually mounted in a row,no individual adjustment is really necissary.
Back in the day,concert toms usually ended up with Evans Hydraulics for heads.I'd try those,Pinstripes or EC 2's.Just a suggestion....
rcjames
11-27-2010, 04:52 PM
Clip style mounts were very common on concert toms for almost any brand.My Gretsch's had them and Ludwig had them.They are good resonance-wise also,since they "float".Since concert toms are usually mounted in a row,no individual adjustment is really necissary.
Back in the day,concert toms usually ended up with Evans Hydraulics for heads.I'd try those,Pinstripes or EC 2's.Just a suggestion....
What skin head did you ended up liking for concert tom?
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