Hi!
So, as I just 2 days ago got my first drumkit, I thought I'd get more information about the kit, and what other place than a drumforum? Cool Dude
(Also, just to clarify, I've been a drummer for a while, I just recently wanted to get a kit myself :cool: )
I have a few questions about the kit, but I'll start with what's for me most important; what year is it from? From what I've gathered myself, it's obviously not earlier than 1974, since Tama wasn't founded before that (well, under the name Star) It's probably not that old since the serials are low. They are:
Bass Drum 22": 14500869
Tom 1 10" (Additional purchase by previous owner, 10" from Swingstar series): 13601611
Tom 2 12" : 14503001
Tom 3 13": 14503179
Tom 4 14": 13600060
Floor Tom 16": 83-19348
Snare: 83-23340
First of all, can someone clear up why the floor tom and snare has a different type of serial? Is it a later purchase added to the kit, or just Tama's vintage serial mess...?
Also, here's some images to help with the age identification:
[IMG]http://i64.tinypic.com/sg3cax.jpg[/IMG]
Logo with serial from base drum
[IMG]http://i67.tinypic.com/16h51sl.jpg[/IMG]
The old base drum legs that goes into the drum itself
[IMG]http://i65.tinypic.com/2wc2uy9.jpg[/IMG]
The whole kit. The old metal rim around the base drum that was removed later.
The kit is made in Japan, if that may help. If there's any more images or info you need to identify the age, I'll fix it asap.
The second question is, was it worth the cost? Again, it's the Japanese made kit for which I paid 6500 SEK (as I am and bought it in Sweden) which is about 790 USD, 545 GBP or 700 EUR. For that I got the shell kit of 10" (Swingstar), 12", 13", 14" tom tom and 16" floor tom, with 22" kick and the original 14" steel snare. With that, I got a ****load of entry-level cymbals. These are:
Older Sabian B8 Hi-hat
Older Sabian B8 20" Ride
Older Sabian B8 China
2X Paiste PST5 18" Crash
Paiste PST 19" Crash
Paiste 14" Crash (Drilled as effect cymbal)
Meinl HCS 20" Ride
Meinl HCS 16" Crash
Meinl HCS 8" Splash
Meinl Classics 8" Splash
Stagg 14" Hand-made Crash
Thomann's self-made some sort of China?
With that, I got stands and clamps for just about anything, a DW 3002 double-pedal and of course, a chair :cool:
Overall, the kit is worn, but still in a good playable conditions. The wraps are a bit worn especially on the base drum and Tom 4, but otherwise there's nothing more than it should be on a kit that old.
One thing I noticed aswell, is that drums are a bit more expensive than in the USA.
So to summon, if you can help with the production year of the set, please do share what you know. Also, as a more of a question of opinion, was it worth it? I think myself yes, but what do you think?
Thanks in advance for all the help!
Rock on!
/Chris Blake