Tama Superstar in Rock sizes (12”, 13” & 16” Toms, 22” Kick and 14” Snare). The next step up from a Tama Imperial Star is the Tama Superstar, and what a jump! The difference of a few hundred pounds provides significantly more drum equipment. The idea of the Superstar series was to create a semi-pro tour-worthy kit at affordable prices, and TAMA have undoubtedly succeeded.
The shells are made from a combination of Birch and Basswood - the inner part of the shell is pure birch for both extremes of tone, and the Superstar kit has plenty of attack and deep mid tones. The basswood is used mainly for cosmetic purposes and to enhance the finish of the drum, as it provides a consistent grain.
One of the differences from the Imperial Star is that the Superstar series come with Tama’s Optimum Mounting System: rather than drilling additional holes in the drum, the mounting system is attached to the die cast hoop of the drum thus removing the strain from the shell of the drum and improving the resonance of the shell.
The purpose of the TAMA Sound Bridge System is again to relieve pressure from the drum, the lugs are literally bridged in a reverse ‘U’ shape so that both sides of the lugs are attached, but the centre part sits above the drum to prevent any dampening of resonance.
To ensure optimal performance, the kit comes with a hardware pack from the outstanding Tama Roadpro series just to make sure the structure of the kit remains rock solid.