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Thread: The saga of my vintage TAMA Superstar restoration

  1. #1

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    Default The saga of my vintage TAMA Superstar restoration

    I thought I would share this here for any that might be interested

    It really just took on a life of it’s own, it has taken me 2 years of hunting to get to this point.

    I know the real question is why? I never intended for it to get to this point. But before I knew it was so close I figure what the heck, I’ll go all the way now.

    I still would love 10' standard depth, the last piece.
    Here is the story,

    About 2 years about I was surfing eBay as I always do and spotted a 22x14 Superstar bass drum for $75.00. I figured at that price I would buy it and re-sell it. Later that day I spotted a 15”standard depth matching tom for $75.00 so I figured, at that price I could add another tom and have a cool vintage 4 piece kit. I found a 10” tom a few days later and contact the seller of that tom and asked if he had any more of the kit. He sent me this picture.



    I ended up making a deal so now I have basically a double base kit with power toms and one 15 standard depth.

    Then I started thinking how cool it would be to have a matching set of standard toms. I would then have the option to pick and choose what I wanted to play. I found a 13” tom and grabbed it. Meanwhile I saw a 22x16 shell on eBay for next to nothing, I figured I would use the hardware off of the 22x14 and have both my kicks be deep.

    Somewhere along the way I spotted the 6 &8 concert toms on a stand for $150.00

    Here is where it gets really interesting. I searched high and low for a 12” standard depth tom, these are very hard to come by I would soon find. In my search I found this kit on Craigslist for 350.00.


    Here is a pick after I got it home, I could not believe my eyes, it is a Rosewood snare, worth more then I paid for the entire kit!



    I was short the 14" standard tom, I found one on ebay and it turned out to be a a friend from the TAMA forum so I grabbed that.
    I realized at this point with the exception of a couple of bass drum hoops and some lugs I had one double bass standard depth kit and one power tom double bass kit. I found a guy selling the lugs for the bass drum and ordered a few hoops form Anderson International.

    Here is a link to some close ups so you can see the main reason for the restoration

    http://www.robertmdrums.com/images/t...ration/before/

    Here they are again all stripped and ready for the next phase. I used a chemical stripper call SuperStrip, this stuff is high dangerous, it took a month of evenings to get them to this point. The Polyurethane paint is really tough stuff







    I think it is now just because I can and I really enjoy the process, I can’t wait to get in the spray booth and watch them come to life as I lay on the paint!

    Well I was a sanding fool this weekend, I originally tried a pneumatic orbital sander. I was far to aggressive and I was afraid I would end up with flat spots and other unevenness so I started sanding by hand. I got 5 drums in and realized this was a HUGE task. So I took a chance and picked up a cheap electric orbital sander. Wow it works great!
    It still took a long time but it was 100 times faster and easier. I got then fairly clean. Of course where the stain was down in the pours I had to let it go, I did not want to sand through the first ply or change the OD to much. I am really please wit the results. Now I have to fix a few places where there is some minor ply separation on a few of the shells. I am going to dowel in the tom mount holes on the bass drums so they will then be virgin as well as dowel in the spur holes. the spurs on these kits did not really hold the drums from moving to well. Other then that and using RIMS to mount the toms it will look like two a brand new 80s TAMA superstar Super Mahogany kits
    Last edited by rmandelbaum; 01-07-2013 at 12:09 PM.
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  2. #2
    Larrysperf Guest

    Default Re: The saga of my vintage TAMA Superstar restoration

    Cant wait to see them when there done. Wish more people would do this to older drums

  3. #3

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    Default Re: The saga of my vintage TAMA Superstar restoration

    i think you have alot of guts my friend. they looked pretty good from the pix. i dont know if i would try that kind of restoration myself. i hope they come out awesome, and cant wait to see the results.

  4. #4

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    They are going to look absolutely stunning when you are finished with them. How do I know? Because you are so excited about this project...there can be no other end result.
    There's a lot to be said for Time Honored tradition and value.

    http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/j...vaz/TheSet.jpg

  5. #5

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    Wow man, what a project! Those are some great looking shells! Are you going to try to match that original finish color, or go for something different?

  6. #6

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    Original color. Even if they were all mint, which they were not they would not have matched color wise. There was a lot of difference between the tint of the kits back then. These will all be identical, "Super Mahogany"

    I did not strip the snare drum, so I using it as my color to match.
    DW Collectors
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  7. #7

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    Those are going to be beautiful when they are done, I can't wait to see them finished. A very close friend had a set like that in the 80s and I alway envied them they were so pretty to look at.

  8. #8

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    cant wait to see the finished product! did you unwrap that snare? or leave it as is?


    if women don't find you handsome.
    they should atleast find you handy.

  9. #9

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    I left the snare alone, it is not perfect but it is in very good shape. I am using it as the basis for the color match
    DW Collectors
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  10. #10
    Larrysperf Guest

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    7 Ludwig snares wow. Its not fair lol very nice

  11. #11

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    so have you decided on the hardware, and hoops yet?


    if women don't find you handsome.
    they should atleast find you handy.

  12. #12

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    This sounds really nuts but I am sure I have seen those pics somewhere before!
    Dustin Lee Burgess
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  13. #13

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    RM I truly admire anyone who has the patience to go through a process like this, and the passion to want to.

    Very cool. I've seen threads on other forums of people who stripped and refinished drums before, and it's really awesome. I think the finished product will be absolutely stunning!

    You go bro!!
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  14. #14

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    very cool project you got there

    the anticipation is to much hurry up i want to see that monster finished

  15. #15

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    Those pix make me miss my old 83 TAMA Superstars. . . .
    And the trees are all kept equal by hatchet, axe, and saw. . .

  16. #16

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    Default Re: The saga of my vintage TAMA Superstar restoration

    Quote Originally Posted by rmandelbaum View Post
    Original color. Even if they were all mint, which they were not they would not have matched color wise. There was a lot of difference between the tint of the kits back then. These will all be identical, "Super Mahogany"

    I did not strip the snare drum, so I using it as my color to match.
    No question, you da man!! What a great project! Sounds like you're taking it slow, and doing it right. I'm looking forward to the final pics. All the best on your project!
    Quoting gonefishin: Just have some bacon with ya when you go pick her up..........youre an instant chick magnet.





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  17. #17

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    good luck! and i wish you a lot of patience!

  18. #18

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  19. #19

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    I have all the original hardware and hoops. I am just going to clean them up, they are in great condition.

    And if you hang out on a few other drum forums you may have seen them somewhere else ;-)
    DW Collectors
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  20. #20

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    You have an addiction I know well my friend. I found out a few years ago that the late 70's and early 80's Ludwig drums are in huge supply, and low demand because people think they are inferior drums. I found all sorts of drums that I could buy for really cheap and refinish them. I have even built up an excess of spare hardware.

    Once you start rebuilding and re-finishing, it is hard to stop. Then getting to play the finished product and knowing that it kicks butt? Pure joy.

    Can't wait to see what you end up with!

  21. #21

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    Saweet! There is a 80s Superstar kit sitting at a local second hand music shop nearby..looks like the same finish as yours originally was.. verry nice.
    -Les

  22. #22

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    WOW, amazing.

    That's going to be very sweet when you get finished.

    Nice project.
    Signature here

  23. #23

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    Well I scored a 10" standard depth tom today!
    This was the last piece I was looking for. I will be sanding tonight!
    DW Collectors
    Vintage Superstars
    Roland TD-20
    Misc. Snares
    My Web Site

  24. #24

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    Nice!


    if women don't find you handsome.
    they should atleast find you handy.

  25. #25

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    Well I have to share what I learnede today. When I stripped the shells I started with a chemical stripper. After a month of evenings and weekends and $150.00 in stripper I then used an orbital sander to remove the remaining stain.

    Well today I took the 10" tom I got today and went straight to the sander. SOOOO much faster. I will never mess with chemical stripper again if I do not have to.
    DW Collectors
    Vintage Superstars
    Roland TD-20
    Misc. Snares
    My Web Site

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