Id just like to tell you all that i sold my cheapo beginners kit last week. Ueing the money i got from that and my savings i looked round and the absolute best i could afford was a Tama Imperialstar. Ive had it for a few days now so im gona post a full review.
The Hardware:
Its a bit hard to say cos ive only had the kit for a few days but it looks sturdy enough. I'll have to wait and see how it passes the test of time though.
The Toms: The main criticism of the Tama Imperialstar is that they have poplar shells. I dont see this as a problem. I might get flamed for this but i dont think poplar is far inferior the birch or maple at all. The toms are nice and quick and have a nice "thump" to them. Although it took a little tuning first.
The Snare: Thebest thing about the whole kit! The Tama Imperialstar comes with a steel snare that really wouldent be out of place on a more expensive kit. When tuned low it hasnt got a n interesting sound, but whe you crank it tight it sounds great!
All in all im happy. It's good valueformoney and it all sounds great compared to a lot of other kits in the same pricerange.