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Thread: Can you identify this Tama kit?

  1. #1

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    Default Can you identify this Tama kit?

    You guys were great helping me identify my Ludwig Super Classic, here's another, a bit more challenging.



    This is NOT the new Rhythm Mate kit they just came out with, has to be late 70's/early 80's.



    It's a lower end/entry level kit, but once tuned correctly it actually sounds pretty good.
    (and after seeing this picture it also needs a good cleaning!)
    It comes in handy for those outdoor questionable weather gigs!



    I haven't been able to learn anything about it. Any guesses?

  2. #2

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    Default Re: Can you identify this Tama kit?

    I tried to find what year they were but could not come across a badge like that. So it is not a very old kit meaning it is not vintage. The rythm mates are a entry level kit and you can buy new ones at music stores. That's about all I can tell you about this kit.

  3. #3

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    If you guys get really stuck, I can always get in touch with a mate of mine that used to run a store. He'd also used to work as a rep for Tama drums here in Australia, and if there is anyone that I'd know who'd really know his stuff, it's him.
    "...it's the Paradigm Of The Cosmos!" Stewart Copeland on Youtube

    668: The Number Of The Guy Next Door To The Beast.

    "A random act of kindness; it keeps my heart in shape!" - Late8

  4. #4

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    Drumbledore send the picture of that badge to him and see if he's ever seen it before. I've been searching for 5 years and have never found another one nor anyone who's ever seen one.

  5. #5

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    Default Re: Can you identify this Tama kit?

    Jeff, just responded to you on the Tama Forum. The guess of some Taiwanese leftovers sold as a super entry level kit is probably spot on. Tom mount on the kick means it's mid-late 80's. In 87 Tama sold a "Camco" kit which was just leftovers, so this is probably similar. Tama didn't build outside of Japan back then, and when they did it was mainland China, not Taiwan.

    Best guess on the wood is luan like most knock offs. The lugs and mounts look like typical Tama stuff, which is a huge plus. That stuff is built to last! Bottom line is that whatever wood it is, if it sounds good enjoy them.
    Jesse

    1986 Tama Crestar - Lacquered Piano White
    2016 Roland TD-25K
    2015 Tama Starclassic B/B - Indigo Blue Sparkle

  6. #6

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    kaosotis I was told by someone else it's probably a Camco kit, but not a "good" Camco kit. I have no idea what the shells are (other than "entry level"), the hardware is excellent for a basic kit, and it came with an untouched ZBT cymbal pack and was "free, just get it out of my house". (I gave the woman $100 to send to her son serving in the military just so I could sleep at night.) With new heads the kit actually tuned up nice and I use it when I'm playing outside. If it starts to rain I don't have to worry about it. (the wrap on the bass drum has already "rippled" from being in direct sunlight) Thanks for your reply(replies).

  7. #7

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    Default Re: Can you identify this Tama kit?

    If they sound good, why worry about the wood type, right? Entry level stuff, particularly of that vintage, is usually phillipine mahogany, otherwise known as Luan. Bottom line is if you like them, they are good!

    FYI, love the Butcher Block Luddies. My first new kit! Sold them to get my Tamas.
    Jesse

    1986 Tama Crestar - Lacquered Piano White
    2016 Roland TD-25K
    2015 Tama Starclassic B/B - Indigo Blue Sparkle

  8. #8

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    They have almost the same hardware as my 91 Rockstars. I'd imagine they are from the late 80's or early 90's, but their catalogues don't list them. Chances are they are Luan, which as everyone has stated can sound pretty good (I'd have to agree!).

  9. #9

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    Default Re: Can you identify this Tama kit?

    I agree with kaosotis. I just went through the Tama catalogs from the late 70's to the late 80's and it looks very much like the Camco and Swingstar sets of the mid-late 80's.

    I was doing a little looking around after I saw your post and I saw a few on craigslist.

    Anyway, I'm gonna follow this thread as I would like to know more about them myself.
    TAMA- '2018 Star Walnut, ‘99 Starclassic Performer, '89 Granstar, ‘93 Rockstar
    Gretsch- 1963 Round Badge
    Zildjian
    Remo
    Vic Firth
    Speed Cobra Double Pedal Blackout Edition
    Speed Cobra Hi Hat
    Hardware- TAMA Roadpro
    Snare Drums- various TAMA, Gretsch, Ludwig, Leedy
    Mic's- Sennheiser, Shure, AKG

  10. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by Geriatric Jeff View Post
    Drumbledore send the picture of that badge to him and see if he's ever seen it before. I've been searching for 5 years and have never found another one nor anyone who's ever seen one.
    Yeah, I sent the pics off to my friend Adam just after reading this post late last night, might take a few days as he's down at Thredbo at the moment on holidays, but he's in touch with me via Facebook. We'll see what happens.
    "...it's the Paradigm Of The Cosmos!" Stewart Copeland on Youtube

    668: The Number Of The Guy Next Door To The Beast.

    "A random act of kindness; it keeps my heart in shape!" - Late8

  11. #11

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    Default Re: Can you identify this Tama kit?

    Looks like the badges already tell you everything you need to know about it. You could look up the badge numbers for more info maybe. The lugs and mounting style suggest pre 70's-90's low to mid level kit.
    ZildjianLeague/LP/Aquarian/Mapex/Pearl
    Snares: 4
    RIP- Frank, Wolvie, Les Paul
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    if double bass is cheating then so is using two sticks

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  12. #12

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    I have an old Swingstar kit with the same shape badges and the same hardware. I'd guess early 90's or even late 80s like was mentioned above.

  13. #13

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    Default Re: Can you identify this Tama kit?

    Thanks to everyone for your replies. As a few of you mentioned who cares about the wood and year as long as they sound good, and I agree. (after finding this forum recently I just couldn't resist getting your input!) I put Remo pinstripes on top and G1's on the bottom and for an entry level kit the thing sounds really good and that's all that matters. The snare is a whole other story, but irrelevant because on the rare occasion I use this kit I use my Ludwig snare. Since the wrap on the bass rippled from direct sunlight I'm half tempted to strip the whole kit and try staining it, just as a learning project (the shells actually look really nice, at least on the inside). If I ever get that energy I'll start a thread and put up pictures as I go. Thanks again.

  14. #14

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    Okay Jeff, got the answer from my mate. This is what he said:

    "Hey mate, from memory they (Rhythm Mate) were an entry level kit for the USA market. Once Swingstar went to Rockstar the price gap to entry was a large gap. Tama trade marketed the name Rhythm Mate thus a re-launch of the model name many years later. Nothing super special but still a sturdy practice kit or beginners model . Probably Phillipine mahogany . Hope you are well MB. Cheers, Adam."

    From what I remember, when the Camco drum company went out of business, they sold some patents, parts and other items to DW and part to Tama. One now well-known result of this was how the classic DW5000 pedal evolved from the Camco pedal, plus DW's trademark "Turret Lug" is in fact Camco in origin. Tama in turn picked up other things, including a number of Camco shells. In fact, upon further reading, I found that for one year, somewhere around the late 70's, the Rhythm Mate series was considered a Camco/Tama hybrid, and that may be the case with your kit. If the shells do sound good, there is a remote chance that they may be in fact leftover stock Camco shells fitted with Tama hardware instead of those shells being Tama in origin (then again, as Adam had pointed out, it's more likely you've got Phillipine mahogany shells, but I wouldn't be surprised that either type of shell, U.S.-made Camco shells or Phillipine mahogany shells, were being shipped to the Republic Of China for assembly at roughly the same time. This wouldn't be surprising in the world of some drum companies....I have an 18" bass drum around here which says "Maxwin by Pearl" (some of the hardware is early Pearl, but the shell is definitely Maxwin), which shows how some companies will market surplus stock they need to sell and get rid of from former companies that they have taken over.

    I would say that if you got this Rhythm Mate for a low price, hold onto it and try to keep it in an as-original-as-possible state, if you want to keep it collectible (but if not, well, that's up to you, it is your set after all), because I think it is going to become a real 'rare bird', especially as far as the history of the Tama company is concerned, this could be considered a very limited series of drums with a production run of a year or less.....who knows, there is at this time very little information about it. What year that would be is still a mystery unless the Tama company can clear this picture up, go through their record histories, and perhap write up something about it in their catalogues or somewhere online. Very unlikely that the shells are ex-U.S.Camco's, rebadged as Tama's, but on the remote chance I wouldn't completely rule that possibility out. Stranger things have happened in a few drum company histories, that's for sure.
    Last edited by Drumbledore; 04-10-2012 at 10:06 AM.
    "...it's the Paradigm Of The Cosmos!" Stewart Copeland on Youtube

    668: The Number Of The Guy Next Door To The Beast.

    "A random act of kindness; it keeps my heart in shape!" - Late8

  15. #15

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    Thanks Drumbledore! Prior to posting here the only story I got was almost identical to yours. I was told that Tama ended up without an "entry level" kit at some point early in their existence and either used Camco shells or had Camco make them one for a year. The bottom line is I like the sound, and other than the "rippled" bass wrap it's in excellent shape. I'm just going to enjoy them and leave them original. Now of course, given the "possibility" that it might be something that was only made for a year, I have to go find something else to use at outdoor gigs when I don't want to worry about them getting rained on! Thanks for the excuse to buy another kit! And thanks for the research.

  16. #16

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    Default Re: Can you identify this Tama kit?

    I really want to say those are superstars, but im not sure. They look pretty close to them though.

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