The name Starclassic Performer goes back over 20 years. Tama wanted to provide a value-minded drum set alternative to the Starclassic Maple at the time, and the Starclassic Performer was born. That has evolved over the years and has morphed into what we now know as the Walnut/Birch drum set. Tama is always looking for opportunities to give drummers a new sound, and a new voice at more value and that's what the new Starclassic Performer Maple/Birch is!
What’s The Catch?
When you spend less on a set of drums, there's always going to be a little bit of compromise that you're going to have to make. It's either going to be lack of colors, size options, or some of the specs of the drum set are going to be a little bit lower than those on the higher end counterparts. What Tama does very well, though, is manage to incorporate so many of the high-end features that you see on their top end drums. So, what are the compromises? With the new Starclassic Performer, they are giving you only two basic configurations in 4 finish options. A 22x16 bass drum, a 10x8 rack tom, 12x9 rack tom, and a 16x14 floor tom. There’s also an add-on 14x6.5 snare drum available separately. This 4-piece configuration is only $1399...an INSANE value!
Molten Steel Blue Burst - $1399[/caption] The other configuration that they're offering is a five piece with a 22x16 bass drum that has no mount, a 10x7 rack tom, a 12x8 rack tom, 14x12 floor tom, and a 16x14 floor tom. Tama is only offering these two configurations, however if you want to add on to them, you can order additional add-on drums.
5-Piece Configuration (Caramel Aurora) - $1599[/caption] On the 4-piece configuration, Tama opted with the MTH-800 bass drum mount. This is a little bit slimmer than the MTH-1000 mount, but retains that pivotability that we love. They also “downgraded” the bass drum spurs, which really isn't much of a problem, because these are the same design as the spurs from the hard-hitting 1980’s. As another cost-cutting measure, the new Starclassic Performer sports eight lugs on the bass drum, as opposed to 10. The Starcast mounting system is the same, but without the quick-lock brackets that we're used to seeing on the Starclassic Maple and Walnut/Birch. Those have been replaced with a standard bracket that you’ll see on everybody else's drums.
Maple / Birch Hybrid Shells
The hallmarks of what make a Starclassic drum are essentially two things: it's a thin shell and it's zinc die-cast hoops - and you're going to get that with the new Starclassic Maple/Birch Performer. The new Performer shell features a birch/maple blend. On the toms are four plies of birch and two plies of maple on the inside. The bass drum is a seven-ply shell with five plies of birch on the outside and two plies of maple on the inside. The new hybrid shells pack a significantly different tone than the Walnut/Birch, with pronounced attach and midrange, rather than a low-end focus. Tama is shipping these with Evans g1 coated tom heads which is also very new for them. The bottom heads are the low-quality Tama Power Craft heads. The bass drum comes equipped with a decent Evans eq4.
The Verdict
We love the price point of this drum set. Tama is filling a noticeable gap at the $1400 level, and they manage to do so while delivering a professional experience. If you're looking to play out, or you want or record and you want a professional sounding drum set this is going to pass the muster with ease. We would recommend replacing (at least) the resonant heads ASAP. At Drum Center of Portsmouth, we know Tama better than anyone. If you are looking for a Tama drum set, we can help you find your sound while staying within your budget!