If you’re familiar with our shop, you know that we carry a ton of high-end drum brands. With this in mind, it takes A LOT to convince the boss to take on yet another line of drums. We’ve had our eye on Italian manufacturer Tamburo for a few years, and recently decided to see what their Pro Series was all about. We were all pretty excited when the palette of high-end Italian drums arrived, and after a frantic unboxing we knew we had to make a showcase review.
Tamburo has been making drums since the early ‘80’s, and while they have never really made a name for themselves here in the States, they maintain a sizable following in Europe. The small company has contributed several innovations over their 40-year history, most notably they claim to be the first stave drum manufacturer in the industry.
The Pro Series lineup consists of three unique shell varieties; The flagship “Opera”, the vintage-vibed “Unika”, and the acrylic “Volume”. Each line is constructed in Italy and brings a unique voice to the table.
The Opera series is the obvious standout within Tamburo’s Pro Series. These drums are made from 6mm birch staves with an outer ply of High Pressure Laminate for durability, and Beech inner reinforcement rings. These stave shells are noticeably different from other stave manufacturers, in that they are remarkably thin. Opera series drums feature a uniquely designed, full-length brass tube lug designed to disperse tension evenly across the shell, a common trait across all Pro Series drums. Other features include die-cast hoops, RIMS mounts USA Clear Evans G2 over G1 heads, and Evans EMAD bass drum heads (on all 3 Pro Series kick drums).
The Opera kit we tested is what we would consider to be a standard rock configuration - 10x7, 12x8, 16x16, 22x16, with a 14x6.5 snare. These drums project a clear and punchy “birch-like” note with a decent amount of sustain. The kick is predictably boomy for one that is equipped with an EMAD. We imagine these drums would show even more character with a switch to single-ply coated heads. The snare drum is, well…legendary. Something about the thin staves and diecast hoops allows this drum to sing with clarity at any dynamic level!
Tamburo’s Unika Series is an interesting take on traditional vintage style drums. The shell’s core is composed of a thin, 3-ply poplar base sandwiched between their high-pressure laminate. The result is a very light, rigid shell that produces a rich, round tone at all tunings. Unika comes standard with 2.3mm triple flanged hoops, their brass tube lugs and Evans Coated G2’s over G1’s.
Rounding out the Pro Line is their acrylic “Volume” series. While it can be difficult for us to get excited about acrylic drums in a general sense, Tamburo’s proprietary shells are unique enough to peak our interest. Volume series shells are thin and seamless, allowing for more resonance than typically found with most acrylic shells. Add to this a rounded outer bearing edge in combination with Evans EC2 heads, and you’ve got an unusually “organic” sounding tone that we absolutely love. These drums would excel both live and in the recording studio.
All in all, the Tamburo Pro Series embody all of the characteristics we appreciate in drum manufacturing; tradition, innovation and individuality. Check out our full line of these handmade instruments, along with their full complement of sturdy drum hardware at Drum Center of Portsmouth!