BACK IN BLACK: A TAMA SWINGSTAR

The very last drum kit I bought and cleaned up was this black Tama Swingstar 4-piece.  There was no snare included.  I jumped on it because the price and the shipping was very reasonable, and I thought maybe I could fix it up and sell it.  Well, I could fix it up all right, but I'm still working on the "sell it" part.

This set is a standard beginner set-up that should be suitable for some kid looking for a first drum kit of their own.  You know, a good starter kit?  Or maybe the "house kit" for a church that has multiple drummers that alternate Sundays?

These four drums, as far as I could tell from the photos, are in pretty good condition.  I didn't see any major damage or severe problems that would warrant bypassing this opportunity.

The main issue I did notice was the absence of several rims, or "hoops."  The round, metal thingys that hold the drum heads on!  Yes, all four were missing the resonant-side rims, as opposed to the batter-side.  In other words, the bottom hoops.  All the heads on the bottom sides of the drums - or the alternate head that one does not hit while engaged in playing the instrument - had been removed and "disappeared."  To this day, no one knows what happened to those heads and rims.  Who took them?  Where did they go?  Where did they end up?  Who has them now?  Were they re-used or destroyed?  By golly it's one of those "unsolved mysteries" old Robert Stack used to talk about on the TV.  Jeepers!

There was also the matter of floor tom legs and a tom mount.  Those had to be researched and rounded up as well.  Understanding Tama Swingstars are not all that rare or vintage, I was fairly confident I could find everything I needed somewhere online.  So off I went to do my thing.  While I am gone, let me entertain you and stretch out this article with a brief anecdote related to this project. 

There was a young guy with whom I used to work who showed some interest in obtaining a drum set.  He knew I was a former drummer and we had discussed my collection previously, so I offered to sell him this black Tama if he wanted it.  It seemed like he really did want it, but I knew he was married and had several.....like six or nine.....kids, so I imagined his wife might have a problem with him spending money on drums.  But he kept asking me about it, so I eventually just flat out said, "Look, dude, if you want the kit I will give it to you!  I don't need it in my house and you want it, so you can have it!  I want you to have it!  Please, just take it!"

But no, he wouldn't dream of taking it without paying for it.  I set a price of a measly two hundred bucks, much less what I had paid for it (plus new parts and heads, mind you).  He agreed and said he would save up the money and get back to me.  Months passed and we went back and forth a couple of times, and at one point even scheduled a Saturday when I would bring the kit to his house.  But shortly before the date he cancelled.  I think we had to work that Saturday.

Bottom line: I tried everything, and he never took the kit.  I was even willing to provide a stool and a kick pedal to get him started, maybe throw in some crap cymbals if he needed those.  Just take the dang kit, dude!!

Nah.  He never did.  I eventually just stopped talking about it and he never brought it up again.  That's my sad story of how I couldn't even give this kit away.  That's why I still have it....

....and will gladly sell it to you today for the low, low price of $750.00!  Come on down to the misplacedmtnman's Marvelous Museum of M.I.J. Madness and check out our cr-r-r-r-a-a-a-zy prices!  We've got too much inventory!  It's all gotta go!  We're making unbelievably amazing deals!  We are completely nuts!

But getting back to the riveting restoration process, finding the right tom mount on eBay was easy and only cost me 70 bucks.  Yikes!  Then I found a spare set of FT legs somewhere amongst my vast inventory and was able to check that off the list.  New rims for the toms came in just under 40 bucks - ka-ching! - and T's and claws for the front hoop set me back another 65 - ka-ching-ching! 

The only part that I had a little trouble locating and acquiring was the correct and proper bass drum hoop.  I had to have a vintage 1980s Tama Swingstar metal hoop in the right size and style which wasn't exactly easy but proved to be not impossible.  I managed to find one on Reverb and had to pay a painful price to get it, but it had to be done.  In fact, I had to shell out $125 for two hoops, one of which was the wrong style, but the guy refused to separate them out, which is absolutely his prerogative.  I had to buy the pair to get the one, and of course I'm the type of guy who's not going to let a little thing like money get in the way of a successful restoration.  That's why you are a smart businessman and I am an idiot.  But I have a lot of drums and all you have is.....wealth and financial security, a steady job, health insurance and a retirement plan.  Hmm.

Incidentally, all the new skins are some inexpensive black heads made by Drum Factory Direct (sort of generic alternatives to Remo Ebony heads) which behaved like mirrors in the "after" photo shoot so no, the front bass drum head is not adorned with an interesting pattern.  That's just the reflection of the patio blocks.  I am (obviously) not a professional photographer and this is just the best I can do for now.

On the kick side I blew the budget (even more) by choosing an Evans EMAD Onyx because I never do the pillow in the bass drum thing.  These heads with the "Externally Mounted Adjustable Damping" system are such an easy way to get a good standard bass drum thump with plenty of resonance and very little effort.  Typically I put one on, tighten it up and it's good to go.  I highly recommend them.

Not much else to say about this one.  Pretty quick, pretty simple and, I would say, a most satisfactory result.  This is an excellent 22/12/13/16 basic set up all restored and ready to play.  I just need to find a loving home for it.  Sell it, get it out of here and go find another one to work on.  The madness never ends....