The problem is this. My kit is from 1980. The snare that is shown in the catalog that comes with the Superstar is numbered the 8055 (14x5) or 8056 (14x6.5). The link to the 1980 catalog with this 8055 snare is below. My concern is that this snare is called the Mastercraft snare and every one I have seen from this time frame has a Tama Imperialstar badge on it. Would a Tama Superstar drum set have been shipped with a Tama Mastercraft snare with Imperialstar on the badge? This is very confusing. I am typically a Ludwig guy so I am new to the Tama world.http://www.tamadrum.co.jp/anniversary/expansion.php?cat_id=40&now=2
The confusion lies in the different "flying T" badges Tama used on their snaredrums.Mastercraft was the father ,of superstar and imperialstar badged drums.I have a 8x14 all birch snare badged ..superstar,and a 5x14 Kingbeat badged Imperialstar.
Tama back then,as innovative as they were,was the Asian version of Ludwig,and NOTHING was 100% certain.I have an double headed 6.5x8 tom,non catalog item,fully 100% factory,with factory stained bearing edges,and a flying T badge with factory grommet,and a muffler....that should't exist....yet it does.All superstar concert toms,had a rectangular badge,glued to the shell.
Those superstar kits came with a kingbeat snare 5 or 6.5x 14 as an option,and were badged Imperialstar.The reason was because,those snares also were standard with Imperialstar kits as well,and Imperialstars,were ,Tamas top of the line,before Superstars,and coexisted with superstars for a time.So instead of having two different badges on the same drum,they decided to just keep using the Imperialstar badge on the king beat.Hope that helps.
Steve B
