I am also beginning to look at this line up as well, Ralf. I am beginning to think there may have been a separate foundry that cast all of the hardware and then sold it to the 2 bigger boys. That said, I have no real proof, just the mix seems to suggest this is the case. I do know that later, Pearl cast their own, as I have lugs on a snare that have the name cast in.

Now, to keep it "clean", I also think that many of these others were Star. I am almost positive Majestic is Star, I have only seen this type of hardware on Star drums. I am certain it is on some of the top line from 67. Look at the rail, that is on my set, and it is high quality stuff.

I just want to confirm what I have said concerning same and totally different hardware parts - all within one brand name, in this example it is 'Apollo'.

These pics are copies from the drumarchive and from this forum. You can see clearly that the snare strainer (and the lugs) on the left are types never used by STAR. On the right side - totally in contrast - it is indeed a 'STAR' snare strainer as the logo of 'STAR' can be seen on that part and the lugs are also STAR lugs!

Ralf

Jonnistix, we're talking in the same language.

What makes me think that Majestic comes from such a dubious wholesaler is the pic taken from this forum here (below).

The arrangement of the lugs is not in opposite, like I've seen it ONLY and ALWAYS at STAR ... So to me this set includes hardware parts from STAR, but apparently it is assembled at another place ...

Ralf

Mine are the same design. Is it possible that the wholesaler requested this set-up? I have seen it on other stencils, can't recall off the top what name, but different lugs.

There was a big MIJ thread on Drumforum.org I believe and the topic of Apollo came up. I think the consensus was they had drums from both Star (such as the Sonor style lugs and the "Worlds Finest Drums" badges) and Pearl. I've long been suspicious that there was a third company as well because there are drums out there that exhibit features exclusively associated with either Star or Pearl but not both.

For that matter, what things would we say are exclusive to Star? I can think of those badges and teardrop lugs. What else?

'... what things would we say are exclusive to Star?' - Good question!

To me, it's - with the early STAR drums - a combination of all together:

shape of lugs AND position of lugs AND type of tom bracket AND type of tom mount/ rail consolette should be 100 % identical with STAR drums like pictured in the TAMA catalogues of that time.

If only one thing differs = then it's a stencil kit or even something totally different from STAR.

Typical for early STAR drums:

- that type of lugs similar to Slingerland's (left side).

Typical for late/ later STAR drums:

- types of the rail consolette (as pictured next) plus

- type of tom bracket (looks a bit like an emblem) plus

- type of tom mount (called "free'o'matic", similar to the Rogers' type) plus

- type of damper knob (the so called 'One Touch Tone Control') plus

- type of lugs (pic on the right, also similar to Rogers style).

In between there was a short time when the lugs resembled to the SONOR teardrop lugs.

As STAR seemed to copy different lugs styles (from Slingerland, Sonor, Rogers), my theory is: STAR drums can be established to a year due to their shape of lugs. As STAR's are copies, I simply should figure out the year of the originals and one or two years later the STAR ones would have appeared ... So that's then the date of the production of the respective STAR lugs.

Ralf

That first lug, the Slingerland style, is the one that my Pearl made snare emulates. That is why I suspect there was an independent foundry that cast the hardware. I have seen that style lug on both.

Now that rial, the ends specifically, it is almost certainly exclusive, as I have seen it nowhere else but on Majestics and the top of the line Star products.

Found this on eBay:http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170389241249&viewitem=&sspagename=ADME%3AB%3AWNA%3AMOTORS%3A1123

For auction is a very RARE, cool looking Royal Star Clear Acrylic drum kit made by Tama, circa 1970, in very good condition. I think that these were called Crystar from Royal Star

Thought I would add the pictures here for a more permanent record of this cool kit. Japanese Vistalites!

I am fascinated by this particular thread,even though I personally have no Star drums-but the set I posted does have a non-Pearl stencil muffler knob and escutcheon.Someone in Japan can straighten this quandry out.A worker or manager at the factory that produced these "hybrids".Who has access to a Japanese language conversion program?Maybe Pearl Japan website/Tama Japan website.

I did post a picture of my Ideal bass drum-the badge is the same.