You didn't miss anything on this, it's a late model, at the end of the Hoshino days, POS shell, cheap hardware, trying to go for the old school student model look. This is the end of the TAMA Hoshino groups' production. By this time, TAMA had the income and the company was rolling and on good, solid financial footing, so they killed off the Hoshino stencils as they had no need for them any longer. This is one of those shells that can't hold up to it's own pressure. I would venture to say it is in such good condition because it was a beast to tune, and just sat in the closet because it sounded like crap.