Regarding the maker of this set: If the snare is original to this set, and judging by the condition and color of the wrap, there is no reason to think it is not, I still maintain that this is a Pearl made set. Look at the red sparkle Pearl snare below. These are the exact same lugs as the gold sparkle snare, and the screw layout for the strainer is the same as well.
Also, Pearl had the round 'canister' strainers that are seen in the La Boz catalog scans. Has anyone seen any Star set with the chrome lettering script logos? Has anyone seen Star sets with a stata type wrap? (not the diamond pearl strand wrap.) What I'm getting at is that I am starting to think that Star didn't come onto the scene until maybe '67 or '68 and any MIJ before that is going to be Pearl manufactured. Star made drums are so consistent; oval 'World's Supreme' badges, grey painted interiors (if no re-rings,) either teardrop or sling copy lugs, etc. So I am thinking that Star may have only been producing drums from between '67-'72 or so, before they dropped out of the scene, handed off the stencil names to Pearl (Apollo, Stewart, US Mercury) and geared up to become Tama.
I cant account for the t-rods, however, I haven't seen enough sets with them. I think there were actually more t-rod designs back then (on both Pearl and Star) than we think.