Hello,

This is definitely a STAR 'King Beat' shell. Yours should also have 10 lugs per side, I guess. I have two of these with a STAR badge on it. The shell was produced in the beginning of the 70s and also for a short time under the later name TAMA (still called 'King Beat' snare drum). If I remember correctly, Steward Copeland played this model on the first Police LP.

A great snare drum! In original the KingBeat had a parallel strainer system which sadly is no longer mouted at yours.

Ralf

How impossible do you think it is to get an original strainer? Im intrigued at the possibility of putting this thing back to original. The couple extra holes would probably still show, but its such a cool drum that I think it warrants the job. Its probably near impossible to find the correct strainer though. Then again I have never looked.

Not sure I care THAT much if its going to be a headache or long wait...I think it will sound fantastic no matter what. I don't know how a drum this heavy can NOT sound good. Yes, 10 lugs per side.

Any idea why the snare gates are so extended?

-Adam

Hello,

If you try the 'Search' at the top of this site and enter 'KingBeat', you'll find a lot of answers for this great snare drum ... ;)

Here is one out of it:

http://www.vintagedrumforum.com/showthread.php?t=4790&highlight=kingbeat

The original snare drum of the Star catalogue:

http://www.tamadrum.co.jp/anniversary/expansion.php?cat_id=8&now=12

Don't matter about the lugs, it was the time of the switch from Star to Tama, so some of the Star snares had the elder lugs, some the newer ones ... and so the very first Tama catalogue showed the same snare drum with your 'newer' lugs and, of course, a Tama badge:

http://www.tamadrum.co.jp/anniversary/expansion.php?cat_id=11&now=8

I know of one snare strainer, sold separately approx. three years ago on ebay USA ...

And here at the VDF is just one guy who might be able to help you: member Mikey777.

Ralf

Thanks for all the info Ralf! Been checking it all out. Some good info around now that I search for "King Beat". Ill ask Mikey about strainer parts!

Thanks again,

Adam

Ill be honest: This kit is totally awesome.

Ive been working on it the past few days. I am waiting on Mikey to see if he has a repro parallel strainer that will work for the snare but in the meantime I just put the it back together and cleaned/polished up the two rack toms. Put new reso heads on the racks and 1 ply med coated attack heads for batters and I am already into them.

I just pulled the floor apart to start cleaning it up tonight and I just had to take a couple of pics and post them. The re-rings on this kit are just FAT and the wood is awesome. Smells new. Does anyone know what these puppies are made of? Seems to be birch on the inside...possibly alternating plies of luan? Not sure. The layer that the wrap is adhered to seems to be luan. These things are HEAVY tho!

By my count the drum is 14 plies thick. I assume 10 of those are re-ring. Anyone know for sure?

Thanks!

The family is getting bigger!

-Adam

Hi Adam,

This drumkit has EXACTLY the same shell construction as my late Royal Stars, it even looks the same way like mine:

http://forum.tama.com/Default.aspx?g=posts&t=10071

That's curious ...!

To my best knowledge, the shells are maple, not birch. And they are lacquered inside. I LOVE the sound that comes out of it ... beyond words. I, too, was unable to count exactly all the shell and re-ring plies.

If you are handy, I would recommend giving the rack toms the star cast arms like here:

http://forum.tama.com/Default.aspx?g=posts&t=9870

The difference in sound is huge against the mount of the toms with the original 'Free-O-Matic' double tom holder (Star called it this way)!

Ralf

Been working a lot the past few days. Hoping to get this thing done by the end of the weekend though. The bass drum is the only drum left, but needs the most love by far...

I post some pics when its completed. Thanks for all of your help on this one Ralf!

-Adam

Well. I did it! Finished it up tonight. Its sweet. The picture sucks cause its indoors, but Ill get better ones soon outside. Maybe tomorrow morning before work. Stoked. Now if I can just find that "Star" decal and get a repro strainer from Mikey!

-Adam