My first time on the Forum, so a bit shaky.......
I?m not shure if an 81?Japaneese drumkit is considered being vintage at all (But the snare is a 71?Slingerland witch hopefully helps a bit).
During the eighties and into the early nineties, I was touring most of Europe - mainly clubs and cafe?s - together with my rather scratchy cowpunk-trio. For that purpose I builded up sort of a "japaneese Bonzo replica set", based on TAMA Imperialstar in the sizes 24", 14", 16" and 18", a complete Paiste Colorsound 5 (in black) set of cymbals, and my lovely old 6?" Slingy. Because most of our gigs were in smaller places, I fitted the BD and the toms with some black EVANS Hydraulic heads, that looked good, and actualy sounded good too.
In ?92 I got married, found my self a more civiliced job, started to produce a lot of children.......:-) and forgot all about my drums.
Now 15 years later things are beginning to loosen up a bit, and I feel that I have got the time fore a "second round".
So does my clever and beautyful wife, but since she?s clever, she ordered me to restore the old kit instead of buying a new one.
That?s why I spend the last 30 nights in he basement, working on bringing the old TAMA?s back in business. (Ofcause some of the kids helpped me.)
I?m realy surprissed how good they actually look and sounds after all these years. Ofcause I keept them safe in LeBlond-cases in a temperated basement, but still it was fantastic to se that the only thing I had to do to most of it, was to rub off all that Portugeese beer that I spilled on them many years ago.
Compared to (almost) all new non-USA drums that I?ve heard/played on lately, I would say that the good old 80?Imperialstar is the best - even better than TAMA?s own Superstar from the same period --- but the snare has got to be af Slingerland.
About the Paiste Colorsound Cymbals, I can only say that I chose them because of the colour, but that I now - allmost 30 years after I bought them - am very pleased with the sound of them.
I hope I didn?t waste anybodys time, and that there might be just one more TAMA Imp-fan out there.
Youres truely
Carsten Meinhardt.
