New project kit.

[iplaybass9340]

Well I got my hands on a late 80's Tama Rockstar DX is white. I'm thinking about refinishing it, but that all depends on how the wrap looks after I Clean it. Right now I'm using parts from my sonor to set it up and i'm missing tension rods but after I get the parts I need I am still gonna keep it set up like this. I love the simple set up. Tell me what you think.

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/9891/picture1690gf.jpg
http://img113.imageshack.us/img113/999/picture1677pt.jpg

[TerranCmdr]

Looks sweet man... It looks nice how it is already.

[Jezen]

Looks like loads of fun. Refinishing a kit is always fun until you run into big problems. Then it's more fun fixing those problems successfully.

[iplaybass9340]

Yeah thanks, I really like this kit. The small simple set-up really makes me creative when I come from my Sonor double bass. I'm thinking about staining it a dark oak color. I think that would really look classy. I started to clean up some of the lugs already and they came out pretty good. It's definitly gonna be a fun summer project.

[pitchfork]

Looks good, be sure to post pics when you're done.

[zfzgg]

Haha, that's how i have my kit setup.

mine is 12x9 out in front, then a 14x14 to the left, and a 16x16 to the right. Except i also have two crashes on mine.

[iplaybass9340]

I'll make a thread with a kinda step-by-step update.

Edit: yeah I just got it today and need to pick-up quite a few things to get it working right. Heres the list so far (I know all cheap stuff):

(1) PDP 800 Series Stand
(1) PDP Snare Stand
(1) Gibraltar L Rod Tom Mount
(1) Cheap Hat stand (possible pulse)
(1) Cheap Single kick (possible pulse)
(1) PDP Throne
plus tension rods for my floor tom and bass drum.

[innerlo2]

Or, you could not refinish it. And proudly own an "unmessed with" soon to be vintage kit. I would just restore it, but then I'm kinda wierd.

[Jezen]

I wanna refinish a kit the same way I did my 'Pleasure' snare.

http://img158.imageshack.us/img158/9928/imgp17128vo.jpg

[iplaybass9340]

Or, you could not refinish it. And proudly own an "unmessed with" soon to be vintage kit. I would just restore it, but then I'm kinda wierd.
I was thinking about that, but the wrap is quite sractched. Would it be a good idea to maybe get it proffesionaly re-wrapped?

[Jezen]

Don't get a cheap hat stand. Get a Pearl P100 (the old ones) for both hats and bass. Seriously, Pulse suck. eBay will give you some great prices on those old P100s.

[ammo]

I was thinking about that, but the wrap is quite sractched. Would it be a good idea to maybe get it proffesionaly re-wrapped?

Definetly!!! Get it rewrapped in the same white as well, thats very sexy! :thumb: :naughty:

[iplaybass9340]

ok, I mean I am broke. I traded one of my basses for this kit. So I mean I was trying to find a way to atleast use it for now. I know pulse is pure ****, but if I end up getting one it will be replaces within a month, or less. Ill look into the pearl stuff. thanks.

I think I'm gonna end up with a real jazzy style cymbal set up, maybe a set of Istanbuls for hats and a K Ride. I'm not sure yet, any suggestions?

[innerlo2]

Try some very fine steel wool. Also remove all the hardware and give them a steel wool scrubbing. As far as the wrap goes, I wouldn't worry about scratches. If it is a solid white wrap, then if they are clean the scratches will hardly show. The biggest problem with "refinishing" drums as so many people do on here is that the drum normally being restained or whatever was not made with that in mind. A good example is the snare posted above, if you look at it the outer ply is obviously cheap wood, and the grain is going vertical, not horizontal. I'm not sure how else I can explain that, and I mean no offense to you british boy.

Not to mention when you remove that wrap, you are losing some of the shell thickness. As far as how the heads sit I mean, that wrap is figured in.

[iplaybass9340]

Hmmm, yeah good point. It's more some big scratches and dents that are very noticeable in person. But what can you expect out of a nearly 20 year old kit.

[jiashen]

I wanna refinish a kit the same way I did my 'Pleasure' snare.

What's that? Pencil? If it was up to me I'd copy one of those standard Chinese fonts. Many are really nice and elegant.

[zfzgg]

Also...what are the specs of that beast?

Those toms look huge.

[ant_182]

Add a china in there, where your first crash would probs be. that would sound interesting! Good luck with it all!




-Ant-

[Zildjian]

Thats a 1991 Rockstar...

Looks sorta like mine (1988). but you can tell with your lugs are different and you don't have the Zole'd on the wood to make the residence more equal

Sweet kit though that will be a fun project

[Jezen]

Try some very fine steel wool. Also remove all the hardware and give them a steel wool scrubbing. As far as the wrap goes, I wouldn't worry about scratches. If it is a solid white wrap, then if they are clean the scratches will hardly show. The biggest problem with "refinishing" drums as so many people do on here is that the drum normally being restained or whatever was not made with that in mind. A good example is the snare posted above, if you look at it the outer ply is obviously cheap wood, and the grain is going vertical, not horizontal. I'm not sure how else I can explain that, and I mean no offense to you british boy.

Not to mention when you remove that wrap, you are losing some of the shell thickness. As far as how the heads sit I mean, that wrap is figured in.

Vertical grain is far better than horizontal grain.

[White]

damn that looks like a wicked fun project, good luck with it.

[iplaybass9340]

Heres the specs (as I know them?):
12x11 Rack Tom
13x12 Rack Tom
16x16 Floor Tom
14x5.5 Snare (Sonor 3003)
22x16(?) Bass Drum

I really want to get some new skins for that kit and my sonor, but as I have stated I'm really broke. I think this kit is gonna be my jazzy small kit. I'm not sure if I want to refinish it because it looks like it has some cheap wood under the wrap. I'm starting to clean up the hardware right now. Yeah I was pretty sure it was an early 90's Rockstar, but I was told it was a late 80's. Either way it's a fun good sounding kit.

[innerlo2]

I guess I offended him..

Anyway my point is this.. For a stain finish to look nice, the wood needs to be nice. There is a reason that low end kits are wraps :P

[Zildjian]

^^ Rockstars are not low end kits

[iplaybass9340]

I really like this kit. I'm gonna start really getting into it this week.

[innerlo2]

Apparently people comment on things without reading.

I never said rockstars were low end kits. I was referring to taking low end drum sets and "refinishing" (staining) them to give the impression that they aren't. Which seems to be becoming the norm around here.

It's like pin stripes on a geo.

I'll just drop it at that.

[iplaybass9340]

Apparently people comment on things without reading.

I never said rockstars were low end kits. I was referring to taking low end drum sets and "refinishing" (staining) them to give the impression that they aren't. Which seems to be becoming the norm around here.

It's like pin stripes on a geo.

I'll just drop it at that.
Pinstripes sound like crap. lol just kidding. I get what you mean though. I'm probaly just gonna leave it alone. It looks nice as is.

[Chippy569]

Vertical grain is far better than horizontal grain.
that's not true at all. VG leaves uneven peaks and valleys in your bearing edges, where HG does not.

there's a reason builders mix directions: HVHHVH for a 6ply in order to get HH in the center for your edges.



threadstarter: i'd suggest rewrapping it in white, it's cheap, however i'm afraid your wrap is going to be glued around the WHOLE shell and not just the seam... so you might be better leaving it as-is.

[static]

Mmmm....Vault hats. How are those? I have yet to hear them.

[Jezen]

that's not true at all. VG leaves uneven peaks and valleys in your bearing edges, where HG does not.

there's a reason builders mix directions: HVHHVH for a 6ply in order to get HH in the center for your edges.



threadstarter: i'd suggest rewrapping it in white, it's cheap, however i'm afraid your wrap is going to be glued around the WHOLE shell and not just the seam... so you might be better leaving it as-is.

I didn't think of mixing directions, but I remember reading that if you have horizontal grain then you can split your bearing edge along the grain, leaving a huge ridge.

[Obelisk]

^^ Rockstars are not low end kits

I think mine was $699 for the 5-piece, w/ snare stand, hat stand and 2 cymbal stands.

If that's not low end...

I'd also suspect they might be more early 90's than late 80's.

[Jezen]

I'm quite sure Rockstars were low-end drums.

[drumtilidie]

starclassic > Superstar > Swingstar > Rockstar