Tama at Winter NAMM 2008

Stewart Copeland\'s signature drum kit
Tama\'s Stewart Copeland replica drum set is also a limited edition: only 30 kits will be produced worldwide. This 11 piece kit is finished in a unique Police Blue Sparkle and comes with Steward\'s blue sparkle Octobans as well. The only thing you have to miss are his gong and mini-tymps.

In 2005 Tama introduced their mid-price Superstar series drum sets. At NAMM 2008 they launched the next level: Tama\'s Superstar Hyper-Drive range, featuring the Custom Hyper-Drive, the EFX Hyper-Drive, and the \'regular\' Hyper-Drive models.

Hyper-Drive: short toms
Hyper-Drive is Tama\'s \'new standard depth\' size on tom toms. It short depths creates more attack, a quick repsonse and a punchy and articulated sound. Plus, it allows you to set up the rack toms in lower position. So you can post the tom toms more freely.

Superstar shells use birch for the main inner ply for strong projection and aggressive open sound. To enhance Superstar\'s looks, basswood, with its excellent consistency and regular grain patterns, is utilized for the inner ply on all Superstar shells as well as the outer ply on Superstar Custom SL.

Black Nickel Plated
In Superstar Hyper-Drive, all shell hardware is finished in Black Nickel Plated. So are the zinc die-cast hoops, which are the first for this price range. Superstar\'s is equipped with the same die-cast hoops featured on Starclassic drums. Die-cast hoops not only make tuning easier and more consistent, they also provide crisp attack, clear and resonant highs, and much more powerful rim shots.

Star-Cast mounting system
All Superstar rack toms are fitted with a Star-Cast Mounting System similar to Starclassic drums. This unique system offers total tom isolation and unhindered shell resonance without the adverse effect on tuning or complicated head changes found in less advanced suspension designs.

20\" Ultra Deep bass drums
In Superstar Hyper-Drive, the 20\"x22\" Ultra Deep bass drum size is now available. This size provides thunderous low end combined with maximum resonance.

Sound Bridge high-tension lugs
The Sound Bridge high-tension, low-mass lug was specifically designed for Superstar. Sound Bridge\'s unique structure looks much like a traditional high-tension lug, but the body of the lug \"floats\" over the shell to minimize shell contact so the drum can resonate to its fullest. However, Sound Bridge still offers all the benefits of the traditional high-tension lug: it offsets the tension of the batter side and bottom side heads, reduces the stress on the shell, and provides greater protection to the drum shell during transport.

Quick-set tilter
All Superstar\'s catalog kits come standard with upgraded Roadpro cymbal stands.The toothless \"Quick-set\" cymbal tilter lets you adjust the angle freely and hold it in position by the friction of six metal disc plates instead of gears. This mechanism is said to has a more durable structure than the conventional gear tilter.

Among the artists playing on a Hyper-Drive set are Brian Frasier-Moore, Ronald Bruner Jr, Chad Butler and Dan Torelli.

Limited edition Warlord Spartan drum kit
Tama\'s latest addition to their high-end Warlord Collection series, the Spartan set, has shells from stainless steel. Each drum shell features the RSE (Resonant Sound Edge), meaning the bearing edges are bent over at 45 degrees and then bent round again. This way they touch the shell whereupon they are welded, forming an air chamber which goes around the whole drum, adding more projection, tone, and increased fatness. There will be only 100 kits made worldwide, so this model will be highly exclusive and very limited.

Athenium snare
Speaking about Tama\'s hi-end Warlord series: Tama also introduced the 6\" x 14\" brass Athenium snare drum model.

New colors for Starclassic Bubinga
In the early \'80s, one of Tama\'s most unique finishes was Cordia. Now, they have added Cordia wood as the outer ply of their Starclassic Bubinga shells. The Cordia finish is available on hundreds of choices of shell sizes, and three hardware colors (Black Nickel, Brushed Nickel and Chrome).