Tama Starclassic Experts

Drumthumper

Junior Member
Ok so this is going to be an odd post, this is also my first post as I've never really needed to use the forum before because all the info I need is on here already.

Here goes:

I bought a MIJ Starclassic Maple from a guy for a pretty decent price, the hardware was rusty and corroded on the kick but I planned on replacing it anyways. When I got there the guy was a little nervous but I figured it was because in his eBay ad he didn't show the rust, only the corrosion, once again I didn't mind.

He also gave me this shell that one of his mate's had made for him, it was in almost the same colour as the maple shells he was giving me, his mate had even made the decal badges for custom made Tama's. The colour of the decal was really different to the rest of the shells, you could tell it wasn't the same. He said he didn't know what it was made from, he just got his friend to make it because he wanted and odd size, 9.5".

Here's where it gets interesting, when I was at his place checking out the shells it had everything in place. The decals, the serial #'s on the inside, everything. But when I got it home and took the heads off things got a little weird, the kick and the 12" tom are completely smooth on the inside and smell of something, not really sure what. But the floor tom is untreated, totally natural. I have a B/B that I compared it with and all the shells are natural and unsealed, I was under the impression that Tama leaves their wood porous on the inside of their shells, can anyone help me out as to why the kick and the 12" rack would be totally smooth and the floor would be natural.

Also what is interesting is the amount of corrosion and rust on the hardware of the kick yet the shells themselves show no signs of any humidity or moisture at all, I mean the kick is immaculate on the inside.

Also the bearing edges seem really sharp for a Tama, I thought that Tama uses a bit more of a round bearing edge on their shells but also knowing that the Maple shells are thinner than B/B and Bubinga shells maybe I'm missing something in terms of the way the bearing edges are constructed on the Maple shell, should the B/B and Maple shells have the same bearing edge or should they differ because the Maple has a thinner shell??

The grain differs from each drum too, the grain density in the floor is much higher than in the kick and rack.

Lastly the decals shouldn't be felt when I run my hand across them yeah?? When I run my hand across the kick drum decal I can feel in underneath my finger, also are the decals hand-painted?? because these look like they are stenciled, especially the kick drum.

I've got an issue because the guy left me with an uneasy feeling, also because of the shell he had mocked up. If he has the means to experiment with colour, paint and decals, he also said he worked in 'Paper Recycling' which could also be construed as he works with wood, I've got a sneaky suspicion he has made this kit himself. Here's the most messed up thing, he has receipts dating to when he purchased the kit so I think that at one stage he owned a Tama Starclassic Maple, I just don't think the one I bought is it. He said it had been left in a closet on top of a vent that let moisture in the house and the kick drum was on top of that vent for a while, but he showed me his prized Ludwig kit that was sitting on top of the same vent. Why would you do the same thing twice??

Here are some pictures for you, the colour is supposed to be Black Cherry:

Here's the link: http://imgur.com/a/qZ4qG

Images 1,4,7 are of the fake Tom
Images 2,10 are of the floor
Images 11,3,5,6 are the kick
Images 7,8,9,12 are the rack tom

Can anyone help me to discern whether or not I have fraudulent shells, bearing edges, shell contruction, texture, decals, anything I should know.

It may seem odd to think this but if the guy can manufacture shells, decals and paint who knows what he is doing.
 
I have moved this thread to the proper section. Please be aware of where you post your topics. Thanks
 
Ok so this is going to be an odd post, this is also my first post as I've never really needed to use the forum before because all the info I need is on here already.

Here goes:

I bought a MIJ Starclassic Maple from a guy for a pretty decent price, the hardware was rusty and corroded on the kick but I planned on replacing it anyways. When I got there the guy was a little nervous but I figured it was because in his eBay ad he didn't show the rust, only the corrosion, once again I didn't mind.

He also gave me this shell that one of his mate's had made for him, it was in almost the same colour as the maple shells he was giving me, his mate had even made the decal badges for custom made Tama's. The colour of the decal was really different to the rest of the shells, you could tell it wasn't the same. He said he didn't know what it was made from, he just got his friend to make it because he wanted and odd size, 9.5".

Here's where it gets interesting, when I was at his place checking out the shells it had everything in place. The decals, the serial #'s on the inside, everything. But when I got it home and took the heads off things got a little weird, the kick and the 12" tom are completely smooth on the inside and smell of something, not really sure what. But the floor tom is untreated, totally natural. I have a B/B that I compared it with and all the shells are natural and unsealed, I was under the impression that Tama leaves their wood porous on the inside of their shells, can anyone help me out as to why the kick and the 12" rack would be totally smooth and the floor would be natural.

Also what is interesting is the amount of corrosion and rust on the hardware of the kick yet the shells themselves show no signs of any humidity or moisture at all, I mean the kick is immaculate on the inside.

Also the bearing edges seem really sharp for a Tama, I thought that Tama uses a bit more of a round bearing edge on their shells but also knowing that the Maple shells are thinner than B/B and Bubinga shells maybe I'm missing something in terms of the way the bearing edges are constructed on the Maple shell, should the B/B and Maple shells have the same bearing edge or should they differ because the Maple has a thinner shell??

The grain differs from each drum too, the grain density in the floor is much higher than in the kick and rack.

Lastly the decals shouldn't be felt when I run my hand across them yeah?? When I run my hand across the kick drum decal I can feel in underneath my finger, also are the decals hand-painted?? because these look like they are stenciled, especially the kick drum.

I've got an issue because the guy left me with an uneasy feeling, also because of the shell he had mocked up. If he has the means to experiment with colour, paint and decals, he also said he worked in 'Paper Recycling' which could also be construed as he works with wood, I've got a sneaky suspicion he has made this kit himself. Here's the most messed up thing, he has receipts dating to when he purchased the kit so I think that at one stage he owned a Tama Starclassic Maple, I just don't think the one I bought is it. He said it had been left in a closet on top of a vent that let moisture in the house and the kick drum was on top of that vent for a while, but he showed me his prized Ludwig kit that was sitting on top of the same vent. Why would you do the same thing twice??

Here are some pictures for you, the colour is supposed to be Black Cherry:

Here's the link: http://imgur.com/a/qZ4qG

Images 1,4,7 are of the fake Tom
Images 2,10 are of the floor
Images 11,3,5,6 are the kick
Images 7,8,9,12 are the rack tom

Can anyone help me to discern whether or not I have fraudulent shells, bearing edges, shell contruction, texture, decals, anything I should know.

It may seem odd to think this but if the guy can manufacture shells, decals and paint who knows what he is doing.

Based on what you've described, I'd say this is a bogus kit. Maybe the guy took a lesser quality shell pack and swapped some Tama hardware and did some sticker work.
I haven't seen a Starclassic kit in years, but from what I recall I could not feel the logo at all when running my fingers over it.

I'd call the guy out on it and tell him I want my money back. Honestly, I wouldn't have purchased it if the guy looked like he was lying to me about it. No matter what the price.
 
Those logos are painted on to the shell,before it is lacquered,so there should be no raised logo.Get your money back.I hope you used paypal and didn't "gift" the payment.AS far as sound....it dosen't matter....you're paying for Tama, made in Japan, Starclassic maple,and THAT is what you should get...period.

Steve B
 
I take it that the hardware on the kick are those yellow brass looking ones?

The previous tama rockstar kit i had, when i bought it in the early 2000s, had the same problem and they were NEW. It was something with the screws. I notice a few years later, tama was using black screws, probably because of that.
 
Comparing that logo picture to others online it looks darn good for a suspected fake.

I had a eBay guy acting super nervous when I picked up a kit and that made me very weary of the authenticity. Everything checked out and I came to the conclusion that they were tweaked because his gf wouldn't stop touching her nose.

I hope you get to the bottom of it!
 
True,but then again,some forgers get a kick out of ....just doing it.There's a guy up in Canada that makes bogus Rogers wood shell dyna sonics.There's a guy on Ebay,on Long Island I think,selling bogus VistalitesThe're out there....lots of forgeries

Steve B
 
That's a LOT of work for a fake. But not out of the realm of possibility. Would a counterfeit go to the trouble of putting the logo/decal on the inside of the shell? I dont know.

Don't smell right though.

Wow i just saw it. Are the logos on under the clear coat or over them??? I would check that
 
True,but then again,some forgers get a kick out of ....just doing it.There's a guy up in Canada that makes bogus Rogers wood shell dyna sonics.There's a guy on Ebay,on Long Island I think,selling bogus VistalitesThe're out there....lots of forgeries

Steve B

I've called that Vistalite seller out on eBay, Facebook and elsewhere. Some of their BO badges are FAKE FAKE FAKE. There's also people who buy the blank ones off the eBay seller out of Kentucky and stamp numbers into them.
 
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