Tama King Beat

sly1965

Senior Member
Hi everyone, been a loooong time i've been here. I am just wondering if somebody here can talk to me about a real nice snare drum i found used. From what i know it would be a Tama King Beat from 1980 ??? i guess, in an amazing shape. I mean it's like it was made last week almost loll. So anyway here's the pics and it will be cool to hear from you gentlemen about that real nice sounding snare drum.

Sly
 

Attachments

  • Tama_1.jpg
    Tama_1.jpg
    89 KB · Views: 4,597
  • tama_2.jpg
    tama_2.jpg
    64.9 KB · Views: 3,643
That is a nice drum with some very nice features...parallel strainer and DC hoops with the nicer style bottom hoop that doubles as handles. The shell might even be COB, chrome over brass, and when all things are consdiered that is a great drum!

Good find! What did you pay for it?
 
That is a nice drum with some very nice features...parallel strainer and DC hoops with the nicer style bottom hoop that doubles as handles. The shell might even be COB, chrome over brass, and when all things are consdiered that is a great drum!

Good find! What did you pay for it?

$250.00 Canadian, (i'm in Montreal, qc.) I think it.s a good deal.
 
That's a great deal on a great drum! I managed to find a Tama Mastercraft steel (6.5x14 with DC hoops) for $229 on eBay not too long ago. It rocks. I think it's the same shell as yours!
 
Yes...$250 for that snare is a really good deal, especially considering its condition...I had one of those new back in 1984...I believe I paid arond $350 for it, if I'm not mistaken...nice drum...I do believe it's a steel shell, not COB though..
 
I have the same model and size as you sly1965. I got super lucky and found mine for $35 at a local music store. I call mine the skull crusher ( because of its weight and volume ) but this baby definately has articulation thats unparalled in my collection.
 
Nice snare .... as good as Tama made ... back in the day .... I've seen those fetch as high as $350 on eBay, though those were back in the "better" economic days. Skull Crusher heavy, for sure. The parallel strainer, and the die cast hoops, are the killer deal ...
 
I had the one that came right after that: the 8056, which had the longer lugs and didn't have the parallel strainer. But it had the same seamless steel shell and die cast hoops.

Not normally a huge fan of steel shells, but that thing was an exception and I used it as my #1 snare for 12 years. I'm still kicking myself of selling it (for $175!). I wouldn't pass on another if the opportunity presented itself again.

Anyway, nice score!
 
I could be wrong but I just looked at one that looked exactly like that one and some of the chrome was flaking off, and the shell was definately not steel, but looked like copper or brass. A great sounding drum. I would have bought it but the strainer was missing a knob of the butt side and the snares were messed up and I didn't know how much trouble it would be to replace the snares or to find new ones. John
 
Wasn't there a Sonor video going around recently showing the making of a chrome-plated seamless steel shell? I though that one step in that process was a copper plating (??) to give something for the chrome to bond to.

That could be what you're seeing under any flaking chrome. I don't know for sure of course, but you can do a search for old Tama catalogs and I'm pretty sure you won't see any other similar looking snares made from other materials - they're either steel or they look completely different.
 
That is a nice drum with some very nice features...parallel strainer and DC hoops with the nicer style bottom hoop that doubles as handles. The shell might even be COB, chrome over brass, and when all things are consdiered that is a great drum!

Good find! What did you pay for it?



This drum and used older metal drums like it are a crap shoot.

First off, no way its COB, its plain old steel with a seam.

The parallel action strainer is cool, but may be problematic in cases/bags.

When you're considering an old(er) metal drum there's always going to be a great chance the lugs are distorted. These drums can easily sit in storage for years under tension, or just be under the same (high) tension for a decade or two like nothing, it happens quite a lot with snare drums.

The result is distorted monkey-metal lugs... the metal shell is unforgiving, unlike wood which will give a little over time, the monkey-metal always looses against metal shells.

I've gotten inside many older metal drums and've been treated to distorted lugs, there's simply no way to know unless you remove a few lugs.

If all your lugs on your (new) used drum are stretched from tension/time, what do you end-up with? Basically a usable shell and hoops.

Something to look out for 'if you can'.

Older TAMA metal drums are very susceptible (but not alone) to this lug distortion.
 
I have one like that, but the 5.5 - built like a tank. Full, powerful, surprisingly warm. It's steel - spun, not soldered. Would love to A/B with the 6.5 - see what I could achieve...

Enjoy!
 
The 8056 is the more desireable drum but yours is in collectable condition.Shell is chrome over 1 piece steel shell.I would hang on to it unless cash is a problem.The most I think you could get ,in this market would be 350 and thats a stretch.but who knows with ebay bidding wars.Play it a few times and put it away,just my 2 cents.

Steve B
 
Back
Top