Had this exact kit! Gigged the heck out of it. Always got compliments. One of the best kept secrets out there. Especially really cool to have the 18” kick with the 10 & 12 rack toms. The stock 13” snare it comes with isn’t half bad either. Sold it to my brother so it’d stay close in case I ever wanted it back lol
I agree about the quality of drums made back then at that price point. I just acquired a Pearl Rythmn Traveler in black with chrome hardware. Replaced all heads with Remo Fiberskyn on batters of snare and 12"and 14" toms. Kick has Coated Powerstroke 3 batter and Fiberskyn Feltone on front. Also replaced metal bass drum hoops with natural finished Gibraltar hoops. Very funky, jazzy kit like Billy Martin. Happy Drumming!
I have that exact same kit! I bought it probably 7-8 years ago as a decent bop kit I could use for jazz gigs and not care if they get banged up. I used them a bunch and then upgraded and stacked them up in the basement. Last year my daughter took to drums so I refinished them in Pink! She loves them. I completely agree with you, they are a good quality little kit , especially for the price. PS: For the flange, I usually use a file and file it down till I get through it and then pull it out with needle nose pliers.
This was my first kit. Just a fantastic little kit for $200. Original hardware, both rack toms, and the original 13x5 metal snare. Mine had that ugly red wine color. The original hardware is meh: snare stand maxes at 13", cheap spurs, throne wouldn't hold my weight, but the hi-hat stand was fine. Evans G1s, top and bottom, Ambassador bass, front and rear. You'll definitely want to upgrade the throne, snare, and snare stand, but at about $200 for the kit, plus $150 for heads and hardware, it's tough to get much better for the price. You can probably get in with some old Zildjian As for about $500 if you're thrifty. When I moved, I sold the kit to Guitar Center for most of what I paid.
Almost looks and sounds like my Westbury drum kit from 2003 at the start. it was black and made of poplar, but i had a 10x8,12x10,14x14, toms, 22x18 or 16 bass and 14x5 snare.
Mike, I love it when you take us along with you when you have a project. You do such a great job in your work and in your drumming. Happy holiday season to you and your loved ones.❤️🙏🎄🎅👏✌️❤️🙏🎄🎅👏✌️
Great video, Mike. I love what you did with that, restoring drums is my passion, although I don't have a lot of time to spend on it. Keep up the good work!
dude stagestars are such sleepers! One of my church friends asked me to put new heads on his and afterwards I was blown away by the sound. May have to get one.
Drums sounded good even before you took the original wrap off!! You video just proved that you don’t have to spend big money to get a good sounding drum kit!! Good heads and good bearing edges are more important!!
Those drums are pretty good. I really like the Pearl luan mahogany drums from the 2000,s those really need cutting down but sound great. Are they poplar?? As to finish I,s prefer filling the grain and paint them a solid color or maybe a sparkle. But good job.
I just feel like the metal components (lugs, hoop claws, hoops, mounts, etc) are much flimsier and the craftsmanship going into assembling the drums is missing the same care that I saw older drums being made with on these entry/student level series kits.
Even at $200 or $300, these are still a good deal. You'd pay twice that for a Stage Custom in these sizes, and that only comes with a single rack tom. This can be gigged as a 10/14/18 nesting kit if desired.
I mean Sonor I feel like Sonor does it like most companies, offer a wide variety of cost curated kits, and then go all out for whatever top end kit you can dream of.
@@malonedrum I’m talking about the lines made in Germany, not the Mapex factory. Like a Renown versus a Brooklyn: the latter is a Gretsch. Sonor Germany is Sonor. I have the Vintage, SQ1, and S-Classix. But I agree on the economy lines.
Had this exact kit! Gigged the heck out of it. Always got compliments. One of the best kept secrets out there. Especially really cool to have the 18” kick with the 10 & 12 rack toms. The stock 13” snare it comes with isn’t half bad either. Sold it to my brother so it’d stay close in case I ever wanted it back lol
Agreed, it’s a crazy value kit
I agree about the quality of drums made back then at that price point.
I just acquired a Pearl Rythmn Traveler in black with chrome hardware. Replaced all heads with Remo Fiberskyn on batters of snare and 12"and 14" toms. Kick has Coated Powerstroke 3 batter and Fiberskyn Feltone on front. Also replaced metal bass drum hoops with natural finished Gibraltar hoops. Very funky, jazzy kit like Billy Martin. Happy Drumming!
I've picked up one of those too and they're fun little kits!
I have that exact same kit! I bought it probably 7-8 years ago as a decent bop kit I could use for jazz gigs and not care if they get banged up. I used them a bunch and then upgraded and stacked them up in the basement. Last year my daughter took to drums so I refinished them in Pink! She loves them. I completely agree with you, they are a good quality little kit , especially for the price. PS: For the flange, I usually use a file and file it down till I get through it and then pull it out with needle nose pliers.
That's a good strategy for the flange, I like the countersink bit, but if you're not careful it can also tear up the shell.
That was exactly my thought. BUT on a cheaper kit, the countersink is a much quicker option. The filing can take awhile @@malonedrum
This was my first kit. Just a fantastic little kit for $200. Original hardware, both rack toms, and the original 13x5 metal snare. Mine had that ugly red wine color.
The original hardware is meh: snare stand maxes at 13", cheap spurs, throne wouldn't hold my weight, but the hi-hat stand was fine. Evans G1s, top and bottom, Ambassador bass, front and rear.
You'll definitely want to upgrade the throne, snare, and snare stand, but at about $200 for the kit, plus $150 for heads and hardware, it's tough to get much better for the price. You can probably get in with some old Zildjian As for about $500 if you're thrifty.
When I moved, I sold the kit to Guitar Center for most of what I paid.
It's a sneaky great kit, whether first or picked up after in your drumming life.
It turns out Emmet Cohen thinks so as well! His most recent videos feature a blue Stagestar :-)
Almost looks and sounds like my Westbury drum kit from 2003 at the start. it was black and made of poplar, but i had a 10x8,12x10,14x14, toms, 22x18 or 16 bass and 14x5 snare.
Interesting, I always thought those kits were 12,13,16 toms. Cool.
Mike, I love it when you take us along with you when you have a project. You do such a great job in your work and in your drumming.
Happy holiday season to you and your loved ones.❤️🙏🎄🎅👏✌️❤️🙏🎄🎅👏✌️
Thanks for watching.
Most impressive part is your drumming! Great refurb - the 80s swingstars were really killer low line kits, too.
I think all entry level drums were made better in the past unfortunately. Today's market is all about cutting cost and improving margins.
They got a nice vintage vibe, and sound great with the heads. Perfect practice kit!
Exactly.
These are your best uploads!
More to come!
Great video, Mike. I love what you did with that, restoring drums is my passion, although I don't have a lot of time to spend on it. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for watching!
That was Fun. The sound outcome was even better.
Thanks!
dude stagestars are such sleepers!
One of my church friends asked me to put new heads on his and afterwards I was blown away by the sound. May have to get one.
They are quite insane value.
Drums sounded good even before you took the original wrap off!! You video just proved that you don’t have to spend big money to get a good sounding drum kit!! Good heads and good bearing edges are more important!!
Agreed!
Just got one with both 10 and 12 rack toms will probably rewrap mine and tune it more for funk pop gigs (spent more on gas than the drumset lol)
I try to pick up these little kits whenever I see them. They are typically super cheap, and very well made for beginner drums.
Those drums are pretty good. I really like the Pearl luan mahogany drums from the 2000,s those really need cutting down but sound great. Are they poplar?? As to finish I,s prefer filling the grain and paint them a solid color or maybe a sparkle. But good job.
Not sure on the wood species here, but would guess poplar because that's cheap. As for finish, sparkle is fun, but a challenge to do without wrapping.
I had a tama stage star with wmp wrap. 10,12,14,18 bass 13 snare it was a cool kit
Yes, that’s the full set. Sort of wish more of those would have been left with this kit
Ooh! I probably would still have mine if they were in that wrap.
Good video Mike they are awesome set of drums
Agreed!
Well done, Mike! Great work!
Thanks!
wow sounds really good!
Thanks!
Did you try any pre-stain conditioner at all? I’ve found that help even out the finish with more economic wood species.
You know, I never really have used prestain, but I probably should.
Cool video. Thanks for posting.
Thanks for watching!
Awesome job mike
Thank you David!
Your friend is a “ Lucky 🍀 “ guy!!!! Those drums sound amazing!!!! Keep up the good work man!!! 💥💥💥
Thanks!
Thank you 🙏 Sir Mike.
Can you go into a bit more detail on how you've seen quality on comparably positioned kits slip?
I just feel like the metal components (lugs, hoop claws, hoops, mounts, etc) are much flimsier and the craftsmanship going into assembling the drums is missing the same care that I saw older drums being made with on these entry/student level series kits.
nice project!
Thanks for watching
Is that an old K I see on your right? Sounds beautiful either way
Ha, it's not. A Bosphorus 1600 era cymbal
@@malonedrum ahh gotcha, great sound!
Sounds pretty good for $100! Do you ever find yourself redoing/leveling bearing edges on upcycled drums?
I don't enjoy doing bearing edges, so typically only if I have to, meaning I can see visible inconsistency on the current edges.
It sounds great!! I want a bop sized kit, and someone is selling one of these on my fb marketplace! If I could talk them down to $100, I'd jump on it.
I still see them pop up fairly regularly.
Even at $200 or $300, these are still a good deal. You'd pay twice that for a Stage Custom in these sizes, and that only comes with a single rack tom. This can be gigged as a 10/14/18 nesting kit if desired.
I play Sonor because of cost cutting measures. Yes, I paid a premium, but Sonor doesn’t do price points and they’re all built like tanks.
I mean Sonor I feel like Sonor does it like most companies, offer a wide variety of cost curated kits, and then go all out for whatever top end kit you can dream of.
@@malonedrum I’m talking about the lines made in Germany, not the Mapex factory. Like a Renown versus a Brooklyn: the latter is a Gretsch. Sonor Germany is Sonor. I have the Vintage, SQ1, and S-Classix. But I agree on the economy lines.
Tama makes great drums. But for this period nothing was better than the Yamaha Rydeen for quality.
I don’t have too much experience with the Rydeen drums, but I remember wanting one as a kid.
These drums have easily doubled in price and seem to be the higher end set compared to the Tama Swingstar drums. ♪♫♪
Some thing have changed with them though at the same time, but yes, they are most expensive then they were 20 years ago.
If the tom lacks resonance, just rise it to the top of the L rod.
Hmm, I’ve never tried that.
Not gonna lie, that stain job, not good. 😮
Sure, I can see why you may not like it. I like the sort of weathered look, but I get it's not something everyone universally would appreciate.