Peter Erskine on TAMA's Classic Hardware

Peter Erskine demos and discusses TAMA’s new additions to “The Classic Hardware” line; The Classic Snare & Tom Stands, The Classic Pedal, and The Classic Hi-Hat Stand. Peter also shares his experience with these new pieces of hardware, and how their design allows him to express himself on the drums without compromising modern quality and functionality.

[@zero28ism]

peter is the definition of classic hardware

[@leocomerford]

Or classic wetware at least. :)

[@shadowplay9955]

his voice is so great.

[@TheSam1322]

"Rock with you" fills at the end

[@11172820]

I love tama drum so much

[@BigPhi84]

Love the classic stand! Can't wait to try out the new additions to the lineup!

[@dieconashi]

He is so damn good.

[@1989scv]

First off, I have been an Iron Cobra user for many years-I've tried the DW stuff, and many others, but have always come back to the Iron Cobras. I also have been trying to lighten the hardware bag and have tried lighter stands, but most have been very unstable and on the cheap (crappy) side. When these came out recently, I just had to try them. I bought the snare stand, hi hat and bass pedal. Please keep in mind, this is low end and very lightweight gear. I purchased from Sweetwater, so if I really hated the stuff, I could return it. When I first received the order, and saw just how lightweight the gear was, I was thinking "no freaking way will this stuff hold up". The hi hat stand is a cute little flat base model, and surprisingly, VERY STABLE. The lowest tension setting was perfect for how I play, right out of the box.The bass pedal design is not a new idea, but a redo of a pedal Tama made in the 70's, and it is, quite simply, amazing. One beater angle tweek, and it was perfect! Both pedals work wonderfully, and make no sqeeks or other strange noises.The heel plates are simple hinges, not the bearings found on the Cobras, but again, no issues. The snare stand copys the snare drum kits from the old days, but is much better in adjust-ability and strength. I absolutely love this gear! So much so, I put my Iron Cobra gear on ebay. If you are a super heavy hitter, or a touring drummer, most likely not road worthy in my opinion. I'm a local gigging jazz drummer-I'll be very careful and protect this gear with padding in the hardware bag, etc. Mission accomplished-I saved nearly 15 pounds trading out these three pieces.If you are careful with this gear, it should last a very long time! VERY pleased with the new gear!

[@bbfoto7248]

+Craig Hansen Thanks for your detailed impressions. 👍 Looks like I'll need to check this lineup out as I have similar priorities & needs. Check out my other question re: the snare stand in my other reply. THANKS!

[@FiresOfDawn]

Is the hi-hat stand stable enough to mount an aux snare on it?

[@stumanion3213]

Tooth and nail, I STILL use this stand, and have an 8" maple snare on it... no wobble. Let me preface this by saying I'm NOT using a 2b and slugging it out. Great stand!

[@J.Chapman-Drums]

Anybody debating these stands, if you can afford them and are half tempted, buy them. You will not be disappointed. I’ve had the full set and gigged with them extensively for 4 years. They are absolutely superb. Not that heavy, can fit into a small case, they are sturdy, they do not slip and they stay standing. I’ve played them on stages with risers, slightly uneven surfaces and they are absolutely killer! Plus they return the vintage look. The only time I would not use them is if I was playing outside on a windy day. For the money, you will not be disappointed. I have no need to say this either, I just remember debating for ages and not getting enough info to be sure.

[@tylerbailey9329]

Sup Tama, you guys rule!

[@CharlesTPrimm]

The Tom and snare stands in particular are fabulous 🎉

[@MsLiboma]

The hi hat stand not so much

[@CharlesTPrimm]

Yes, agree. The Yamaha Crosstown lightweight hat stand on the other hand is outstanding. Simple, light and strong. @@MsLiboma

[@MickH74]

Love my hardware

[@stubrowndrums]

I just picked up the full set of Tama Classic Hardware (minus the bass pedal) and am really and impressed. I was previously using Gibraltar flat based stands but these are very significantly lighter. I can fit the full set of hardware as well as my floor tom legs, rack tom mount and throne in the supplied carrying bag and easily pick it up with one hand or throw it over my shoulder. It's absolutely perfect for jazz gigs, easily load ins and reducing space and weight when travelling. In situations where I want to mount additional percussion, cymbals or drums from a cymbal stand I would probably use a heavier stand but otherwise these are perfect (and the lightweight hardware does really seem to allow the cymbals to sing more and vibrate and react in a different way than they do on a heavier stand).

[@FanaticDrummer]

People always say there is no “best” drum company. But they are wrong. Tama is. They lead in everything, from quality, hardware, price, finishes and unique sets. Now what I want to see is the ultimate professional drum throne. Back rest, biker seat, solid locking mechanism because every throne always swivels or wobbles after a while and doesnt really fit snug on the post. If they can develop the ultimate throne to end all thrones with a new mounting approach with controlled swivel but sturdiness and awesome stitching options, like my Phoenix first chair, they will have mastered it all!

[@BenniTalent94]

On Point! #tama #strongestnameindrums The Claim is real! ;)

[@OverGiraffe-zl1qs]

I disagree. The starclassic tom mounts are heavy, obtrusive, and clunky. The L rod tom holder is popular, but not even half as effective as Yamaha's Ball mount with straight hex rod. Worse than that, the double tom holder bass drum tube from most lines is NOT 7/8" diameter! The thrones are acceptable, but not as good as roc n' soc. The one thing they do best is the Iron Cobra double pedal. I'm surprised you didn't mention that.

[@GUIDESPERSPECTIVE]

Why the adjustable height on the kick pedal? I get what Peter said to change the height of the beater for different size kicks. But that changes the pedal board angle as well? That seems weird. Whats wrong with the traditional method of just raising the beater a bit. I get that it does create different swing weight when beater is raised or lowered, but that seems like a better compromise than changing the angle of the foot board. Am I missing something?

[@crunngren1930]

i was debating between this or the yamaha cross town set up which is made of aluminum. when peter was talking about the difference of sound between these stands and bigger stands that got me thinking about aluminum vs. steel and steel is definetly a "warmer" metal for example you wouldn't drum on a peice of aluminum because it usually doesnt have much of a nice sound to it but you would drum on a random peice of steel. just something i thought of

[@ZackMester]

Ludwig Supraphonics are aluminum

[@rhythmista7707]

If i had a couple of complaints about these new stands, it's with the hi hat and snare stands for the following reasons.The hi hat stand would've been perfect for the gigging, club, pub, coffee house drummer, were it not for it being flat based. You cannot elevate the base to a triangular position, but only on the flat position. Yes, the knurled spot on the bottom of the pipe gives you a small bit of lee way to elevate it slightly upward, but it's not enough. As for the snare stand, i'm not crazy about the vintage sliding arm basket. Tama could've easily achieved a standard, light weight, modern basket design with same type of basket arms, but they instead went with that super vintage look, which is fine i guess, but certainly not for everyone. The pedal looks amazing, and has clever features with modern stability. The cymbal stands are great as well, and have the same sturdy concept, with the vintage look and ultra light weight. However, i don't think they are lighter than DW's Ultra Light weight 6700 series stands, which i can literally easily hold with my pinky finger, thanks to the aluminum base. With that said, Tama hit it on the nose with their classic pedal and cymbals stands, but almost had it with the snare and hi hat stands. The hi hat stand should've had the same base as the snare stand, and the snare stand should've had a modern, lightweight basket. But i do give Tama a thumbs up for the clever features the pedal and hi-hat stand have.

[@toothnail605]

TAMA WHO?!! Oh okay, you guys make me my stands the way I say, and I'll play your drums... ...Worked out well for both parties. Great stands for sure, pretty much identical to the late 60's early 70's but a lil mO stronger. Peace

[@bbfoto7248]

Does anybody that is reading the comments own the HP50 Pedal? Is it quiet? No squeaks or other noises? I need a good, but quiet pedal for recording. Can you tell what type of bearing(s) it has? What do you love about it compared to the other pedals you have used? THANKS! - B.B.

[@1989scv]

I bought the snare stand, hi hat, and bass pedal. I left kind of a review above. The bass pedal has no bearing in the hinge, but makes absolutely no unpleasant noises-very quiet and VERY adjustable. But again, no bearing in the hinge. You should have no problems in the studio.

[@bbfoto7248]

+Craig Hansen Craig, THANKS for the reply! Greatly appreciated. I'll give it a shot. I'm also interested in the newly released Rogers Dyno-Matic pedal with similar features, though it's twice as expensive. Regarding the Tama Classic Snare Stand, do you know if the center basket arm will slide & adjust short enough to accommodate a 12" Diameter Snare drum? One of my kits is the Sakae PAC-D and it has a 12" snare. Thanks again! 👍

[@bbfoto7248]

+Craig Hansen Forgot to ask what you're using for cymbal stands??? I'm also interested in trying the BD beater that Peter Erskine is using now...the Vic Firth #VKB5 VicKick Bass Drum Beater w/ Wood Shaft. The weight is distributed more evenly & lower on the beater shaft...I'm interested to see if that makes as much difference as they say. It's supposed to make the pedal action more linear and easier to control lighter playing as well as dynamic playing. We'll see?!

[@1989scv]

As far as cymbal stands go, I'm using 1 Gibraltar flat base, and 1 older Pearl 800 single braced. My ride is flanked off my bass drum from the bb3 mount on the drum itself. If my stands were any heavier, I would be trying the Tama classic stands as well. I was in fact using the new vic firth PE beater on my Iron cobra, but when I received the classic pedal, the feel was so good, I didn't bother putting the PE on it! The classic has a smaller, conically shaped felt beater-very different from anything I've seen.

[@1989scv]

I'll check tonight and see if a 12" will fit on the stand.

[@tmaddrummer]

Even this Sonor Guy digs this!

[@BHBdrummer]

I have all the respect in the world for the opinions of a player like Mr. Erskine, but why do they make their players get almost mystical in the advantages they claim these new products give them? Isn't it enough to say that the new hardware looks more retro, it's lighter to carry around and it's still more than sturdy enough. Isn't that enough? No, your playing will improve; your sound will improve; your paradiddles will be faster; your dog won't chew up the furniture and your mom's apple pie will taste better. Come on, Tama. Just keep it simple. Drummers are simple people :)

[@krusher74]

yeah, it was a bit snake oil salesman bullshit. I wonder why he left DW so fast.

[@webstercat]

He is paid to do that. Marketing… Remember he said the same thing about Yahama & DW when he endorsed them.

[@ZackMester]

I think he was mostly pointing out that the lighter hardware is more similar to the old hardware jazzers used back in the old times, hence “Classic” hardware. The lighter hardware will cause the drums and cymbals to have a tone more akin to the classic/vintage drum sound.

[@ctrader6]

I so disagree with you, sir. I got two Tama cymbal stands (HC52F). Small and lightweight; these are perfect for a toy drum set. BUT, the real reason I got these stands was to use the the top 9mm diameter rod to create a Louie Bellson China/Crash cymbal setup.---works perfectly for that!

[@MrDavidFitzgerald]

I have played this set for 3 years and my conclusions are: 1) The cymbal stands are great. Plenty strong enough for my jazz playing. 2) The snare stand is fine. It doesn't go quite as tall as I like. If you're over 6ft, you might consider buying the tom stand to replace it. Also, you need to break it on half to fit it in the bag, which is fine but just so you know. 3) The hi hat stand is not great. I use a speed cobra normally and (unsurprisingly) it's way more responsive and consistent. I never use the classic stand anymore I just take my speed cobra. Erskine is chatting s**t here about it being some amazing jazz hi hat stand that made him want to explore hi hat again. It's a cheap, pretty rubbish hi hat stand which is very light, the only reason to use it. 4) The overall size and weight of the set is ridiculous. It's so small you can't believe it when you first get it. It's a total game changer for convenience imo. 5) The included bag is good and strong. Despite being small, I can actually fit my speed cobra into it alongside the other hardware, which is remarkable really considering that it's a beast. So you can definitely add a couple of cymbal stands or a tom stand to this kit and will use the bag. I can actually fit my sonor perfect balance bass pedal in as well which is cool.

[@OverGiraffe-zl1qs]

The way he spouts such awful advertising bullshit with a straight face is disturbing.

[@webstercat]

Peter always feels at home behind kit.

[@webstercat]

Hardware makes him feel at home? Peter is world class drummer, historic figure in drumming, master of his craft but it’s just hardware.

[@OverGiraffe-zl1qs]

The way he spouts such awful marketing bullshit with a straight face is disturbing.

[@HaloAdmiral]

I think he means the nostalgia factor? But I’m only guessing.

[@miguels008]

less weight is equal to less stability?

[@hoonbirdpersonpilot5356]

Miguel yes it is, its not for hard rock or thrash metal.

[@acarlovonsexron1994]

Not true, there are a couple of hard rock drummers I can think of out there using the classic cymbal stands. Leave the heavy duty hardware for the drummers with roadies, I say. They are great for what they are, but in most cases it's just overkill.

[@robertkees6048]

For years I thought he was a stick.

[@MsLiboma]

Bought the hi hat stand ….rubbish ¡ Wobbles when i hit it with a brush I’m not the hardest player

[@EarthtonesCymbals]

Great drummer. Not interested in the hardware though. I'm secure in that department.