Peter Erskine on TAMA STAR Drums

Peter Erskine talks further about his switch to TAMA and STAR drums.

[@danlc95]

No matter what Mr. Erskine plays, he sounds phenomenal.

[@JereBruceO]

I absolutely love how bubinga sounds in a jazz situation. Dark, ringy, open, yet controlled and dynamic. I'm in love!

[@austing.8870]

I tune my SC Bubinga's fairly high and they open up and sing like no other. These Star drums are something else though. I may put some single ply heads on them to get them to get even more pure tone out them

[@martinkent_]

And because its so dense it's also super sensitive and articulate

[@dinospumoni5611]

Yeah I love bubinga's sound, I personally prefer the mix with birch (B/B) though, it balances the sound nicely with all the benefits of each. It's a really special combo, to me it almost sounds like a better version of maple with a few other tonal qualities. But who knows, could be placebo on my part, can't guarantee I'd be able to identify it in a blind listening test.

[@juliejenkins799]

After hearing both DW and TAMA...for sound hands down...it is TAMA. Now I understand why Peter made the move to TAMA. Crisp, clear sound. Enjoyed.

[@stevenfederico2594]

No its not. 😊

[@roybeckerman9253]

These sound better than the DW he was promoting previously.

[@AquaAnim]

wish i could afford one, beautiful drums Tama, and amazing playing Peter

[@eriksmithdrummer]

Beautiful playing and beautiful sounding drums!

[@michaelgreen5206]

Own Tama Starclassic maple shell drums and these babies will be with me for life. Not only do Tama drums sound great but the hardware is built like a tank. Thanks Hoshino Gakki Company.

[@glengamble526]

This kit sounds incredible...and what a drummer!

[@adam872]

Love the sound of that snare.

[@boblob2003]

I can see why he made the move. I still have my original cordia Artstars from 30+ years ago. VERY flexible drums! I've played metal, fusion, jazz trio stuff. Tune them down with thick heads and you get a Gadd-type sound, but with more dynamic range than Yamaha Recording Customs. Tune them up with thin heads and you can get a nice, resonant singing tone like in this video. They look dated but they kick ass. Great recording drums. FWIW, You can find them on Ebay for a song.

[@larrytate1657]

Wow didn't see this coming. But I agree with the move, DW while they make the most gorgeous drums are not the best sounding drums.

[@stevenfederico2594]

Yes they are😊

[@robsonleitee]

perfeito !! parabéns a tama que som!!

[@keithwald5349]

He is really able to swing successfully!

[@tmaddrummer]

Blessings!!!

[@W4RD1N8ER]

Tama or Ludwig for me I am caught between the two manufacturers both have great methods and care put into the creation of their drums and the sounds of the two are fabulous I am in love with the stardrum Bubinga wild ocean blue colour would be my dream set if I go with Tama.

[@JoeNocella]

From what I've heard over the years, any well made drum will sound good. Not sure about grains of wood going vertically or horizontally, 1000 year old wood, etc.. but if the shell is quality wood and perfectly round, it will sound fine.

[@mrdugsmif]

While I agree that drum manufacturers, like most businesses, often overstate the importance of the minutiae that make up their products , those variances do contribute something to the overall sound. Changing any one element may or may not make a noticeable difference, but there has to be a reason beyond marketing that drums are made in so many different ways.

[@MikeHoltackers]

Akk those details do matter... jsut not when you have more glue than wood in your shell :D

[@glengamble526]

This is a basic truth.

[@glengamble526]

Much lie, cars, you pay for options. Coms,Eric, mostly in the case of drums. But as you say, a good ‘engine’ (aka wood) is the same all over-and all you really need.

[@thomaswaller7966]

Amazing playing! Gadd like lick at 2:35

[@FanaticDrummer]

I normally the pingy jazz drum sound but these are tuned crisp and lovely. Bubinga is seriously perfect in the hand of Tama. The Japanese know wood work best after all.

[@jela1277]

that snare sound!

[@Jasopaul]

I wanna hear more from that session with Bob Shepard! Please release more of that tama.

[@PeterErskine_FuzzyMusic]

+Jason Paul 1423 new album coming up recorded in that same studio with those same drums (last May) ... Dr. Um will be the title, release date in late November. Post-bop and funk/fusion! A return to my roots. And the drums sound better than ever. I'm a happy man. And Shep is playing his you-know-what off.

[@Jasopaul]

+Peter Erskine Thanks for the heads up man! I will be checking that out for sure. The drums sound great! Nice and warm.

[@johnjamesmclaughlin]

I love my starclassic I will own a set of these before I die

[@MrRicholive]

starclassic's I would love to have, I don't think they are made in Japan any longer....wonder if the new starclassic is still an awesome drum

[@austing.8870]

I have a set of the new SC Bubingas made in China, and I will tell you firsthand they sound just as good as the old ones. The Maple's sound better than they used to I think

[@FozzlesDrumz]

Holy high tuning batman!

[@drumtravelfun]

FozzlesDrumz Holy beatiful tuning batman!

[@drumtravelfun]

FozzlesDrumz Holy beatiful tuning batman!

[@tommo3378]

😂

[@gianlucadepertis9420]

May I know measures and wood (bubinga?) of this wonderful drums?

[@jimmypaxson1434]

Hey... Is that Aaron Serfaty in there w/Peter ?

[@theethanatorem]

What's that main ride? 22" Kerope Prototype?

[@percusski]

pause at 3:19 whats the black pad attached to the snare Erskine holding?

[@drummaman1]

It's a pad to keep the hardware from the snare to scratch the finish on the tom set up in front of it. Standard stuff.

[@1111Paiste]

Good bye....DW? Is he switching to Paiste now (which I like by the way)?

[@dsncrlcarlo]

Love Piter, Love Tama😍❤️

[@gotammit]

What is that sound at 1:43 when he says "oh yeah"?

[@phasor50]

his necklace hitting the clip-on mic

[@shaunchesley7530]

yes

[@charlesfranklin3533]

Peter is now playing DW Drums. I wonder why he didn't stay Longer with Tama Drums. I Love the Sound of Tama Starclassic Drums.

[@n-dog9325]

He still plays Star drums. He says so on his website, unless that hasn't been updated yet.

[@Lavo68]

One of my fave drummers. He sounds better on the DW imo, but he is making it easy to compare apples to apples.

[@ohrid59mk76]

no f.......ng way my friend ! DW wil never ever sounds so good as those bubinga Tama Star drums !

[@Lavo68]

It's subjective, but I ask you what's the standard in every rec studio across the globe? DW maple :D

[@ohrid59mk76]

DW standard in every rec.studio ? I dont think so ! you can make a good recording with all high-end drums from Tama , Yamaha,Pearl,Sonor,Mapex,Ludwig,DW .... ! if we talk about some standard drums in the studio than that wil be Yamaha Recording Custom !

[@Lavo68]

Play what inspires you for sure, and those tama bubingas are really cool sounding.. dark and interesting overtones!

[@caryd67]

My drums are 50 years old. Wouldn't trade them for a million bucks. Well, maybe I would... But I sure wouldn't trade them for *any* new set. Nothing sounds like 50 years aged wood, and 30* bearing edges.

[@mschmitz57]

Yellow?

[@larrytate1657]

Which ones are theeessssee? The maple walnut or bubinga??

[@larrytate1657]

Leaves out most important thing for customers.

[@kywindage1371]

Bubinga

[@FanaticDrummer]

These are Bubinga. I can hear the qualities of it but for others who cant, its on their website lol.

[@larrytate1657]

So are the walnut and maple.

[@Awaken2now]

Crazy expensive though...

[@ohrid59mk76]

I dont agree . in Europe 5 piece bubinga Star kit kost 4500 € , maple 4300 € ! DW Collector ( finish ply ) is about the same price and ith exotic finish between 6 - 10 000 € ! STAR drums from TAMA , maple and bubinga are really better build and sounding drums than DW Collectors in my opinion.

[@donovanjones4175]

Must b nice to have that extra flo, tell me where you live so I can borrow them.

[@sephrothguy]

Tama are the best

[@sethcashman1011]

Is he playing Bubinga, Maple, or Walnut here?

[@drummaman1]

It's a Bubinga kit.

[@sethcashman1011]

drummaman1 okay, thanks. It sounds incredible!

[@jeffreyalexander7504]

I don't think these sound better for jazz than Gretsch USA's...odd because the DW jazz series sound just like the Gretsch USA's. These drums sound more wet and more open...similar to Cravioto's maple drums. There's just something special about that punchy dry sound that comes from Gretsch USA's...the Broadcasters by Gretsch seem to go in the opposite direction, more like the old Slingerlands from the 50's. These are nice, Craviotto's are nice, Broadcasters are nice...but, there's only one Gretsch sound, and it's stood the test of time for almost 75 years. The thin 6 ply maple/gum wood shell with the diecast hoops...I'll never get over my love for that great Gretsch sound! Peter is a nice player, I just think he fucked up a bit here.

[@garyconner6151]

Neill Peart instructor.

[@seppoinnanen5577]

Vinnie Colaiuta should switch to Tama, too. He most probably hasn't endorsed this brand yet

[@abrahamagus]

Would you like to donate you DW Jazz please let me know hahahaha

[@mosilflutil10]

not quite the method acting masterclass vinne colauita throws down for gretsch, but "fountain of youth in a drum " comes close

[@ryanbates362]

hah

[@borgullet3376]

YODA......Harnessing and wielding, harnessing and wielding.

[@foundation922]

I find it funny when an artist changes his instrument brand its the best he/she has ever played. I've listened (like you) to many many drummers all pretty good in their own rite, no need to get caught up in the brand of instrument these people play. They change for a reason and the reason is $$$$$. Just like Joe Nocella stated.

[@HadEnough745]

Tama Star is not on most people's radar because they are insanely expensive - $1,000 per drum avg..yikes..Every drum manufacturer has that top of the line $5K-$10K kit and they all sound good. I'm not convinced you need to spend that kind of money to have a great sounding drum set.

[@stevenfederico2594]

Tama is extremely overrated over priced. Especially being overseas.

[@robertdevoy3119]

I can tune my Mapex Saturn kit to sound the same. No magic here..... a well made thin shell of quality wood, appropriate head choice, and careful tuning will yield the sound you want. After that....work on your chops.

[@GeoffBosco]

Can you please point me to recording of a Mapex kit that sounds anything like this? Because I have yet to hear a recording of a Mapex drum and thought, "Wow that sounds awesome!" I'm not saying it can't happen, it just hasn't happened to me.

[@robertdevoy3119]

Can't point you to a recording, but I know my Mapex Saturn kit can be tuned to sound very similar to this. I have quite a variety of heads that I swap out occasionally to alter the sound of my kit. In the past, I've been blown away by moderately priced kits that because of the right combination of heads and tuning sounded amazing. I wish I could remember his name, but several years ago I heard a drum tuning pro state that 90% of the sound from your drums comes from the heads and that shells aren't as critical as the drum companies would like us to believe. However, the drums shells must be of sufficient quality.

[@robertdevoy3119]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/injKqGVmds53gqc

[@thepassionketo1238]

I own a Saturn kit as well. It is such an amazing instrument; by far the most underrated kit out there!

[@musicalala]

Personally ,I think Tama has accomplished something extraordinary. Magic. I agree you can do almost anything with tuning but I have heard Star in person (friend has bop configuration and I'm friggin jealous 😂)and they resolve more detail than anything I have ever heard that is made out of plies. I have played DW Bop kit a friend owns too and they have less resonance. I can't argue that Mapex Saturn cannot match Star but I'd be really surprised. I think the bubinga has a huge effect on the sound quality of these Star drums. I am eyeballing prefab bubinga stave shells to build up myself as my end game kit but these Star drums I think are currently the mother of all ply wood shells. I still have to hear Sonor's best stuff tho.

[@gaboogablah]

Shells made in Japan, but you get corroded Chinese hardware. Might as well just get a Starclassic or a cheaper Chinese set.

[@Assimilator702]

You might have just had an unlucky experience with your drumset. I’ve heard your complaints in other comment sections. I have 14 brand new Tama snares that I am the sole owner of. I believe I’ve only seen one tiny spot on one lug of one drum. I also have several used Tama kits and snares and the condition of the hardware is usually an indicator of how well the kit was taken care of. Hardware needs to be wiped down often and maintained to keep corrosion at bay. If the lugs and hoops were made anywhere other than China the price would be 5X and all of the drums Starclassic and up would be unobtainable by the majority of drummers. Replacement parts would be prohibitively expensive.

[@gabrielhammersmokenmirrors3199]

No No I am not convinced, Tama jazz kit?? No not convinced.

[@acarlovonsexron1994]

Gabriel Hammer Elvin. Jones.

[@larrytate1657]

Those drums sound amazing. That's the raw sound basically too.

[@hermanmelville3871]

Lenny White and Billy Cobham as well.

[@MrRicholive]

Elvin played Tama.....

[@shaunchesley7530]

drums are drums in my opinion

[@BallsOfCheese95]

+Shaun Chesley you a drummer?

[@larrytate1657]

Nah, you can tell big difference in shitty beginner kits to high end kits.

[@larrytate1657]

I had a crappy pdp set and went to a top of the line Yamaha and was a world of a difference in sound. Idk if you mean all high end drums are drums or not but cheap drums to high end drums are different.

[@shaunchesley7530]

I am a drummer too. For the most part, they all sound the same. Ludwig, pearl, tama,etc

[@shaunchesley7530]

Its only different in some ways. When i use my drumdial tuner. The pitches all come about the same

[@FrankB2]

These cymbalstands are way too overengineered. Even Simon Philips doesn't like them and uses the Roadpro stands instead. I'm using mine for about twenty years now. The best cymbal stands I've ever had!

[@ajay9272]

Did he just say "...these drums swing?" Come on Peter, you know better. Drums don't swing. In fact they don't do anything but sit there and look pretty. On the other hand, some musicians do swing.

[@PeterErskine_FuzzyMusic]

Ajay Ajay I said these drums "sing" ...

[@ShittyMcPoopyBalls]

Peter Erskine Sorry Peter...1:45

[@ajay9272]

+Peter Erskine Peter, please listen to what you said. I would also encourage you to post again as everyone here is hoping for integrity from you.

[@PeterErskine_FuzzyMusic]

I believe that I said that "these drums sing..." But if I said that they swing, then that's what I was feeling at the moment. Many months later, still as happy and excited as ever to play Tama STAR drums. Thanks for watching. Integrity check okay here... cheers & all best. PE

[@PeterErskine_FuzzyMusic]

+Peter Erskine oh yeah, I did say "these drums swing" ... it was in the context of my having regarded Tama drums as only a "rock" drum brand, etc. Off the cuff statement made during a 30 minute video take. I'll stand by that statement. If nothing else, they do swing when I'm playing them, so ... there! :-)

[@timurteyibov2196]

Нахуя держать палки традиционным способом, если барабаны стоят ровно???

[@MikeNorth0101]

That has to to be the worst colour for a kit ever. I should know I had a CBS Arbiter auto-tune kit in yellow back in the early 80's! hahaha Yuck!

[@thebarak]

I remember going to a drum clinic for the Arbiter auto-tunes. They looked odd, but I was very impressed with the technology.

[@ohrid59mk76]

Tony Williams colour !

[@marhb99]

I kinda like it though. It's an interesting colour for sure, it's got a serious amount of pop. Maybe that's why I like it: the pop.

[@RobertSmith-sq1wg]

not as great as peter criss...of Kiss fame...but close

[@mikehawk9461]

Tama kits look way better too, dw drums have such a boring look for how expensive they are, overrated

[@stevenfederico2594]

I 😂p

[@andrewyka]

P E!!! Great drummer masters drummers study with him Worth class Neil Peart RUSH !!! His Tama sands like Old Component Bubinga LUDWIG only Custom Made in USA!!!

[@jannevaatainen]

Yes, Tama was known for making sturdy rock kits, but today, they make just thin and shallow jazz kits...Go figure.

[@handidrummed]

....false

[@vanomaden]

that bass drum is a joke ...

[@drummaman1]

You don't play jazz, do you?

[@stevenfederico2594]

These Tama drums are a cheap rip off of gretsch And cheap is wrong word because they are ridiculously overpriced. I thought high-end kits were expensive, but this is next level stupid.

[@ShawnxEdge]

DW traitor

[@MultiSkyman1]

*****News Flash***** We have just received word that DW has launched a preemptive strike on the Tama factory. Sources also state that Pearl may join forces with Tama and send troops against the DW HQ. Rumors are also swirling that Yamaha may also supply Tama with explosive drum technology to counter DW's timber matching techniques!

[@drummaman1]

That's a little much. Traitor for liking a different brand? It's just more DW drums for you, is how I see it. He's playing better than ever, he sounded "depressed" when he was with DW. The tape don't lie, watch/listen for yourself how miserable he sounded playing DW.

[@rdrake316]

That's what I said when Grohl left Tama for the iPhone of drums.

[@RimshotsandNamaste]

I'm kinda fed up with that "hand made" hype. ALL DRUMS are hand made!!! ..cheap drums are made by robots?! Okay. Not that I want to say anything negative about those drums: they are great! Nothing to complain about! .. It's just the details sometimes..