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TAMA SUPERSTAR HYPERDRIVE
Table Of Contents
Overall Rating
"TAMA Superstar Hyperdrive, a Professional Look and Sound on a Budget"
Overview
The Tama Superstar Hyperdrive Series stands out in Tama’s lineup as an excellent choice for drummers seeking a mid-range drum kit. Despite its affordable price point, this series impresses with its exceptional quality, expert craftsmanship, and outstanding sound.
One notable feature of this series is its signature shallow rack toms, which have much acclaim from drummers looking for a blend of punchy and full-bodied tones. Drummers who want their rack toms lower in their setup appreciate the option to easily adjust them to their preferred playing position.
The Superstar Hyperdrive Series not only excels in performance but also in aesthetics and functionality. Tama’s legendary durable hardware accompanies this kit, ensuring it can withstand the test of time.
For those musicians wanting both a high-quality look and sound without committing to the premium Starclassic series or an exorbitant budget, the Tama Superstar Hyperdrive Series is the ideal choice.
Tama Superstar Hyperdrive
A Quick Rundown of Features:
- Beautiful Design and Finishes
- Punchy, Big Sound
- Tama’s Double Braced Hardware Included
- Cost Effective
- Versatile Setup Options
“I wanted more pop and punch in my sound and the TAMA Hyperdrive series was perfect for me. Although the sizes are slightly smaller they have an incredible punch and sound great in any live or studio situation”.
Anika Nilles
Features In Depth
The Tama Superstar Hyperdrive series presents a formidable array of drum configurations, catering to a range of sonic preferences. The standard kick drum size is 22″x18″ but a 20″-deep model is also available and they both promise to deliver earth-shaking low-end frequencies. Complementing this, the suspended rack toms, with diameters of 10″ and 12″ and depths of 61⁄2″ and 7″ respectively, offer crisp and biting tones in the higher frequency spectrum.
Adding to the tonal diversity, the floor toms, sized at 14″x12″ and 16″x14″, easily fill the mid to low tonal gaps. As already mentioned, the shallower depths of the suspended toms provide awesome setup flexibility, fixing the challenge many drummers face when trying to position their toms comfortably close to the bass drum.
Included in this impressive package is a 14″x51⁄2″ matching maple snare drum (which out of the box sounds fantastic), along with a set of robust and well-engineered double-braced hardware. This hardware ensemble comprises two boom cymbal stands, an Iron Cobra hi-hat stand, snare stand, tom mounting multi-clamps, and an Iron Cobra kick pedal.
In a significant evolution from the previous series, all drums in the Superstar Hyperdrive lineup, starting from 2008, are now crafted from 100 percent maple, enhancing their sonic capabilities. Another visual and functional upgrade comes in the form of Star-Cast suspension mounts, reminiscent of Tama’s Starclassic series. These nickel-plated die-cast mounts, unlike the bulky steel brackets of the previous Superstar sets, seamlessly follow the contours of the counter hoops, providing a sleek and high-end appearance.
The set’s aesthetics are further enhanced by a redesigned badge, contributing to the kit’s overall premium feel. Additionally, except for the bass drum featuring color-matched wooden hoops, the remaining drums come equipped with high-quality die-cast Star-Cast zinc counter hoops.
Tama offers an extensive selection of add-on drums, additional hardware, and a variety of finishes within the Superstar range, granting drummers the freedom to customize their setup to their heart’s content.
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Tama Superstar Hyperdrive Duo Series
We know the Superstar Hyperdrive series offers a versatile and universally appealing sound characterized by warm tones in the toms and bass drum. These unique tones are achieved through shallower shells compared to standard drums, creating a brightness that falls between deeper counterparts and birch-made drums.
The Superstar Hyper-Drive Duo series introduces innovative possibilities to the drumming world, with its key component being the 10″ x 14″ Duo Snare. This snare drum offers a rare 10″ depth and comes equipped with floor tom legs and brackets enabling it to function as a low/deep snare with snare wires engaged or as a 14″ floor tom with the snares off. This opens up countless unique phrasing opportunities for drummers.
Exploring this new idea will expand your creative horizons and provide a lot of enjoyment. Give it a try and experience the endless possibilities.
Key Features:
– 100% Maple Shells: 6-ply, 5mm for Toms and Snare, 8-ply, 7mm for Bass Drum
– Duo Snare with a unique 10″ depth and floor tom legs/brackets
– Hyper-Drive Toms with shorter depths for enhanced attack, punchy sound, and quick response
– Star-Cast Mounting System on rack toms for total tom isolation and unhindered shell resonance
– Black Nickel-plated shell hardware for a premium look
– Zinc die-cast hoops for easier tuning and powerful rim shots
– “Power Craft II” drum heads with ring mufflers on bass drum heads
– Upgraded cymbal stands with “quick-set” cymbal tilters for adjustable angles
– Claw hooks stabilize wood hoops on bass drums and protect the wood, maintaining tuning during extended performances
– Available in three attractive lacquer finishes: Satin Blue Vertical Stripe (SBV), Satin Silver Vertical Stripe (SSV), and Flat Black Vertical Stripe (FBV)
See TAMA artist Anika Nilles taking it through its paces below:
Pros and Cons of the TAMA SUPERSTAR HYPERDRIVE SERIES
PROS
- Price
- Sound/Tones
- Setup Options
- Functionality
- High Quality Look
- Double Braced Hardware
- Great Snare
- Transportability
CONS
- Hard to Get Low Rack Tom Tones
- Not Considered “High End”
Comparisons To Other TAMA Models
Stagestar, Rhythm Mate, Imperialstar, Superstar Classic, Starclassic and Star.
As everything before the Superstar Models are really dedicated to beginners, we will focus on comparing Superstar Classic, Starclassic and Star drum kits.
TAMA SUPERSTAR HYPERDRIVE Vs SUPERSTAR CLASSIC
(Pictured above)
HYPERDRIVE
- Upgraded Version of Superstar Classic
- Features Similar to Starclassic
- Shallower Rack Toms (Higher Punchy Pitch)
- No Kick Drum Tom Mount (Mounted From Cymbal Stands)
- Fewer Finish Options
- Black Nickel Hardware
- More Expensive
SUPERSTAR CLASSIC
- Deeper Rack Toms (Lower Tones)
- Cheaper
- Rack Toms Mounted From Kick
- More Finish Options
- Beginner Friendly
TAMA SUPERSTAR HYPERDRIVE Vs STARCLASSIC
HYPERDRIVE
- Features Similar to Starclassic
- Shallower Rack Toms (Higher Punchy Pitch)
- No Kick Drum Tom Mount (Same as Starclassic)
- Black Nickel Hardware
- Cheaper
- Limited Tone Options
STARCLASSIC
- Deeper Rack Toms (Lower Tones)
- More Expensive
- Made From Higher Quality Wood
- 3 Different Options Inside the Series
- Suited to the Pros
- Amazing Sound Quality
TAMA SUPERSTAR HYPERDRIVE Vs STAR
HYPERDRIVE
- Features Similar to Starclassic
- Shallower Rack Toms (Higher Punchy Pitch)
- No Kick Drum Tom Mount (Same as Star)
- Black Nickel Hardware
- Cheaper
- Limited Tone Options
STAR
- Flagship series
- Upgraded Stands/Hardware
- Deeper Rack Toms (Lower Tones)
- More Expensive
- Made From Higher Quality Wood
- 3 Different Wood Options Inside the Series
- Suited to the Pros
- Amazing Sound Quality
Summary
These kits feature 100% Maple Shells, providing a full, resonant character and the Hyper-Drive Toms with shorter depths offer enhanced attack and setup flexibility.
The Star-Cast Mounting System ensures tom isolation and shell resonance, while the Black Nickel Shell Hardware adds a touch of elegance. The robust Starclassic hardware is included along with an Iron Cobra Pedal.
TAMA’s Hyperdrive kits provide the high-end quality look and sound but at mid-range price. So if you are on budget but still want a really professional sounding drum kit, the Hyperdrive is for you.
Editors Note
Has the Hyperdrive series been discontinued?
The answer in short is yes.
Is it still worth looking into buying one?
Hell yes!!
We felt it was right to discuss this at the start of this review so as not to confuse our dear readers.
Although you won’t find the Hyperdrive Series in TAMAs catalogs, you will still find them in music stores and certainly online, both second hand and in some cases new.
These kits are great and the decision to discontinue them was a controversial one to say the least.
You will still find the Superstar Classic series, which are fine, but we will certainly miss the innovative and uniqueness of the Hyperdrive kits.
Therefore continue to read this review as we not only review the Hyperdrive, we also compare other kits which are still in production.
So read on to see if it is the right kit for you.
Q & A
A. Good question, always trying Amazon, Ebay and your local Music store but don’t look past craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. We have found crazy bargains on these types of websites, but as always buyer beware and be careful with non reputable dealers. Seek and Ye shall find!!!
Q. Is TAMA Hyperdrive good?
A. Absolutely! It is a high quality sounding kit at a low to mid range price. Read the above review to see if it is the drum kit for you.
Q. What sizes is the TAMA Hyperdrive?
A. Tama’s standard Superstar HyperDrive 5-piece drum kit comes with an 18″ x 22″ bass drum, 8″ x 10″ and 9″ x 12″ rack toms, a 14″ x 16″ floor tom, and a 6.5″ x 14″ snare drum.
Q. Where are TAMA Superstar Hyperdrive drums made?
A. They are made in Japan and China.
Q. Are TAMA drums good?
A. TAMA drums are one of the most popular drum kit brand, with many top level drummers preferring them over the competition. They have a wide variety of kits available, all with their own unique qualities, but all TAMA drums, hardware and accessories are extremely well made.
Q. Is Tama owned by Ibanez?
A. Tama and Ibanez are owned by the same company, yes.
Q. What is TAMA’s best drum set?
A. The best and highest quality Tama drum kit is the the STAR series. It is followed by the STARCLASSIC series.
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If there is something we have forgotten to mention, please contact us so we can continue to help and serve the wider drumming community.
