Birch Snare

Tama Superstar Hyperdrive

If rock drumming is your kinda thing, you might be interested in the Tama Superstar Hyperdrive. It's been designed to give the volume and impact that today's rock drummers are looking for. Here'll see if it fits the bill in our mini-review.

First, let's take a look at the shells. They've been well put together and seem smooth with sharp edges. Tama have used basswood for the outer surfaces, probably to aid the finish going on. But, birch has been used for the inner shell layers and that's what influences the sound the most.

Speaking of sound, the Tama Superstar Hyperdrive is speedy, short, and powerful. Playing the toms is just super fun, they are shallower than most toms these days and that makes them really attacking. But, there isn't much depth or sustain to the sound, it's just a short, sharp burst of power.

The bass drum is totally different though. It's huge at 22"x20" and has a thunderous, deep sound. After messing around with the tuning for a while, I was able to get a much more focused note from it.

If only the Tama Superstar Hyperdrive snare could keep the ball rolling right? Well, i'm afraid it doesn't. The 13" snare packs some power but it's not got the same quality sound as the toms or bass drum. Rim shots are cool, but i'd prefer the snare to be less boxey overall.

So, is it a winner? Yeah! Even the snare drum is useable.

Here's a link to a full, indepth review - Tama Superstar Hyperdrive.

About the Author

Mark Brownlee has been playing drums for over 12 years and has a degree in popular music. He now writes about the world of drums and runs the website.

Birch Snare

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