This Starclassic Walnut/Birch 4-pc set simply put is amazing. The resonance on each drum is inspiring and will make it hard to not play just a few moments longer. I used to have gel mutes on my drums but just don't feel the need to put it on this kit, the sounds these toms produce are warm and dreamy. The kick drum is massive and almost takes your breath away. The craftsmanship is second to none and you couldn't expect anything more. I haven't tried Tama's Star kit, but honestly don't know how they could top this quality. This kit is worth every penny and more. You won't regret it.

This is without question the best drum kit I've ever owned, and I've had several kits in a more expensive price range. The tuning range is ridiculously broad and no matter where you tune them the feel of the toms doesn't suffer. If I had known how massive that kick drum would sound I would probably have gone with a 20". Seriously love this drum set and already recorded with it. You could almost get away with little or no EQ, it is like they are ready to do the job whether live or in a studio setting. The only reason I knocked off a half of a star was because of the mounting system. I know that I'm in the minority on this, but hear me out. I bought this kit over a Pearl Session Studio Select because of the presumed upgrade in the mounting hardware. The memory lock system is indeed incredible and makes breaking down and setting up so much easier and it is solid as can be. Unfortunately for me, the bass drum mount, in spite of how flexible the positioning is, gets in its own way far too much. Too many wing nuts and too much hardware making the sided to side and front to back movement of the toms very flexible, but you literally have only a few inches in height that you can adjust to, otherwise the hardware from the tom and the mount clash with one another and make it impossible to tighten/loosen the wing nuts. I sit up higher than most and like my toms pretty low but because of the 22" bass drum I was forced to position the second rack tom far too high for my liking and this almost forced me to send the kit back for a 20" bass drum instead. I ended up mounting the 12" on a cymbal stand in more of a floor tom position, 1 up 2 down sort of configuration and honestly I love this setup so I am overall pretty pleased. All of that initial setup hassle was quickly and easily put to rest when I played these drums for the first time. The stock reso heads are nothing to be excited about but the kit still sounds incredible and I look forward to wearing them out quickly. Can't wait to hear how coated emporers over clear ambassadors sound on this set. Anyway, I highly recommend them. They are as good if not better than the hype. Thanks to Wayne at Sweetwater for being there when I was trying to figure all this out. Always a great resource.

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