Although they feature one of the most popular and traditional drum shell materials, STAR Maple drums have some very unique hidden features that set them apart from the rest. The ultra-thin 5 ply, 5mm shells are comprised of a 2mm thick solid wood core ply, sandwiched between 1.5mm thick cross-laminated plies on both sides.
Traditional Maple shells generally sound bright and open. Our STAR Maple shells share those characteristics, but also add rich dynamics, body, and warmth, by utilizing a solid ply core. The concept is similar to other solid shell drums, but our unique shell construction allows the shells to be very thin by comparison. This groundbreaking design gives STAR Maples shells the bright, open tone one expects from Maple, as well as the rich sound character of solid shell drums, resulting in a truly one-of-a-kind, outstanding combination.
STAR snare drums employ a different snare bed than TAMA's traditional shape. The goal was to create snare drums that have the same rich resonance as the rest of the STAR drums, but that are also very crisp and articulate. To achieve this, STAR snare drums have a flat bottom that provides even and consistent contact with each snare coil.
Air Hole
STAR snare drums have 3 air holes around the shell, instead of just 1 like on the tom toms, floor toms, and bass drums. These extra air holes lend a brighter, dryer sound to the snare drums and results in even projection in all directions.
Super Sensitive Hi-Carbon Snare Wire
The Super Sensitive Hi-Carbon snappy snare features a specialized plate and winding pattern for the wire coils, and is made of hi-carbon steel. This results in a very crisp, sensitive snare sound on all STAR snare drums.
"Linear-Drive" Strainer (US. PAT.NO.8017846) (MLS50A)
The "Linear-Drive" strainer is designed for greater control of the lever adjustment arm and more precise control of the strainer's deployment motion. The strainer movement works in a true linear motion. Even if the strainer is engaged rapidly, you will not hear the typical "slap" of the snare wires hitting the bottom drumhead.
To prevent the snare wires from loosening, this strainer also has a ratchet system on its tension adjustment mechanism. Single click adjustments offer a vertical pull of 0.083mm in wire motion, which allows for ultra-sensitive micro adjustments.
Newly Designed One-Piece Lug
STAR snare drum lugs were designed with a clean look and bridge construction for minimum shell contact. They are just one piece to reduce the overall weight of the drum. In addition, both 13" and 14" diameter snare drums have just 8 lugs, instead of 10. This reduces the weight of the snare drum even further and offers in a more open, resonant tone.