[slyonn]

Hi,

I'm planning to buy a drum set and until recently i was planning to go for the Tama Superstar Hyper-Drive, mostly for the short depth of the toms. I figured that this will help me position my toms lower than usual, which would be really nice for me since i'm barely 5"2 and have trouble reaching. I was in a store the other day and the sales guy was telling me to go for the Pearl VBX instead because of the sound quality difference. That and the prices for both sets with hardware included are almost the same.

I used to play mostly hardcore with double pedals and stuff, but recently i joined a band with a lighter, more punk/pop/ska feel, just to give any of you who're planning to answer an idea. i still would like to play hardcore if i get the chance to though.

What i want is to hear your opinions about these sets, and what you think about how i should decide - the sound quality or the comfort or maybe a totally different thing? i do know these can vary with diff tuning and set-ups, but maybe you could give me more insight about these things and/or other matters.

Thanks in advance for your help!

[Infero Exicution]

hey slyonn,
well, these companies always seem to come up on the forum. And like you I am 5' 2''.
I own a Pearl VSX, which is very similar to the VBX, but the VBX is 100% birch while the VSX is Birch and basswood. The basswood is for deeper tones in the floor toms. which is ideal for metal. Birch is more mellow sounding. Tama's Hyper-drive's toms have less depth, for enhanced feel or response..... I can't really remember. It is made of solid basswood, like I said for deeper tones. There are different versions, like an all birch superstar. which one specifically are you looking at? Both sets have toms that don't have the mount going through the drum, for increased resonance. Pearl comes with oil coated heads. So when the oil fades away on the toms, you know when you replace them. Just a cool feature. The sets feature similar ply counts, but the pearl has 8 plies on the bass drum and floor tom. Making a warmer tone and giving a more BOOM sound. Also the Pearl comes with a steel snare. The Tama comes with a wood. Wood and steels difference is all in personal preference. You should see how each sounds to your own ears.

So, try out each set, look on youtube, and see what you prefer. The sets are similar, but once you take a look/listen, you'll know what to get.
Good Luck with your Journey. Welcome to the forum by the way.

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