MusicRadar

Bubinga is said to be around 50 percent denser than either maple or birch

View in gallery

• Related News
• Review

Tama tried something different in 2006 with its Warlord collection snares, obviously appealing to the goth/ Warhammer fantasists out there. So the shock of seeing this complete Warlord bubinga shell kit is somewhat diluted. It’s still a fearsomely majestic sight, though.

Tama was one of the earliest companies to use bubinga, otherwise known as African rosewood, back in 2003. It’s still an exotic timber, but has caught on with several companies including Peace, Dixon and ddrum. Tama has a tradition of releasing a limited edition Exotix kit each year, and 2007’s was this Warlord kit, inspired by the 2006 Masai Warlord snare.

Build

The kit is essentially a Starclassic Bubinga which has been armed with Warlord lugs, Swarovski crystals and Exotix finish. As with previous Exotix special editions, it is only available as a fixed seven-piece kit.

Four Warlord snares were premiered in 2006 – two in wood (bubinga and maple) and two in metal. Our Warlord kit is based on the bubinga Masai Warlord snare, which is included in the package. Each shell is 100 percent bubinga ply with an outer veneer of quilted bubinga.

The finish is called African Twilight, a high-gloss lacquer which has a dark chocolate middle fading to light brown with the swirling grain of the quilted bubinga top and bottom of each shell. The character of the rosewood leaves a slightly rougher nap on the inside of the shells than, say, maple. Examining each shell for neat, angled joins and perfect roundness is a pleasure, since everything looks spot on.

There are three mounted toms (8"x7", 10"x8" and 12"x9") plus two floor toms (14"x12", 16"x14"), all with 7mm/nine-ply shells. The 22"x18" bass drum is a little thicker, with an 8mm/nine-ply shell. And the Masai snare is 14"x6" with an even thicker 10mm/12-ply shell. Each drum has a paper plate inside, bearing a serial number and signed by the individual handicraftsman.

On the edge

Bearing edges are nice and sharp, cut at 45 degrees inside and out and landing on the second or third ply, about one quarter of the way into the shell. The edge finish is silky – not quite as amazingly shiny as the Pearl Masters MCX, but just as functional. The show-stopping Warlord lugs are thick tubes ornamented at both ends with gothicstyle squared fixing posts. Each drum also has a large star-shape badge in similar style. Both lugs and badges have small, jet black Swarovski crystals inserted centrally.