Tama Drums, Acoustic Drum Sets, Thrones, Pedals & Accessories

Tama drums history

Hoshino Gakki is a Japanese manufacturer of musical instruments and is known as the parent company for Tama Drums. They began manufacturing drums in 1961 under the name “Star Drums” at Hoshino's subsidiary, Tama Seisakusho. The Imperial Star and Royal Star were introduced to the North American market as two higher quality but affordable options for drummers.

By 1974, the company decided to make a concerted effort to make high-quality drums and hardware and start marketing its drum sets under the Tama brand. Tama was the name of the wife of the owner and is also a homophone with the Japanese word meaning “jewel”. The word star continues to be used in the names of Tama's drum models to this day.

Tama was one of the first drum companies to offer super heavy-duty hardware and drum mounting systems that did not intrude into the shell. They also invented unique tubular drums called Octobans. These tubular drums are six inches in diameter and are manufactured in eight different lengths of up to 23.5 inches. They vary in pitch by using different shell lengths, rather than widths. Various accomplished drummers like Mike Portnoy, Lars Ulrich, Simon Phillips, and Matt Garstka trust and rely on Tama and have incorporated them into their own setups. With so many trusting their drum kits, customers can rest assured that the company’s hard work and dedication throughout the years have influenced their quality in drums & percussion manufacturing. For nearly 50 years, Tama Drums have achieved a remarkable reputation thanks to their promise to deliver uncompromising value.