Tama: You recently got a chance to try out a set of the Starclassic Performer birch drums. How did they treat you?
Bill: The Peformers are up to Tama's usual superlative standard. I used them for about two weeks and all I can say is I loved the drums. I don't have a Performer kit back here in Europe. Eventually, I'll get one here, but right now I'm running around pretty fast. The Roadpro hardware that came with the Performer kit is terrific but I've said plenty about that already.
Tama: How did the Starclassic Performer's compare to your own Starclassic Maple drums?
Bill: I like them absolutely as much.
Tama: Granted it's very subjective, but some drummers contend that birch has more projection or that maple has more warmth…
Bill: (Laughs) "Projection?" "Warmth?" I mean those words…this is worse than wine tasting! "Projection?" I mean it's the drummer that projects the sound from the instrument, isn't it? You know, in a funny way, you're looking for the drums to be transparent—to actually do nothing apart from relaying you faithfully, without adding any unpleasant sounds and getting in the way—thickening the sound or making it small and weedy or anything else. You're just looking for the drum to sing out when you hit them and both the Starclassic maple and birch kits do that. They let me be me. They'll let you be whoever you want to be. In other words, they're perfectly usable by a heavy rock guy or a fine jazz guy. Whoever you want to be, you can be that.
Tama: Well, our birch kit is somewhat less expensive.
Bill: Oh, the birch is the cheaper set? Ah hah. Interesting. Surely the price has to be a huge consideration. You're almost asking, "Bill, do I get less drums for my money?" The answer is no, you don't get less drums for your money. You're getting a terrific drum set that's going to let you sound just like you.