Tama HL70M14W Snare Stand

Find out what the Air-Ride can do for the sound of your snare.

Overall User Ratings (based on 7 ratings)
  • Overall:
    4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Sound:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Features:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Quality:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Value:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Manufacturer Support:
    5 out of 5 stars
  • The Wow Factor:
    5 out of 5 stars
Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
(7) (see rating details)
Submitted November 23, 2004 by a customer from earthlink..net

"Tama proves once again that they're the Legend in Innovation"

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
This review has been selected by our experts as particularly helpful.
There is no other similar product to this one on the market. So no alternatives. But no doubt companies like DW, Pearl and Sonor will rush in to make a similar one. We'll have to wait until the next NAMM show to see what's up.
Sound
It doesn't make sound, but it makes your snare drum more resonant, and provides a bit of rebound on your rim-shots. This can be a good or bad thing, depending on your hand-position and your playing style.
Features
The most useful feature is that you can use the omni-ball to get the snare angled to exactly the perfect angle based on your left hand, and it's relation to the snare surface. Observe that some drummers tilt their snare all the way to the right, forcing them to raise their left hand or play traditional grip. That's your choice, but note that with a standard snare stand, you must turn the ratchet arm that is holding the snare basket until the 180 degree angle created by the ratchet itself aligns with the direction you want to tilt your snare basket. This is unnecessary with this snare stand. Additionally, you can also rotate the snare at around based on where it mounts to the L-shaped arm. This can be useful in getting it out of the way of your legs. You're not forced into any position with this snare stand. It's totally up to your playing angle and style!
Quality
This is really a high-quality product. The snare base alone is double braced and made of quality Tama parts, and solid rubber feet that you can rely on. I can only complain about the small footprint of the tripod. I wish it were larger, but the smallness is good because it doesn't interfere with your pedals, especially if you use a double bass setup. The Omni-ball reciever portion is very solid, and probably the best that Tama ever made (note that Tama invented the Omni-ball--or was it Sonor?). The L-arm is crazy. It's a solid chunk of steel that's been chrome plated. You can seriously use this as a weapon (but don't). And as for the Starcast mount, that's a subject for a different review (I love it, for the most part).
Value
Compare the price and availability of Tama parts to any other drum company, and the value is readily apparent.
Manufacturer Support
Can't comment about this. Drum parts are so self-evident and self-explanatory in the acoustic level that I've never needed any support of any kind. Tama parts are so well-made you will never need to return them to the factory for any reason. Simple as that.
The Wow Factor
Totally sexy. We're living in a world of freely resonating drums, and minimum shell to hardware contact. This takes the concept of minimum contact and applies it to the snare drum, for the first time in mass-produced drum hardware history. That's why Tama is the 'Legend in Innovation'.

Musical Background:

Army bandsman, amateur musician for 10+ years

Musical Style:

Rock, concert
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