TS
Tiger Talk Pro
Reged: Jan 25 2006
Posts: 364
Loc: Vermont
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A drum dealer in Portland, Maine were the only people who carried Tempus that had a 6.5x14" in stock, and in a color that I liked. BTW:The color is not a wrap. It's red glitter.
Oh Canada!
The shell is woven carbon fiber, made in Vancouver, B.C. Canada by Mr. Paul Mason at www.Tempusdrums.com The company used to be called "Milestone" and made fiberglass drums for artists like Jerry Mercer of April Wine. The snare drum came out to $369. This is less than my Ludwig classic maple. Yet it comes with a better throwoff than the Ludwig does. Sharp eyed custom snare folks will recognize the throwoff as a Dunnett. Ron "Son of Satriani" Dunnett supplies Tempus with various snare parts.I was surprised that the snare wasn’t lighter, for some reason I expected to be. Not to say that it’s hefty, but carbon fiber is light stuff. Mr. Mason outfitted this snare with an evans hazy 300 snare side and G1 coated batter. Probably the best choice possible!
II really like the feel:
I pulled it out of the box and played it first with the snares off. The tone was very clean, clear and well defined at all volumes. The snare was plenty of that hit-you-in-the-chest loud, but with no metallic nastiness. would characterize this snare as warm, but not quite as warm as my Pork Pie pig lite 6x14. but, IMO, it's more focused that the piggie. That's the nature of carbon fiber vs acrylic. It’s character is dry and controlled. Rim shots have a satisfyingly loud WHOCK! sound.
I engaged the snare, tensioned it up and magic happened. The snare feel alone was like a larger Yamaha Musashi oak. For anyone that owns that snare they can attest it is one of the most focused, and best feeling snares at any price.One is easily capable of coaxing delicate ghost notes or punishing metal, the response is fabulous and dead-even across the drum. The sound is as focused as you could ask for.
Did you read a mention of moongel or tape? This snare does not need it. I didn’t even fiddle with the tuning and the damn thing is just a terrific balance between warmth, dryness, control, feel and depth. I will say for the record, that I’d rather have this snare than any high end Craviatto. It doesn’t have the pretense of a $1,800 designer snare drum, but it does everything that they can do and more. And no “uneven” snare edges. The construction is flawless.
Paul Mason will spray almost any color, but bear in mind, no wraps. This snare is a total diamond!
Summary of characteristics:
-Warm, fat,but not bloated
-Dry/some darkness
-Very even control
-Very responsive
-Exceptional value for the money, high end performance and more.
-Exceptional choice in drumheads from the factory
-Tightly focused
-Wide tuning range
-Versatile enough for any use
-Outstanding throwoff
-Lug casings are ok, but not really my style. I prefer tube lugs (like the pearl ultracast) mapex-style, or small round lugs like DW or kirschdrums.
After a term of ownership, I can say that it shares top spot with me (for different reasons) with my Pearl UCA.
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James Walker
Tiger Talk Pro
Reged: Mar 18 2002
Posts: 1283
Loc: Connecticut
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Nice review, TS. I think folks are starting to realize how great Tempus drums can sound.
I'd only add a few things, based on my experience with Tempus snares. One is that the fibreglass Tempus shell is a bit brighter, slightly more "metallic" in sound, and the carbon fibre is a bit closer to a wooden sound. (Put another way: my 5x14 Tempus f/g sounds the way I wished my Acrolites and Supra had sounded.) Also, you're absolutely correct - Paul's finishes are built into the shell, and aren't wraps applied after the fact. However, if one wishes to have a Tempus shell with a traditional wrap finish (i.e., black diamond pearl, white mother of pearl, etc.), it is possible to wrap a Tempus shell, the same way one would wrap a wooden shell. Paul's finishes are so nice, tho, that I tend to prefer going with one of his (especially the "alpha" finishes.)
Lastly, I wonder how much of the overall weight of your drum comes from the Dunnett strainer - those are hefty little pieces of gear.
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TS
Tiger Talk Pro
Reged: Jan 25 2006
Posts: 364
Loc: Vermont
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I e-mailed Paul Mason and he described the FG shell the same way you did. The WCF shell does have a more "organic" sound. That is why it sounds a lot like my Ludwig classic maple, but more powerful.
The 14x6 Fg snare is now $445 after discount.
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James Walker
Tiger Talk Pro
Reged: Mar 18 2002
Posts: 1283
Loc: Connecticut
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quote:
Originally posted by TS:
The 14x6 Fg snare is now $445 after discount.
IMHO, the best ways to go, in terms of obtaining a Tempus snare drum:
1) Build it yourself - buy a shell from Paul Mason's "clearance list." Currently, 14" C/F shells are $155, F/G $125, including edges, snare beds, and shipping, and the shells are just as easy to drill as any wooden shells I've worked on.
Or if one isn't mechanically inclined...
2) Keep an eye on eBay, or hit the drum builder forums (ghostnote.net, drumshed.org, even drumsmith.com) and watch the classified sections. Tempus resale value remains relatively low, especially given the quality of the drums. They're still not a widely-known commodity. (Last year, a six-piece carbon fibre kit sold on eBay for less than $700...)
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TS
Tiger Talk Pro
Reged: Jan 25 2006
Posts: 364
Loc: Vermont
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Hmm.. resale seems to be a bugger.
But I have seen that Brands like:
Ludwig,DW, Gretsch and Sonor (top line) have a good resale.
Drum shops tell me all the time that anything made outside the USA or Germany don't have much resale value at all.
Too bad, because the Tempus stuff I have seen is unique, excellently built (better parts like a throwoff than Ludwig for example) and they sound terrific.
But for whatever reason, the resale market dictates that certain things have value.
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