They look European,#1 they look to have hardwood interiors,possibly beech or birch,with the grain running vertically,and sod id the outer ply on the re ring.and I have never seen an asian drum with a bearing edge treatment like that,and although it looks like the Japanese at one point copied every lug and hardware design out there,American and European,the tom mount reciever looks a lot like ones I have seen on drums from Hungary,communist germany,russia and czek.That green pearl wrap looks very similar to some green pearl eastern European kits I have seen pics of.I know there are some kit drum makers from holland,sweden and finland. I also did not see any badges on the kit you posted.

I don't positively know,but I would lean in the direction of Tromsa/Tacton/Trowa as the builder of these drums.Maybe for a large music store-a stencil of sorts.Slotted lugs and the throw on the snare looks like their work.Maybe Gilnar or Father 42 will chime in here.

Those are nice looking drums. I think the asking price may be a little ambitious, but still, hardwoods, likely will sound decent. If you do buy them, I would highly suggest recontouring, at the least, if not a full recut. They just look like someone cut them with a file...

Drums appear to be pretty high quality materials. The edges need a little something but nice drums overall I think. I've never heard of them until now. thanks for sharing! Can someone extract the pictures so they don't get lost? Thanks

dominus vobiscum:

[img]http://photos.imageevent.com/drumaholic/cymbalexamples/websize/1.jpg[/img]

[img]http://photos.imageevent.com/drumaholic/cymbalexamples/2.jpg[/img]

[img]http://photos.imageevent.com/drumaholic/cymbalexamples/websize/3.jpg[/img]

[img]http://photos.imageevent.com/drumaholic/cymbalexamples/4.jpg[/img]

Hello Dominus & Welcome

Nice find to drums history though this set is not rare - there are still a thousands in former SU.

I can't find a lot of time to finish my story about EPOIMI drums and then to begin a new story about next Soviet plant... :)

Thanks, friend - I'm here! :)

So, a few words on subject: it's a set called "RMIF" from one of the largest musical factories from former SU - Latvian "Rigas Muzikas Instrumentu Fabrika" (Riga's Music Instruments Factory). This plant is famous as a manufacturer of drums, e-drums, e-organols & synthesizers, Hi-Fi amplifiers, guitar booster pedals, sound systems & etc.

This kit is a RMIF drums version under the export brand ARTA (the same brand have been used also for export versions of synthesizers & etc).

First versions was fully identical to Engels EPOIMI drums besides BD lugs - singles on RMIF vs to "a-la-Premier" on EPOIMI but further factory started to their own design.

All the parts became a more higher quality vs EPOIMI (shells, hardware) but wrap is the same perloid.

By the way, all the last RMIF models was included a parallel action snare with the extremely surprising mechanism construction. :eek:

But it's another story...

If you write RMIF in search you can get an wide and interesting area...

As I know from Ukranian pen-mates, there are a nu-u-umerous different RMIF kits there. :)

I think to be good to move that thread into the "Non-USA".

This is only a little dig in Latvian drum history...

George.

It is amazing to me to see this totally seperate world of drums come to light here in the U.S.They look to be well constructed,without any extra do-dads,but a very nice pearl covering.Snare drum and hardware look to be of good quality also.Any thoughts on their quality and playability from your perspective,Georgi (is that right?).Say compared to W.German Sonors or Premiers.

Well, quickly a couple of words - RMIF's drums furniture units&parts, drum shells and hardware (and its Ni/Chr finish), drumheads, the drumstool & etc were not the top world-class quality, organic nitrocelluloid wrap was extremely flammable, but this drums could be surest attributed to the student level.

If the "soviet-time" drummer had a clear mind and good hands, then he could make these drums sounding quite good - it was not so hard if he had a great wish. So it was everywhere in SU - modernize and DIY !!! :)

However, in my own opinion - this drums much better playable than most of cheap chinese lowest lines crap flooded the world.

The export ARTA version was more careful and precise manufactured compare to standard models.

But the attached RMIF nickel-silver cymbalset had to put it mildly, not very pleasant sounding - not compared to East German's & Pst-402 analogs.

By the way, recent years Latvian engineers have created to change their first versions of the BD-pedals (as copies of Primier / EPOIMI and Ludwig Speed ​​King) to new developed kick pedal - interesting type partly similar as Swiv-o-Matic type (in belt-, chain-, and direct-drive variations)--- tunable footboard, fine boom, easy motion, light tuning.

A little additional note - > shown kit is not from 70' - it's last RMIF's generation: model at 1985-1989 which have been produced till to bankrupt period.

George.