If you want to take the right stride as a drummer, then Pearl is the company to help you. Renowned drummers such as: Ian Paice (Deep Purple), Chris Slade (AC/DC) and Eric Singer (KISS) all use Pearl kits. To get you to their level, we thought it would be imperative to get to know what makes Pearl the 'best reason to play drums.' On that sentiment, we have created an in-depth Brand Overview for you!
A Little Bit of History ...
Pearl was founded by Katsumi Yanagisawa in Tokya, on April 2 1946. By 1953, Pearl was officially established as 'Pearl Musical Instrument Company' and began manufacturing drums and percussion that includes: drum kits, marching drums, Latin percussion instruments, cymbals, stands, and accessories. Pearl initially made shells for other companies, but eventually in the 1960s started manufacturing under their own logo. An interesting fact, Pearl released their first professional level kit called the 'President Series' in 1966 and thus began a legacy of innovation in the music-making industry.Drum Sets
Masterworks - Completely custom made; every drum is designed by the customer and built to perfection.
Reference Pure and Reference - The mission behind Reference Series: To create a perfect sounding drum set where every drum is optimally engineered to produce the best sound possible within its respective tonal range. Reference delivers maximum projection for live performances while the Reference Pure is optimized to crate the most resonant professional series, perfect for recording.
What makes Reference Pure and Reference Different? Reference Pure consists of Thin Ply Shells, STL Lugs and FatTone Hoops. Reference consists of Regular Ply Shells, BRL Lugs and MasterCast Hoops.
Masters MCX - Masters MCX are adorned with MasterCast Hoops, the finest die cast hoops available, and feature the perfect blend of thickness and mass to improve the depth, clarity and focus of the drums.
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| Pearl MCX924XSPC Quilted Bubinga Sunburst |
The Session Studio Classic follows the original Session “recipe” with blended Birch and Kapur shells, recreating the classic “Session sound” of strong attack and projection with outstanding lows and punch that you can feel.
Vision - Vision Birch Laquer (VBL) is Pearl's most affordable 100% Birch drum set. Vision Birch Artisan II is based on the original Vision formula and features blended Birch ply shells. Vision Birch has a unique shell combination gives projection to the low end while equally matching the high frequencies produced by smaller drums.
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| Pearl Vision Birch Artisan VBA825 Amber Burst Eucalypstus |
Export - Let’s face it, most entry-level drum sets are plain vanilla with no regard to sound. But not Export. Taking its cue from Pearl’s award-winning Reference Series, the new Export puts sound first by blending premium Poplar and rich Asian Mahogany for an incredibly lush and full-bodied tone.
Rhythm Traveler - Easy to transport and easy to practice, this kit is a gigging and practice kit in one.
Electronic E-Pro Live offers the limitless sonic capability and realistic feel of electronic drums on a drumset built with real drum shells, real brass cymbals, and real drumset hardware.
Pearl's Unique Construction Technique: Superior Shell Technology
- Begins with hand selected woods, chosen for their acoustic resonance capabilities
- Wood is then milled to precise thickness with overlapping scarf joint seams for a perfect air-tight fit and strength.
- The wood plies are then saturated with Pearl’s proprietary “AcoustiGlue.”
- While in the press, it is heated so that the glue is brought to a boil forcing the shells to fuse very closely.
The Importance of Shell Wood on Sound
Maple
Maple is an excellent choice for general purpose applications due to its smooth, warm, well rounded tone, with equal amounts of hi-end attack and mid-range body and an excellent low-end punch.
Birch
Birch is known for its "naturally EQ'ed sound" that offers slightly boosted hi-end frequencies, a smooth, mellow mid-range and a deep low-end presence and is a great choice for any applications that require extra presence and cut.
African Mahogany
African Mahogany is extremely rich in low-end frequencies, with
beautifully smooth mids and a slight roll-off in the higher register.
Drums made from African Mahogany have warmth and body that sets them
apart from all others. Without question, if your main requirements are
"bottom" and punch, African Mahogany should be your wood of choice.
Pearl Hardware
Pearl offers hardware that consists of: boom stands, straight stands, hi-hat stands, snare stands, drum racks and pedals.
Here is a quick overview on one of their best selling hardware: the Demonator Pedal.
The Demonator is a single-chain drive pedal, equipped with a Demon Style
Powershifter long-footboard, an interchangable cam and infinitely
adjustable beater angle, allowing you to customise to your desired feel
and power. The pedal also comes equipped with Pearl's Click-Lock spring
tension keeper and Control Core Beater.
Famous Pearl Endorsees
Chad Smith - Red Hot Chilli Peppers
Tico Torres - Bon Jovi
Ian Paice - Deep Purple
Mike Cartellone - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Mike Mangini - Dream Theatre
Tommy Lee - Motley Crue
Eric Singer - KISS
Chris Slade - AC/DC
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| Mike Mangini of Dream Theatre |
