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DubiousDubs « Spend your money on a maple set instead, skip this one. »
Published on 12/07/11 at 11:06Pearl doesn’t disappoint so long as you don’t set your sights on perfection. I owned a mid 1980s pearl export series back in the mid 1990’s and it was absolutely fantastic back then. If I was going to use that same set today, I wouldn’t be so amazed. Likely because in the last 15 years or so, drum shell manufacturing has become much less varied and more precise between different setups.
But I digress, as I was recently at a weekend gig where there was only a Pearl Export series in red. I got to know the set really well over the next few nights, and I was surprised by how well the sound was, but at the same time I was relieved to stop using the set at the end of the weekend. Here’s why: 1. The set moved around a lot. The rubber bottoms to the floor tom were harder than I like and slid around the wood floor. I guess I should have procured a drop rug for the set, but it wasn’t my call. 2. the toms move around a lot. This is common with DW too, and I attribute this to the common use of simple hardware connections. I don’t mind this as much, but it can get annoying after a while, and it might rub against the body shell of the kick drum and etch and mark the set.
If I can recommend a better bang for your dollar, go with a Yamaha stage custom. It’s not as common as this set, you don’t see everyone sporting one, and it sounds a lot better, and I think Yamaha really has their equipment together, from the manufacturing to the presentation. Little things are missing from this set, and in the bigger picture, when combined, leave me missing out on an experience by a long shot. I can’t say for sure totally what is wrong with this cheaper set, but for starters for the price, you should be getting a maple wood, but you are not.
But I digress, as I was recently at a weekend gig where there was only a Pearl Export series in red. I got to know the set really well over the next few nights, and I was surprised by how well the sound was, but at the same time I was relieved to stop using the set at the end of the weekend. Here’s why: 1. The set moved around a lot. The rubber bottoms to the floor tom were harder than I like and slid around the wood floor. I guess I should have procured a drop rug for the set, but it wasn’t my call. 2. the toms move around a lot. This is common with DW too, and I attribute this to the common use of simple hardware connections. I don’t mind this as much, but it can get annoying after a while, and it might rub against the body shell of the kick drum and etch and mark the set.
If I can recommend a better bang for your dollar, go with a Yamaha stage custom. It’s not as common as this set, you don’t see everyone sporting one, and it sounds a lot better, and I think Yamaha really has their equipment together, from the manufacturing to the presentation. Little things are missing from this set, and in the bigger picture, when combined, leave me missing out on an experience by a long shot. I can’t say for sure totally what is wrong with this cheaper set, but for starters for the price, you should be getting a maple wood, but you are not.