Thanks so much for this review. I have this exact configuration ready to order but I couldn’t find a good review on RU-vid. Now I’m ready to pull the trigger!
Nice kit....Pearl makes great drums & I never understood the hate they sometimes....I own 2 Pearl kits myself, a EXR (Export Radical) Custom component kit & a Roadshow Series jazz kit....BOTH are very nice kits
They are aren’t they ? I like both pearl and Tama I have a pearl export drumset and a Tama superstar classic maple set one is a 8 piece and one is a 7 piece
First: I suggest you modulate your audio settings. We have to turn up the speakers to hear what he's saying. Then when the drums start again it's too loud, ya know? Second: Pearl has too many maple drums in their line. How does one choose which one to get? I agree that this kit is priced too high especially since it has similar features with the Masters maple drums. It would not surprise me if Pearl discontinues this line in a year or two since they may find themselves in a marketing quagmire. They have too many similar products. Third: I agree with you regarding the imbalanced tone and sustain issues. One reason for that is the the cheaper heads. Pro level heads would probably balance the sound considerably. I also think Pearl, and other companies for that matter, should reconsider the sizes of the drums in these packaged kits. Even with a head upgrade, an 18x22 bass with a 16x16 floor tom can be out of synch with shallow mounted toms. They should have paired the small toms with a 14x16 floor and a 14x22 bass drum. 14x22 drums are very useful sound wise; and they also have the benefit of being easier drums to carry around. Pearl missed the boat on that one.
What would put me off buying a Pearl kit is that they make you buy the mounts separately. And Remo UT heads on a kit that costs 2k sterling? The batters should at least be the superior Remo USA's at this price point. Mapex manages to put Remo USA's on batter and resos with their Saturn kits and they can be found several hundred pounds cheaper. So right off the bat after paying 2k you can't mount the drums out of the box and your kit won't sound optimal because of the cheap Remo heads.
I believe with professional series you can order a tom mount on the bass drum if you choose. Also maybe some different finish color options.....other than that....they seem exactly the same to me. A professional drum kit should have the real Remo heads on it like he said. I own 2 Pearl maple 6 piece kits. They are the Session Custom SRX 7.5mm Maple shells and are 21 years old. North American maple Shells would be nice to have but I will never part with the kits I own until I am to old and incapable of playing them. The prices are crazy now.
I'm a tad disappointed to be honest. I had my mind set on these to replace my set of 1988 PEARL Prestige WLX World Series drums. The sound I heard in this review has me cancelling a potential custom order for a set of these. The shell pack sizes in drum offerings now days are not to my liking. 18x22 bass drums are absurd to me these days. Where's the 16x22 or the 14x22? Don't get me started on shallow 10" and 12" rack toms. I'd love to see classic sizes and rack tom configuration at least in some form from some manufacturer. Alas. 😕
This series comes in a variety of sizes including a 22 x 16" kick. This review is not good and the tuning leaves a lot to be desired. I'm sure we'll get further reviews shortly from others.
kind of, I think Pearl said this is based off a kit that existed a couple of decades ago. But I get what you’re saying about new products that look a lot like the old products. :-)
