About Pearl Drums

The Pearl Corporation has been building drums for more than half a century. Over the years their catalog has grown tremendously and the company has developed into a world leader in drum and percussion manufacturing. From hand drums to concert percussion to drum sets, find out for yourself what makes Pearl "The Best Reason to Play Drums."

History of Pearl Drums
In 1950, Katsumi Yanagisawa began making drums in Japan. By 1953, his company had expanded from making only drum sets to manufacturing marching drums, Latin percussion instruments, timpani, cymbals, hardware, and other accessories. In the early 1960's, when Rock & Roll started to knock, Pearl drums answered the call. They began making drums for over thirty different drum companies. Even though there was a different name on the drum shells, many of your favorite 60's rock drummers may have been playing Pearl drums! It was during this time that Pearl began to progress to the vanguard of the percussion industry. In order to make this possible, Pearl began making new products with greater quality than its competitors and updated its plants and machinery to maximize production. They established sales and service networks around the world and today Pearl remains at the forefront of drum, percussion, and accessory manufacturing. Over 300 professional drummers and percussionists exclusively use Pearl to support their talent.

Pearl Drum Sets
Pearl makes several lines of drum sets for beginners to professionals, studio to stage work, high-end to entry-level. Here the primary lines available.

Pearl Forum Drum Series:
The Forum series is Pearl's highest quality drum set for entry-level drummers. The FX kit, available in 6 different finishes, is sold at a great value that won't empty your wallet. The 5-piece drum kit includes a set-up video, cymbals, Vic Firth drumsticks, and hardware – tom holders, cymbal stands, bass drum pedal, hi-hat stand, and throne. If you're ready to rock with no hassle, you're ready for Forum. Forum drum shells are made from Poplar wood with a gapless seam for a uniform shell vibration. The set also comes with Pearl's SST shell design which uses extreme heat, precision cut scarf joints, and 1,000 pounds of hydraulic pressure to create the definitive acoustic air chamber. In the end, you always get a great sound.

Pearl Export Drum Series:
Pearl Export drum sets are the world's best selling drums, period. The EX series has paved the way and set the standard for how drum sets are bought and sold in the industry. Pearl Export drum kits features 100% poplar wood with the warmth and richness found in more expensive drums, wood bass drum hoops with matching finish, and the I.S.S. tom mounting system. The drum set comes with Pearl's SST shell design. The Export series hardware packs include the S-800W snare stand, BC-800W boom stand, C-800W cymbal stand, and H-820W hi-hat stand - all double-braced hardware that can support what you lay down on the kit.

Pearl Export Custom Drum Series:
Pearl's Export ECX drum sets offer the same great product as the Export Series, with a facelift: 100% maple shells, wood bass drum hoops with matching finish, and your choice of four beautiful hand-rubbed lacquer finishes. The Export Custom Series also comes with Pearl's SST shell design. These drum sets also includes the I.S.S. tom mounting system. The tom holders attach to the tom bracket to the rim of the rim which allows the shell to vibrate freely, creating maximum sustain and resonance.

Pearl Vision Drum Series:
Pearl has taken the drum set to a new level with the all new Vision series, introduced in 2007. The Pearl Vision kit uses a unique two-shell formula of birch and basswood. Birch wood tends to accelerate the rebounding of sound waves, making it ideal for mid to high range frequencies. Basswood is known to slow down sound waves, thus exploiting mid to low frequency response. Vision Series toms are 6-ply, while the bass drum and floor tom are 10-ply. The set also comes with Pearl's SST shell design. Pearl offers the Vision kit in two series: VLX (super high gloss lacquered finish) and VSX (ultra exotic covered finish).

Pearl Masterworks Drum Series:
Pearl Masterworks drums are truly custom drums. This series has changed how people view custom drum sets. Every piece of this series is put together by hand from start to finish. Wood options for this kit are North American Maple, Scandinavian Birch, and African Mahogany. There are also four shell thickness options (4-ply, 6-ply, 8-ply, and 10-ply). The thinner shell excels in bringing out a drum's fullness, resonance, and sensitivity. A medium ply offers evenness in volume, resonance, sensitivity, and fullness. A thicker shell provides maximum volume and attack. Masterworks kits are available in 46 different hand-rubbed lacquer finishes and come with Pearl's SST shell design.

Pearl Masters Premium Drum Series:
Four choices are available in the Pearl Masters Premium drums, starting with the MMP series which features 4-ply maple shell and maple reinforcement rings. These drums provide a perfect blend of attack, and a smooth mid and low range punch that have made them very popular with some of the top players in every style of music. The MMP series includes Pearl's aluminum OptiMount system which changes the mounting metal from zinc to premium aluminum, making it lighter, therefore making the shells vibrate to their maximum potential. The set also comes with Pearl's SST shell design. New golden ratio air vents allow players and listeners to experience a deeper sound within their kit.

The MRP features the same great specs as the MMP series but with a thicker, 6-ply shell. The BMP series features a 4-ply birch shell with birch reinforcement rings. And the BRP series features 6-ply maple shells.

Pearl Masters Custom Drum Series:
This series offers the same great design of the MRP (Masters Premium 6-ply 100% maple shells) series adding the availability of two high gloss lacquer finishes and three vintage wraps with chrome hardware.

Pearl Artists
If you aren't sure what Pearl Drums is all about, just ask any of the over 300 professional drummers and percussionists using their products. The quality of Pearl instruments can be heard in every note they play.

Rock/Pop Artists: Mike Barker – John Butler Trio, Kris Myers – Umphrey's McGee, Chad Smith – Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tico Torres – Bon Jovi.

Metal Artists: Jim Bower – Down, Dave Buckner – Papa Roach, Joey Jordison – Slipknot/KoRn, Sam Loeffler – Chevelle, Matt McDonough – Mudvayne, Morgan Rose – Sevendust, Wuv – POD.

Concert Artists: Tim Adams – Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Tom Freer – Cleveland Symphony Orchestra, Steve Houghton – Indiana University, NEXUS – world class percussion group, Robert Van Sice- International Marimba Soloist, So Percussion Group – Percussion quartet, Cynthia, Yeh – Principal Percussionist-Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Pearl Percussionists ----- Papo Pepin – Conga Legend, Lalo Davila – MTSU, Horatio Hernandez – NY artist, Future Man – Bela Fleck & The Flecktones, Anthony Carillo – Puerto Rico percussionist.