Pearl Drums

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The Pearl Musical Instrument Company (パール楽器製造株式会社, Pāru Gakki Seizō Kabushiki-gaisha^?) is a world leader in the manufacturing of percussion equipment, including drum kits, hand drums, drum hardware, bass drum pedals, mallet percussion, and other auxiliary percussion instruments. It also makes flutes and cymbals as well.

1 History
2 Pearl's Drum Kit line
3 Notable endorsers
4 External Links

[edit] History

Pearl was founded by Katsumi Yanagisawa, who began manufacturing music stands in Sumida, Tokyo on April 2, 1946. In 1950 Katsumi shifted his focus to the manufacturing of drums and named his company "Pearl Industry, Ltd."

By 1953, the company’s name had changed to "Pearl Musical Instrument Company," and manufacturing had expanded to include drum kits, marching drums, timpani, Latin percussion instruments, cymbals, stands, and accessories.

Katsumi’s eldest son, Mitsuo, joined Pearl in 1957 and formed a division to export Pearl products worldwide. To meet increasing worldwide demand for drum kits following the advent of Rock and Roll music, Pearl built a 15,000 sq. foot factory in Chiba, Japan in 1961. These kits were inexpensive and bore the brand name of the distributor.

In 1965, Mitsuo formulated a long-range plan to bring Pearl to the forefront of the percussion industry. Under this plan, Pearl would 1) develop new products with quality equal to or better than products offered by established brand name companies; 2) install the latest automated machinery in the Chiba factory to increase production; 3) establish a sister factory in Taiwan; and 4) establish a worldwide sales and service network.

As part of this plan, Pearl introduced their first professional drum kit, the "President Series," in 1966, and in 1973, the Pearl Musical Instrument Company of Taiwan became operational.

Today, Pearl’s Taiwanese operation encompasses five factories whose output supplies nearly the entire worldwide market for Pearl products. The original Chiba factory now caters to the domestic Japanese market producing drum kits, marching drums, timpani, and symphonic chimes.

Adams Musical Instruments are sold in the U.S. through Pearl dealers, Hughes and Kettner guitar and bass amplifiers are distributed through Pearl's main warehouse in Nashville, Tennessee and Sabian cymbals are distributed in Japan through Pearl dealers.

[edit] Pearl's Drum Kit line

Pearl’s current line of drum kits includes eight series, ranging from entry level to professional grade, all of them use Pearl's heat compression system on the plies. In ascending order, they are:

Rhythm Traveler – Traveler's kit. All drums in the kit feature shrunken depths. Package includes cymbals, throne, hardware, mesh heads and cymbal mutes. Rhythm Traveler drums are made with 9 plies (7 mm) of Mahogany

Forum – Most music stores will sell this kit with cymbals, throne, hardware and drumsticks at no extra charge. Forum drums are made with 6 plies (7.5 mm) of Poplar.

Export - Pearl’s most popular series of drum kits, also the most popular set sold today. Export drums are made with 6 plies (7.5 mm) of poplar, molded from the heat compression system through the plies. All Export drums come standard with Pearl's ISS suspension mounting system.

Vision - These drums are the replacement for the birch Session drums, and the Poplar Export drums. Vision drums come in 2 varieties: the VLX Lacquer finish drums, and the VSX Covered finish drums. The shell material is birch and basswood. 6 ply toms: 1 inner ply birch, 4 interior plies basswood, 1 outer ply birch. 8 ply floor toms and kick drums: 2 inner plies birch, 4 interior plies basswood, 2 outer plies birch. These drums are made in China, and also feature new lugs and new 900 series hardware. These replace the Export Select and Export Radical drums.

Export ECX - In January 2007 Pearl released the all-maple Export Custom ECX series drums. This, along with the Vision series, replaces the Export Select as well as the maple and birch Session series drums. The ECX series features 4 hand rubbed lacquer finishes and 100% maple shells.

Session - (now discontinued) Session drums are made from 100% Maple or Birch shells depending on which the customer chooses, either are 6-ply (7.5 mm). Session drums come standard with the Optimount suspension system and 2.3 mm hoops.

Masters – 6 series within this line consisting of, MMX, MRX, MSX, MHX, BRX, and BSX. Top quality Pearl drums, with the highest hardware and compression system to offer. MMX drums feature 4 plies(5 mm) of maple with maple reinforcement rings. MRX drums feature 6 plies(7.5 mm) of maple. MSX drums feature 6 plies(7.5 mm) of maple. Unlike the MRX, exotic coverings are offered on this series. MHX drums feature 4 plies(5 mm) of African Mahogany with maple reinforcement rings. BRX drums feature 6 plies(7.5 mm) of birch. BSX drums feature 6 plies (7.5 mm) of birch with real glass flake coverings. All series offer choice in hardware color (black, chrome) (satin and gold hardware have been discontinued for 2007) [1]

Reference - Released in January 2006. Pearl has blended wood types together for the toms, snare drums, and bass drums in order to create a unique and fully expressional sound for each individual drum. There is no single wooden drum kit that can compare with this kit. They are on high demand and are the highest quality that Pearl offers that is not totally custom. They are often considered some of the best drums available today. New products for 2006 include Reference steel and brass snares.

Masterworks – Pearl's flagship model. Completely hand made drums. Everything down to the plies of wood (bubinga, maple and birch), types of hardware material (chrome, satin chrome, 24k gold, black), and finish is solely based on the customer's order. [2]