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Why Pearl Remains a Favourite Among Drummers of All Levels

By Magesh MageshContributing Author

I get many young drummers asking me what the best brand of drums are. Although in my professional career, I had sponsorships with many different companies I currently don't endorse any particular brand. This means my opinion isn't swayed by anything but my personal experience.

Before the internet Pearl drums were the most popular brand of drums on the planet, it didn't matter what style you played, you knew this brand of kit sounded great!

I want to talk about my personal experience with Pearl drums and also let you know what cool Pearl kits to check out.

I started playing the drums in 1990. The school I attended had a Pearl export drum kit. There were several drummers at my school, all of them played Rock or Heavy Metal. I remember this one kid who played the drums that people called 'Monster'. He was 17 but looked like he was 35 and just got out of jail. He played so incredibly hard that I was astounded that he didn't demolish the drum kit.

That Pearl export kit lasted for over 20 years at my school. No part of it ever broke. It was great for me to see this as a kid as I knew Pearl drums were the real deal.

The Pearl export is still available today. Many think of it as an entry-level kit but I always viewed it as an intermediate kit. It's great for practicing and local gigs.

Pearl EXX725SBR/C Export Bl. Cherry see price

A friend of mine asked me what drum kit to buy for their 6-year-old kid. Some brands make drum kits for children but they usually get destroyed within months.

The Pearl Roadshow Jr is a great kit simply for its durability. A 16-inch bass drum means a child won't get lost behind the kit because of this small bass drum. The hardware is thick, almost to the point of being double-braced. This means even the most angry kid won't succeed in breaking it!

Pearl Roadshow Jr. Jet Black see price

There is a version of this drumkit for teenagers/adults which is amazingly cheap.

Pearl Roadshow 22' Plus Jet Black see price

As I mentioned, before the internet Pearl was one of the strongest names in drums. What impressed me was the amount of famous drummers that used this brand. Not only that, they were drummers of different genres. From pop to funk to Rock.

This clip is of legendary drummer Jeff Porcaro who played with many artists including Toto, Boz Scaggs, and Michael Jackson. Listen to how great his Pearl kit sounds!

This clip is from studio session drummer Dennis Chambers who worked with Steely Dan, Santana, and Parliament. His Pearl Masters kit sounds amazing.

Pearl Masters Map. Pure 20" 4pc #831 see price

This clip is from drummer Eric Singer who played with Kiss for over 15 years. Kiss plays a 2 hour show which is a testament to the strength of Pearl drums.
 

It's hard to tell from the clip what type of Pearl kit Eric Singer is using. If I had to guess I would say it's a 'Reference' series.

Pearl Reference One 22' 4pc Set #859 see price

Back in the day, I played a lot of gigs in other cities and also on TV. Musicians will often have to use hire gear or 'backline' instruments to save costs on touring.

I personally played a lot of different Perl drum kits. If the record company gave me an option of what kits were available I would request the Pearl Masters kit. I knew this kit sounded great and I didn't need to worry about if it would fall apart on the gig.

Sometimes a Masters series wasn't available but a 'Session studio' still sounded great!

Pearl Session Studio S 22' 5pcs #851 see price

I think Pearl drums have been a favorite of drummers of all levels for decades for a few reasons. Firstly, how strong they are. To this day I've never had a Pearl drum pedal break on me! Secondly, they sound great.

Whether you are playing a mall jazz kit or a Heavy Metal kit with a 24-inch bass drum.

Sometimes people can over-hype a brand. From personal experience, I can say this isn't the case with Pearl drums.

Don't take my word for it, check them out for yourself.

About Magesh Magesh

Magesh is a musician and producer who has worked with Rihanna, Lionel Richie, Ricky Martin, Chris Brown, The Pussy Cat Dolls, Nelly Furtado, and Vernon Reid of Living Colour. He released an instructional drumming DVD called "Unique Beats" where he mixed the drum kit with electronics and Indian hand percussion. He recently moved from Australia to the UK to explore new musical opportunities.
Website: mageshdrumteacher.co.uk

Contact Magesh Magesh at magesh.magesh7@gmail.com

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