Wednesday 2 October 2013

Return of a classic!

   When I started playing drums (around 20 years ago now) and the internet was just a twinkle in someone's eye, the only way to see what drumkits were available was to a) Buy one of the drum publications or b) Visit a music shop and ask for some brochures. It just so happens on the day I sought out my second ever drumkit (My first being a really nasty Hohner kit that took me 6 months to work out how the tom arms worked) that the salesperson I spoke to gave me a Pearl brochure, which led me to buy my first ever "respectable" drumkit, the mighty Pearl Export.
   I had that black Pearl Export for the first 3 or 4 years of being in a "gigging" band and it suited me perfectly. The punk band I was in at the time required big, bold, gutsy sounding drums and the power toms of the Export along with the no-nonsense black wrap finish ticked all the boxes. At the same time, it wasn't too expensive that I would be worried if inevitably a beer went flying over it (or occasionally a person went flying into it).
   Anyway that was then, and since then Pearl Drums released the "Vision" series. Although slightly more expensive, with its upgraded hardware and flashier finishes it was only a matter of time before Pearl pulled the plug on veteran Export that had once been the market leader for so many years and that was that. Or was it?
   Less than a decade later Pearl have decided to reintroduce the Export to the market and it appears that whilst its been away Pearl have been working hard to get three things right - 1) Looks 2) Quality and 3) Price. Having recently received the first of what I am confident will be many of the new Pearl Export kits, I've been blown away by just how much drum there is for the money here. The "American-Fusion" configuration (22" Bass Drum, 10" & 12" Rack Tom, 16" Floor Tom and 14" Snare Drum), with its Poplar shells, has the right blend of power and attack. The hardware features smooth "rail" style cymbal tilters, opti-loc tom mounts and the new P930 Demonator bass drum pedal and as for the finishes, well we have a blue sparkle in stock that has been given pride of place at the front of the store.
   So lets go back to the 90s, and that day I visited that music shop to get prices on that plain black Pearl Export. £599 I was told. Skip forward nearly 20 years to the present day and ask us the same question, and you'd expect the answer to be £799? £899? Well put it this way, you'll get change out of £500.
   So if you're looking for a kit to gig with, or even an higher-spec starter kit, look no further than the 2013 Pearl Export.

Simon.

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