The L-arm setup gets me most of the way there off the bat, then I can fine-tune using the two pivots. It doesn't let you sweep as big of an area as the Pearl mounts do, but again, for me, most of that swept area is unusable positioning wise. Having two pivot points that you can adjust (the ball + socket itself AND the l-arm's connection to the drum) gives me more flexibility for fine tuning. But very little of that is "usable" positions - for me, having the tom able to "strafe" laterally (movement parallel to the bass drum hoop) or from front-to-back (movement perpendicular to the bass drum hoop) are the important movements, and ones that are a lot easier (for me) to achieve by using a standard L-arm on a ball+socket clamp. Setting them up always felt like you could put the tom anywhere on the circle traced out by the length of the "horizontal" part of the tom arm. Especially with the non-shell penetrating varieties. For other configurations, I have issues getting them into position. For some reason, that combination works with me. The only kit it worked well on (for me) was the Midtown, and that was a single 7/8" bracket (not the standard dual) dead center on the bass drum, with a 10" tom. It's just way, way too much.Ģ - After using Pearl tom arms a LOT, I just can't stand them for positioning. Can anyone here tell me, from memory, what the differences are between the "Reference", "Reference Pure", "Music City Custom", "Masters Maple Complete", "Masters Maple Reserve", "Session Studio Select", and "Decade Maple"? Plus two different lines of Export (Exl and Exx). They could reduce their number of lines by half and still have too many. I have a lot of built-up affinity and fondness for Pearl drums, but I'll never buy another kit from them.ġ - as has been previously mentioned, their product line is INSANELY overcrowded. The combination of features + price is outstanding. My favorite micro kit (still) is the Pearl Midtown. All three high schools I taught at used Pearl, at least for part of the time I was there. The college drumline I taught used Pearl. The independent WGI line I taught was a Pearl endorser ensemble. Once I graduated college and had enough money to get my own kit, I got a big Pearl Masters Studio (birch with die-cast rims, 8-10-12-14-16 / 22) in Platinum Mist. I had seen that kit since I was in elementary school (the combined elementary schools had their spring band concert in the high school auditorium, using the high school equipment), and it was aspirational to me. It was "real" drums, like what I saw in the magazines. The high school, on the other hand, had a stunning Pearl MLX in wine red lacquer, with a full complement of Zildjian Ks and an 18" A China Boy High. I enjoyed having drums, but wasn't really inspired by either of those "old-fashioned" kits. Around the time I was entering junior high school, I inherited my great-uncle's 1966 Ludwig Club Date in Sky Blue Pearl. My junior high school had an 80s Ludwig Classic in Oyster Black Pearl. Ha ha, anyway if you think Pearl gets no love… you should have tried mentioning Yamaha back in the DCI days. When I built my Tempus kit, I used Pearl tom mounts with RIMS, flying them off cymbal stands. I’ve only had one Pearl kit with them… but after adding RIMS mounts, I was able to reliably and repeatably get my toms where I wanted them, and they never moved and sounded great. I think the stigma they attract is from every cheap-arse drum company copying the mount. Regarding the Pearl tom mounts… if you use them with a suspension mount, they sound great, are very adjustable, never budge and are seriously gig-proof. Though, I have a 60’s three ply Pearl bassdrum that sounds every bit as good as my Ludwig three ply did from the 70’s. It’s what they played when they were young.īack then Pearl and Star/Tama were seen as wannabees, which at the time was a reasonable assertion… but, they were just getting aboard, and not everything was sorted. This forum is an American forum, and the majority of members are primarily old codgers… so, Ludwig, Slingerland, Gretsch, Rodgers are the gotos. DFO “love” or not… Pearl make great drums.
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