An Introduction to Pearl Drums

Pearl Drums is one of the largest, and the best-known drum maker in the world.

In fact, go to any major drum shop, online or in person, and I guarantee that you will find pearl drums for sale.

Although they started out in the mid-1940s as a general instruments company, Pearl Drums has manufactured drum kits since the late 1940s. The drum set, or drum kit has been around for over one hundred years now, and in the last forty years, Pearl Drums has established themselves as one of the premier drum set manufacturers in the world.

Most Pearl Drums reviews will focus mainly on their drum sets and snare drums.

However, it cannot be forgotten that Pearl Drums is one of the market leaders for a number of percussion instruments, including bongos, brazilian percussion, cajon drums, congas, djembe drums, snare drums, and timbales.

Pearl Drums' percussion instruments and drum accessories include:

Pearl Drum Kits: Pearl Drum Kits are probably the most famous instruments offered by Pearl Drums. Pearl drum kits have been manufactured since the 1940s, and now include such models as the Pearl E-Pro Electronic Drum Set and Pearl Masterworks.

Pearl Snare Drums: Pearl snare drums are some of the most popular snare drums in the world. Pearl Drums currently offers over fifteen snare drums, which feature such innovations as aluminum and copper shells, and free floating snare drum hardware.

Pearl Bongos: Pearl Bongos have become more popular in the last few years, and Pearl Drums offers several different models of bongos, which range from beginner to professional quality.

Pearl Timbales: Pearl Timbales are some of the best-sounding on the market today. Pearl Drums has made timbales for many leading Latin music ensembles, and features such models as the Marc Quinones Signature Timbale.

Pearl Djembe: Pearl Djembe are unique in that they are professional quality, yet are made of very different materials than traditional djembe drums. Pearl Drums makes fiberglass djembe, as well as thai oak djembe.

Pearl Congas: Pearl Congas are a complimentary series to their bongos and feature a variety of professional models such as the Bobby Allende Congas. Pearl Drums produces some of the highest quality congas available right now, and these can be ordered in a variety of sizes and finishes.

Pearl Cajon: Pearl Cajon are one of the up-and-comers on the percussion market right now. Cajon are box drums that are played with the hands, and can even replace part of your drum set! Pearl Drums makes eight different cajon drum models.

Pearl Percussion: Pearl Percussion includes many different types of brazilian percussion instruments, such as the caixa and surdo, but Pearl Drums also offers many mainstream instruments such as a large selection of cowbells. Pearl Percussion is generally of high-quality and can be customized to fit your particular drumming needs.

Pearl Drum Parts: Pearl Drum Parts are widely respected as being some of the highest quality and most durable on the planet. Pearl Drums has made several innovations in drum hardware and drum parts, including the Pearl drum rack, the Superhoop II, and several of their drum lug designs. Pearl Drum Parts are all manufactured by Pearl Drums themselves, which accounts for their high quality because they aren't outsourced.

I bought my first Pearl Drum Kit in 2002, after reading several drum reviews telling me that Pearl Drums made the best drums and percussion out of any drum company.

It is a 6-piece Session Custom; 16 inch floor tom, 18 inch floor tom, 20”x22” bass drum, 10 and 12 inch rack toms, and a Chad Smith snare.

I won't lie- I have put that kit through a lot. It has spent days on end in my car during the heat of summer and the height of humidity (in between gigs). It has a few scratches on it; I didn't get cases for it until a few years ago.

With all that its been through, my Pearl Session drums have not warped at all, and play better than when I first set them up and jammed in my basement- I can't remember a gig where I didn't get a complement on my drum set, itself.

And I remember, telling my mother after playing my Pearl session drums for the first time: “MOM! I sound like a professional!”

Well, I might not have had the chops to call myself a pro back then, but the sound quality that session custom drums deliver is certainly as professional as anything.

And indeed, the majority of Pearl Drumsdeliver premium tone, and, largely due to their Superior Shell Technology, all Pearl Drum Sets, Hardware and Percussion Instruments have durability to boot.

So if you're in the market for drum sets or new percussion instruments, do your research. You'll need to read way one than just one drum review, as many people act like they know what they're talking about, but really don't.

But from someone who has had a Pearl Drum Set for close to ten years now, and who did his own research, I can tell you that there is no better instrument company than Pearl Drums.