written by greeny2son on 11/04/2014
I bought mine as an entry kit 12years ago when I was learning and I still have it. I have played it in rock gigs and an Orchestra and it has done a superb job. Been wanting to upgrade but every time I go to the store and play anything else it sounds rubbish in comparison. Get some good heads and tune it to what you like not what others tell you to and you'll never look back. The only down side is the external finish on the kits, after time it starts coming away from the shell, this is after 10 years of moving it around for gigs and such.
written by on 08/08/2013
Played on one before I hate it I have a pearl export from 80s 90s band it's wonderful great this is horrible
written by on 31/05/2013
I was greatly disapointed with the way this drum kit was made. Pearl has really made this kit from what looks to be a cheaper version of the orignal export that sold millions back in the 1990's. I tried the best drum heads on this kit and it still hard to tune. Yet, I will say the floor tom sounded failry good.
written by on 26/03/2013
that kits sound quality is amazing
written by on 24/03/2013
I love it! It took me a couple socneds .but I finally realized that the snow was so deep that the sign was the same sign just two different seasons. You got to love nature!
written by on 05/02/2012
I bought my Pearl Export kit in 1990. It's ferrari red, with the rack. It looks great, and sounds great. I ran into a slight problem with my toms, when cranking on the heads. The threaded part that holds the tension rods would break. I love the kit though. Especially the IMS system.
written by on 02/07/2010
I have an 90's pearl export kit and it is awesome! love it love it love it! very sturdy the wrap is also great! get 1!
Written on: 19/04/2013
This drum set is amazing. Loving the beat of its every tune....
Written on: 18/11/2019
I love the pearl exports of the 80es and 90es I have an 8 piece great drum set !!!way better then the newer pearl exports.
written by on 04/05/2010
I've had an Export for a few years now and its served me very well. It has a decent sound and they look impressive. mine is an emerald green/black coulour and looks quite smart.. Excellent, sturdy cymbal stands and a overall good ring to the toms.
Only bad points i can think of is the quality of the cymbals provided - not good. The bass pedal also feels a bit loose and the position of the rack toms (towards the far side of the bass drum) can make for awkward positioning.
Overall I would recommend this kit to a beginner/lower intermediate drummer on a budget.
written by dguy on 30/11/2009
I have recently purchased a secondhand Pearl EX (export) wood snare drum. The drum is 5.5 inches deep in a basic black finish. Underneath the EX logo on the badge it says "export series drums" and underneath that it says "heat compression system shell". Okay now you know what i've bought,let me tell you what i have learned from 25 years drumming and living in the North East of England while visiting drum shops in the area for the best part of these years. ALL THIS TALK ABOUT EXPENSIVE WOODS IS RUBBISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT DO YOU THINK THE GUYS IN THE 50'S AND 60'S HAD? Most Guys used whatever equipment they could get their hands on and made it sound as good as possible through careful tuning and putting on the best heads that they could afford at the time. I paid a small amount of money for this poplar wood snare (NOT THAT I WOULD HAVE EVEN CARED ABOUT WHICH WOOD IT WAS 20 YEARS AGO) and i have a drum that to my ear sounds A1. I have put an Evans G2 coated on the top and left the factory snare head well alone.Tuned high it is amazing,Tuned low it is no way as good as my 6.5 supraphonic but still kicks ass. This is a great drum that sounds as good as many i have heard costing 5 or 6 times the price. The top and bottom of what i am trying to say is....
1- Do not let the drum companies fool you into thinking that the quality of the wood is all that matters .
2-Buy what you can afford and learn how to tune a drum.
3-Laugh at your mate whose top of the range kit sounds the same as yours if not worse but his credit card is maxxed out to the limit.
Hope this advice helps those younger drummers who spend too much time reading drum magazines instead of developing your own style of playing with what you have available.
Written on: 31/08/2010
I found this review helpful because... I too just recently purchased Pearl export snare drum for wha I consider, not only affordable for me, very reasonable ($30.oo)considering the condition os this at least ten year old drum as well as getting A new Remo Diplomat top skin, new snare and original, in great shape Pearl SS reso-skin. I'm a sax player and have been for the past six months bitten by the prcussion bug. I've waxed the inside of the shell and have been learning what it means to tune a drum, especially an old, used snare that has no doubt been played a lot. It took me a weeek to learn what those damned indentations on the shell edge were and it's taking me hours to get it to sit as flat as possible with a good sound and I believe it'll get better with time and love.
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<br/>Your point about the cats in the early years of working out on the snares is right on point. I'd love to know what Art Taylor, Max roach, Franky Dunlop or Blakey or Kenny clarke or Joe Jones played as well as what they paid for it. And they set the pace, you dig.
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<br/>Keep keepin' real!
Written on: 11/04/2014
I purchased my export kit in 2001 and it is the fattest sounding kit out of all the others that I have played. I agree tuning is everything.
Written on: 07/01/2012
Thank you. Your post helps more than you know. I am a beginning drummer & have been taking lessons for abt 9 months now. I recently purchased a Pearl Export 4pc shell w/hardware that also included a Pearl hi-hat pedal & a dw bass drum pedal (cymbals were not included) but the store did throw in a drum throne which was practically brand new. It looks awesome, at least to me. The kit is black but the snare is wine red & also looks practically new, which is why the store gave me the throne because I looked disappointed at having a different color snare. I am just learning that Exports were discontinued & replaced by the Vision series. At first I felt duped because I felt that being a female, I was given a substandard product on purpose because I would not know the difference anyway (Yes, like going to a mechanic). But I am crazy about my kit & plan on keeping it for years to come. I still have a lot to learn but now I accept my purchase & wouldn't have it any other way. Please keep posting.
written by export on 13/07/2009
i have a pearl export and its a great kit to play gd tune and if u no how to tune a drunm kit u can relly get some amazing sound of it but the one thing tht is bad is the kick pedals and to lose and it hard to get the right kit out of it
written by on 05/05/2009
I've played on a few of these Pearl Export drum kits and none of them were bad but some of them sounded amazing whereas others were mediocre . But this set with some great drum heads sounds exceptional!
written by Spirit01 on 19/04/2009
Had a Pearl Export for years now- it is the best value kit on the market.
Have recorded with it, played it live at gigs and it has NEVER let me down in anyway!
Still have doubts...........listen then- all the recordings are using the Pearl Export!
http://www.reverbnation.com/scratchthemonkey
written by on 27/02/2009
Pearl Export is a hardy kit for someone who can't afford alot or just for someone who is a keen drummer but doesn't take it too seriously, usually if they're in a local band. Its Hardwearing. Only bad points are looks and sound.
written by jsayers169 on 29/08/2008
I have the last ever version of the Export drum series (the limited edition one with black hardware "damn nice touch"). I have used it live several times and it alway's amazes me that it is only an entry level drum kit, you wouldn't think to hear the thing being played. It looks fantastic, i personally think it was the best Export they have ever released and atleast the kit went out on a high note. If you can still lay your hands on one of these and you want a drum set that you don't mind other people using at gigs or if your a beginner trying to learn how to play then their is no other kit i would recommend. It's loud enough when it's not miced up so good for all of those dodgy venues most artist will be playing at in the beginning.
My only advice would be to put some decent heads on it like Remo Emeperor on top and Diplomats on the bottom or the evan equivalent and don't make a judgment of the kit in a studio you are using to rehearse in as they never look after them and chances are the skins are dead.
written by bradmister on 18/05/2008
The cymbal stands are very sturdy. I think it needs a deeper stand so it will make it sound better. I say buy a drum set similar but make your own so you can have a deeper snare
written by degbert on 25/07/2007
I gigged seriously for a few years with a Pearl Export kit using a Dixon frame for toms/cymbals. Robust, strong hardware, no sign of warping. In about 10 years all I had to do was replace heads, clear up one lost internal screw on the floor tom, and (annoyingly) tighten the floor stand on the kick drum. Beyond that the entry level hardware and snare have been fine. Sure the snare was pretty average but loud enough for most pub/club venues without a mic.
You'll get better kits and I'm not saying otherwise, but the price at the time was a bargain and its repaid me several times over since then.
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Dilton's Comment
Written on: 06/03/2014
Interesting. I ripped off the stock heads and went g1s under ec2s on the toms and aquarian sk2 in front of ported regulator on the bass. HUUUUUGE difference. And I had no trouble tuning the entire kit in about half an hour.