Pearl showing non-pipe tom holders?!

[fusseltier]

Circle will never be more sturdy then square. They were also the first I saw that really allowed for the stealth type look where they could go low. Have seen plenty powder coated black to blend into the stage more.

I also don't understand a rack for 3 cymbals, but that's a different discussion altogether.

Looks like you need a separate person to hit some of those cymbals

 

[fusseltier]

Circle will never be more sturdy then square. They were also the first I saw that really allowed for the stealth type look where they could go low. Have seen plenty powder coated black to blend into the stage more.

I also don't understand a rack for 3 cymbals, but that's a different discussion altogether.

Looks like you need a separate person to hit some of those cymbals

 

[D'Arcy]

Cool, but now I wonder what the NEW illogical reason for hating Pearl drums will be.

Exactly, at the end of the day, they make some of the best drums on the market!

 

[Derrick]

Well, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

 

[Quai34]

Well, I know almost nothing about Pearl Drums besides the fact that some of my drummer friends have them, with the tube that I don,t like at all but now, the Air system and the L mount seems to be awesome!! As "Mapex always" has shown us some beautiful finishes in blue colours and mine set is blue as well, it could be some temptation for me compared to a Tama Star High end kit.

 

[Quai34]

Circle will never be more sturdy then square. They were also the first I saw that really allowed for the stealth type look where they could go low. Have seen plenty powder coated black to blend into the stage more.

I also don't understand a rack for 3 cymbals, but that's a different discussion altogether.

Well, my rack might be Gibraltar, an old one that came with my kit, I prefer it as it was smaller footprint than normal stands and I was able to put 8 cymbals on it, only on the front part, plus 4 small extra on extension on 4 cymbals...So, not bad. So, I agree, if just few cymbals, use stands, more, use a rack and there are not ugly, well, I don,t think so, mice leaves the cymbals to shine more, I have less poles and tubes and all things than with stands.

 

[martin78]

My kit without pipes

 

[karlcrafton]

"Something many said we would NEVER, EVER do".....

Great move IMO.

I always liked Pearl gear but hated the huge tubes.

The huge tubes (all the companies went to) were what made RIMS needed in the first place.
Then, with the RIMS, we couldn't just put a new head and tune up with the drum on the mount and get as much resonance as we wanted in the first place.
Take the drum off, tune it up, put it on the mount, re-tune because it's different....
Thanks giant tubes....

I'm just happy there are other mounting options these days.

 

[chakosticks]

And kill resale value on non-Pearl kits

Slingerland butchered their kits with similar mounts towards the end of the Niles era, probably what killed them off! (not that set-o-matic mounts were any good, in fact they were horrible in terms of durability)

 

[TheDrummerFromAmsterdam]

I was a District Sales Manager for Pearl from 1996 to 2007.
At every sales meeting -- roughly twice a year -- the entire sales force begged the Japanese Bigwigs to change that tom-arm.
No go. Say what you like, but it is efficient and cheap to produce (especially the earlier geared ones). It is also rock-solid, though there are inherent adjust-ability problems.
NO GO! Our Japanese overlords refused to change. They jumped through ridiculous hoops to make the old design palatable to drummers (Gyro-lock, etc). They were too tied up in the brand identification of the clunky 7/8" arm. Never mind the market demands (as reflected by the sales team).
The same thing happened with low-end maple shells, and the Afro Percussion name (remember that?).

Keeping the Afro Percussion name could be a legal binding agreement with its founder John Vermeulen (a Dutchy)

 

[frankmott]

Keeping the Afro Percussion name could be a legal binding agreement with its founder John Vermeulen (a Dutchy)

Yes, I remember John. He was at all the US trade shows when Pearl first bought his company. Pearl may have been legally obligated to keep the Afro name, but they never offered that as a reason. Their excuse always struck me as the "sunk-cost fallacy." For better or worse, the name just wasn't flying in the US market. At first "Pearl" wasn't on any of the product or advertisements, then it appeared, but very small. Over the years it grew, and finally they dumped the Afro name altogether -- something the sales-team was advocating for all along.