Pearl Session Series

[KevinVanRillaer]

I've had a Pearl Session Series for about 9 years now and I never really found a lot of information about it (type of wood, year of manufacture, value, quality,...). There's a lot of info on the Internet about the Session Studios, Prestiges,... but barely anything about the Session Series with this particular badge. Any help? :D
Thanks!

[Pearl MCX Man]

Found this info on the Pearl Drums wikipedia


Session - Drums made from 100% Maple or Birch shells. Session drums came standard with the OptiMount suspension system and 2.3mm SuperHoops. The series was discontinued in January 2008. These drums were extremely popular, but expensive. The Session line was later reintroduced in 2012 as the Session Studio Classic

[KevinVanRillaer]

Doesn't seem to match my Session Series. Mine came with the ISS mounting system

[Pearl MCX Man]

Doesn't seem to match my Session Series. Mine came with the ISS mounting system

Maybe the original owner swapped the Optimount for the ISS. Who knows, I am going by the info from the history of Pearl Drums.

[jedi]

I saw a set like this , badge and all , selling used at the Guitar Center two months back . It was black with the deep toms and the ISS mounts with the SuperHoops . I almost bought it because it was selling for so cheap , but I didn't cause I already have too many sets . Anyway...there was nothing indicating what wood the shells were made from . But I came to the conclusion that they were maple since the grain looked tighter than the birch PDP's that were in stock .
That's a nice kit you have there . I would hang on to it if I were you .
Rudy .

[Pearl MCX Man]

I am confused. I have seen pics of Sessions series with the square badge like yours and some have the ISS mounting and others the Optimount. Must have something to do with the year that some were made.

[KevinVanRillaer]

I've found all about it on the 1996 Pearl Drums website! :D Apparently it's a Prestige Session Series built in 1996. It has a combination of mahogany, maple and select hardwoods. No idea what they mean by select hardwoods however.. The cataloque shows a price tag of $2,499 o.o

[Pearl MCX Man]

I've found all about it on the 1996 Pearl Drums website! :D Apparently it's a Prestige Session Series built in 1996. It has a combination of mahogany, maple and select hardwoods. No idea what they mean by select hardwoods however.. The cataloque shows a price tag of $2,499 o.o

That explains it . Select woods plies of maple/mahogany/maple of what I understand

[late8]

I had the 2007 Pearl SBX Session Studio Series which had hardware carried over from the MCX line which included the OptiMount system, 2.3 mm SuperHoops and MCX bass drum claws and spurs. This line came as either 100% all maple (SMX) or 100% birch (SBX). The shell pack was the last in a series from Pearl that came with 5.5 x14" matching snares before being discontinued in 2008. I paid $899. It was a great value considering the list price for 5pc Session Studio shell back in the 2000's was $1,899.

[KevinVanRillaer]

Yeah, the early Session Series seemed to be really expensive! Sweet kit!

[late8]

Yeah, the early Session Series seemed to be really expensive! Sweet kit!

Thanks and welcome to the forum.

[Russ]

Sessions were essentially a way to get into the sound of a 100% maple or birch shell, with none of the bells and whistles you'd see on a Masters or Masterworks kit. I believe their first appearance was in the mid 80s(around the time of the GLX) to late 90s, and ended in 2008. They were brought back however a few years later as the Session studio classics, but if you ask me that's a very different design altogether. Different sounding too.

[KevinVanRillaer]

Thanks and welcome to the forum.

I've been here for quite a while already

[KevinVanRillaer]

Sessions were essentially a way to get into the sound of a 100% maple or birch shell, with none of the bells and whistles you'd see on a Masters or Masterworks kit. I believe their first appearance was in the mid 80s(around the time of the GLX) to late 90s, and ended in 2008. They were brought back however a few years later as the Session studio classics, but if you ask me that's a very different design altogether. Different sounding too.

Well, apparently a lot of Sessions are made of combined wood (such as mine)

[late8]

Well, apparently a lot of Sessions are made of combined wood (such as mine)

Very true...

From Pearl forum:

"The early 90s Sessions were birch/mahogany. The later 90s Sessions and Prestige Session Selects were the maple/mahogany mix. There were lots of Sessions: Prestige Sessions, Prestige Session Select, Session Elite '90-'93. The 1999 Prestige Session Select, has 6 plies...2ply maple/2ply luan mahogany/2ply maple".

[Russ]

I can't for the life of me imagine these combinations.. From a fundamental pitch standpoint, mahogany is a dark wood with low sustain. Maple's warm and birch is bright, they're antagonists to each other. I'd pair like-species together for hybrid shells, ash/birch, poplar/maple, mahogany/bubinga.. I don't get why throw all these different pitches together, sounds weird.

[jedi]

I can't for the life of me imagine these combinations.. From a fundamental pitch standpoint, mahogany is a dark wood with low sustain. Maple's warm and birch is bright, they're antagonists to each other. I'd pair like-species together for hybrid shells, ash/birch, poplar/maple, mahogany/bubinga.. I don't get why throw all these different pitches together, sounds weird.

It may sound weird but the results aren't . Played several versions of these drum and thought all of them sounded great . Wish I could say the same about some of the all birch or maple drums that came from PDP/DW and Tama .

[Pearl MCX Man]

Every manufacturer is experimenting with different mixtures of wood to find that sound that attracts potential buyers. Some have been successful and others not. The sessions series have proven that they are a good sounding drums with the combinations.

[late8]

every manufacturer is experimenting with different mixtures of wood to find that sound that attracts potential buyers. Some have been successful and others not. The sessions series have proven that they are a good sounding drums with the combinations.

+1

[EddieV]

I have a Prestige Session Selects Fusion kit. The are 1/3 maple, 1/3 mahogany, 1/3 maple (outer/middle/inner).

They sound excellent.

I bought them brand new in 1999 - just the 4 shells (22" kick 10/12/14" toms. $2200

A colleague of mine that works for Pearl has the same kit....tells me it's extremely rare and never get rid of it.

http://www.drumchat.com/album.php?al...pictureid=9404