Pearl Drums. Made in Japan?

[drummer]

Don't believe me? Look!

[Roaddebris]

Hee hee

I love the American made stuff (ex. DW, Messa Boogie, Gibson, Harley, etc.) bur you really have to pay through the nose for it.

[1DrumBum]

Yes, Pearl and Tama are both made in Japan, but they are still some of the best kits available on the market. When I ordered my Pearl kit, they said it would take 2 weeks because the custom snare had to be made at the factory in CA. When I got it, the badge says "Made in Japan". Huh? Oh well. A comperable kit made in the good ole' US of A would have cost twice as much!

[bongobro]

So what's the fuss? Pearl is to Slingerland, Gretsch and Ludwig what Toyota was to Ford and GM--a kick in the butt to an industry that got fat and lazy in the '60's and '70's...right after I began studying percussion, one of my buddies bought a set of Pearl Exports (bright red finish) and they looked and sounded pretty darn good for the price...

The funny thing is now that other Oriental companies are doing the same thing to Pearl, sorta like Hyundai and Kia have been doing recently to Toyota in the car industry.

And it's nothing new...LP moved many of its conga and bongo shell production facilities to Thailand (before Kaman) to take advantage of the availability of Siam oak...

Making music is an art, but making musical instruments, unfortunately, is a business... BTW, drummer, how much would that Pearl set in your photo cost today? Weird-lookin' but man, what a collector's item today!

[drummer]

BTW, drummer, how much would that Pearl set in your photo cost today? Weird-lookin' but man, what a collector's item today!

I'll sell you the photo for a buck and half. (Hey I need the money!)

Seriously, ...it's not a real drum set or a real photo. It's computer generated. Look closely.

[bongobro]

Must have been one of their first attempts at synthesized drums

[drummer]

Lol

[MoKu]

Yes, Pearl and Tama are both made in Japan

*shocked*
I only know about our friend YAMAHA here is from Japan

[SabianDrummerNC]

HAHA Yea Even Ludwig Drums are made Somewhere else.But it's funny because there's a Ludwig Drum Factory right down the Road from me....? lol...

[vinnysimmo]

I really dont think it matters where a kit is made and i think it is stupid to pay a lot more for a kit just because they are made in your home country.

[SabianDrummerNC]

Yea I agree that it doesn't matter where they are made...As long as they sound & look good I'm pleased.I think the reason that alot of Drum companies make their drums in other Countrys is because it's cheaper for them that way...

[funkymcstain]

HAHA Yea Even Ludwig Drums are made Somewhere else.But it's funny because there's a Ludwig Drum Factory right down the Road from me....? lol...

ludwigs upper line kits are made in the u.s.a,
and i'll take the pepsi challenge here, show me one thing...sound or build quality, that makes an american dw kit better than pearls custom masterworks line... hand made in japan. i'll argue this one all day.

[PokerDrummer]

ludwigs upper line kits are made in the u.s.a,
and i'll take the pepsi challenge here, show me one thing...sound or build quality, that makes an american dw kit better than pearls custom masterworks line... hand made in japan. i'll argue this one all day.

You need to get BigTall in on this one. I would love to see you two hash this out. It would be interesting to hear each of your view points on those two kits.

[SabianDrummerNC]

The Ludwig Drum Factory down the road from me Paints,And does make Drums there.My Set was made there,And I have the Ludwig Accent Custom.I called yesterday,And thats what they told me.They said the reason they say made in Taiwan is because they are Assembled there...And for the DW kit,Agaisnst the Pearl Masterworks line,Thats a hard one because they are both great kits and they both sound good too...

[Roaddebris]

ludwigs upper line kits are made in the u.s.a,
and i'll take the pepsi challenge here, show me one thing...sound or build quality, that makes an american dw kit better than pearls custom masterworks line... hand made in japan. i'll argue this one all day.

Sound wise, you've got a point. Pearl Masterworks are awesome, as are other top of the line foreign made kits. However, there are genuine "build quality" features that make the DW's a nicer kit, even if you can't hear the difference. Off the top of my head:1) the DW lugs have finer threads for micro adjustents in tuning; 2) DW's are timbre matched; 3) DW's are grain matched. There are some other manufacturing processes that make them superior, but I'd have to go back and research it again to remember half of them.

*Big, this is your que to wade in here*

Here's the biggie, though. Being hand made (as oppossed to mass produced) by what is basically still a mom & pop operation, ensures a consistant level of fit & finish that is hard to match. The folks who own and run DW are artists, not corperate hacks. Not only does this effect production quality, it adds mystique to the DW name.

Who gives a ratts butt about mystique, you ask? Tons of people. Successful musicians who want to make a statement with the gear, rich guys who want the same thing, people who want to make a lasting investment (like those who shell out 30K for a grand piano), are the types who tend to buy DW. The concrete benefit of this mystique is that a well cared for DW set will hold it's value over the decades to come, while the foreign stuff will not.

Lastly, putting aside the whole sour grapes thing, I challenge anyone with an artistic bent to hold a DW tom in one hand and a mass produced asian made tom in the other and tell me you can't see, feel, & (insert sence here) a big difference in quality. They are simply very, very fine.

P.S. And if you don't buy that argument, Big can beat up anybody who says different! j/k

[funkymcstain]

Sound wise, you've got a point. Pearl Masterworks are awesome, as are other top of the line foreign made kits. However, there are genuine "build quality" features that make the DW's a nicer kit, even if you can't hear the difference. Off the top of my head:1) the DW lugs have finer threads for micro adjustents in tuning; 2) DW's are timbre matched; 3) DW's are grain matched. There are some other manufacturing processes that make them superior, but I'd have to go back and research it again to remember half of them.

*Big, this is your que to wade in here*

Here's the biggie, though. Being hand made (as oppossed to mass produced) by what is basically still a mom & pop operation, ensures a consistant level of fit & finish that is hard to match. The folks who own and run DW are artists, not corperate hacks. Not only does this effect production quality, it adds mystique to the DW name.

Who gives a ratts butt about mystique, you ask? Tons of people. Successful musicians who want to make a statement with the gear, rich guys who want the same thing, people who want to make a lasting investment (like those who shell out 30K for a grand piano), are the types who tend to buy DW. The concrete benefit of this mystique is that a well cared for DW set will hold it's value over the decades to come, while the foreign stuff will not.

Lastly, putting aside the whole sour grapes thing, I challenge anyone with an artistic bent to hold a DW tom in one hand and a mass produced asian made tom in the other and tell me you can't see, feel, & (insert sence here) a big difference in quality. They are simply very, very fine.

P.S. And if you don't buy that argument, Big can beat up anybody who says different! j/k

he might be able to beat me up but i'll challenge any swingin **** on the forum to a thumb wrestling duel to the death.
you have a point in what you are saying, BUT you are saying "mass produced" kits.
pearls masterworks line is not mass produced. the shells are handmade to order in any size and configuration you want, with many vaneers to choose from and in any finish you can think of. the finish and build quality are VERY top notch. ply config is not available with dw. however dw does have a few more exotic vaneers not available from pearl. timbre matching is nice if you want an all maple or all birch kit, but having played a reference kit i am a true believer in ply mixing. another plus for dw and being u.s made is... alot less wait time for your custom kit. some people will pay the extra cost to not have to wait 6-8 months for thier custom kit.
im gonna pull a BTG here and post some masterworks pics on here for y'all to drool over. you will never hear me bash dw. they are awesome drums. they are what i have wanted for many years until i played a couple masterworks kits and a reference kit.
if you are not familiar w/ reference, they are what the masterworks team (after 5 years of custom building) decided was the ultimate ply configuration. the only two drums that are made of one wood is the 8" all birch tom and the 12" all maple tom. the reference gets my vote for best "factory" drumset. check the purple craze finish...best factory finish i have ever seen.

[SabianDrummerNC]

I just took a look at the Pearl Masterworks and Reference Drums,And the Reference are definitely incredible.If You watch the Videos about the Reference Series on Pearldrum.com they tell You alot about the Shell's,Etc...I would say that Pearl and DW are Tied...

[funkymcstain]

crappy jap, drums?

[funkymcstain]

more...well i would post more pics but they are all too big.

[SabianDrummerNC]

Yea I have to agree that the Pearl Refernece and the Masterworks series are really Nice,And I think that they are just as good as DW Drums...

[Roaddebris]

Uuhhmmm...I don't think anybody said crap. At least not until you said it. They're way nice drums, they're just not DW's.

The only crap that Yamaha makes has two wheels and sounds like a wind up toy.

BTW- I like the carbon fiber one. They should call it the Darth Vader. I would have said Romulan Bird of Prey, but Chiko would call out the snipers again. What, does that guy have a search function that finds all references to Star Trek?

[funkymcstain]

still waiting on why dw is better.

[Dr.Hook]

I'd love to have a set of DW's myself!!! But, I bought what I could afford, Ludwig Accents made in China. For now, they are my DW's!

I'm not experienced enough to comment on "is American made better than made overseas", or what REALLY sounds better, but I will say this. If you can afford to buy American, or Canadian "Taye, Ayotte" drums, then all the power to you. If you want them, can afford them, and enjoy them for what they are, then thats all that matters.
If you can only afford to buy cheaper drums made overseas, mass produced ot not, and you enjoy them for what they are, then once again, thats all that matters. I think its better to just have a set to play, no matter what they are or where they are made. To me, its not all about image or the whole "supporting local workers" debate, its about getting what I need and whats practical. Hell, when I have an extra $4000 to spend, I'm betting a nice set of DW's will be the practical thing to do! My wife on the other hand......

To me, and for now, my Wig's sound great, and work for me and my weekend jamming with the guys. And for what I paid for them, and what I got in return, it was a good investment.



P.S.
I'd still kill to have a nice 6 piece set of DW's in Candy Apple Red Sparkle!!!!!!!

[SabianDrummerNC]

lol Yea me too...

[Roaddebris]

Well, I just gave you three examples off the top of my head. YOu can also go to DW's web site for info, or just wait 'til the Poobah of DW (Big) comes in here and goes off.

BTW- I think DW are a bit over the top for the average drummer. I can tell you from experience that bringing them to a gig is fun, but at the same time stressfull. Like going to the grocery store in a Rolls Royce.