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Last October, I had just finished a string of shows as a backing drummer, and was preparing for hibernation. I mean, it was time to start a search for a new band, and I felt it was also time for a new drum kit.
I was looking for something that was versatile, since I play several different genres. I wanted to have a newer kit, so I could expand it if I wanted to, and I wouldn’t have to scour the Internet looking for a tom that I could never find, which was the case with my old kit. I wanted a quality kit, but I also didn’t want to spend a lot of money. I know, I’m asking a lot.
I walked into SSE Music in La Crosse, WI, and right in the middle of the drum area, was a 7-piece Pearl Decade Maple kit, with a Classic Satin Amburst finish. Right next to it, a 5-piece, with a Gloss Deep Red Burst finish. They immediately caught my attention. I began talking with one of the staff about it. After a solid hour of discussion and a demonstration, I was certain this would be the kit I was going to get.
A couple of weeks later, I sold my old drum kit and placed the order for a Pearl Decade Maple kit, with a 20” kick, 14” snare, 8”, 10”, 12” rack toms, 14”, 16” floor toms, and a beautiful Gloss Deep Red Burst finish.
I’ve had my Pearl Decade Maple kit for a little over six months now, and I’ve had a number of performances with it, playing primarily rock and country. It’s definitely time for a review. There is a video demonstration at the end of this review.
Configurations
Let’s start with the different drums available for the Pearl Decade Maple line.
Drum – Diameter” x Depth”
Snare – 14” x 5.5”
Kick – 18” x 14”, 20” x 16”, 22” x 18”, 24” x 14” (note: 24” kick drum does not come with a tom mount)
Rack Tom – 8” x 7”, 10”x 7”, 12” x 8”, 13” x 9”, 14” x 10”
Floor Tom – 14” x 14”,16” x 16”, 18” x 16”
Gong Drum – 20” x 14”
There’s only one option for a snare drum, which is the usual 14” x 5.5”. There are several options for kicks, rack toms, and floor toms. There’s even a gong drum!
This is the first line of drums I have seen that offers a gong drum at this price point. Previously, I’ve only seen them offered for higher end, or custom ordered kits. I plan on getting one, and I won’t have to convert a kick drum into a gong drum, I can just buy an actual gong drum!
The kick drum comes with mini muffler pillow that attaches to the inside of the drum with velcro, which is very convenient. In the past, I’ve used a piece of foam that was folded up and sat wherever inside of the drum. This mini muffler is about the same size, but it looks nicer and it can attach securely.
Shell Packs / Prices
The Pearl Decade Maple kit has four different shell packs available. All shell packs come with the appropriate tom holders. Any rack toms that are purchased individually do not.
3-piece shell pack (24” kick) – $559
5-piece shell pack (20” or 22” kick) – $699
7-piece shell pack (22” kick) – $949
I wanted a 20” kick, so I bought the 5-piece shell pack with the 20” kick drum ($699), added on an 8” rack tom ($100) and 16” floor tom ($222) for $1,021 total. I did have to pay just a little bit more. The difference in price was only $72, but since I already had a few custom designed 20” kick drum heads, I wouldn’t have to buy more of those. In case you aren’t familiar, custom designed kick drum heads are around the $125 mark.
Shells
As the name implies, these 6-ply shells are 100% maple. Each ply is .9mm, making the shell 5.4mm thick, or thin, if you like. These shells are made using Pearl’s Superior Shell Technology (SST) method, and utilize scarf joints. The shells are also very smooth. These are all indications of high quality craftsmanship that I was pleasantly surprised to see on a kit this affordable. Thin, light, and made of maple, these drums produce a round and open sound with a nice, warm tone.
The snare is bright and responsive. The kick is punchy. The 8” rack tom has 4 lugs. The 10” and 12” rack toms have 6 lugs. The 14” and 16” floor toms also have 6 lugs. The snare drum and kick drum have 8 lugs.
Finishes
There are currently eight finishes available, with a variety of gloss and matte lacquer options. The kick drum hoops come with a matching finish. I chose Gloss Deep Red Burst. I could tell you how beautiful this finish is, but I’ll let this photo do the talking instead.
Hardware
1.6mm Steel Triple Flanged Hoops
NDL Lugs
R40 Air Suspension Floor Tom Feet
Die-Cast Claw Hooks
Uni-Lock Gearless Tom Arms
Opti-Loc Suspension System
The hoops are thin and allow the heads to resonate freely. The lugs are, well, lugs. They are a little on the blocky side, but at the same time, smooth and curved enough not to stick out like a sore thumb. The floor tom feet have gaps in them to provide a cushion of air that allow the floor toms to resonate a little more. The claw hooks for the kick drum are lined with rubber to protect the hoops.
The Uni-Lock gearless tom arms really stood out. My previous kit had an L-rod ball-in-socket tom arm, and it liked to droop over the course of a performance. Even when I had it as tight as it could go, it would still droop. I didn’t like that at all. I was thrilled to find out these don’t have that issue. I loosen it with a drum key, set it where I want, tighten it, and it stays. A few hours after playing, and it’s still there. I don’t worry about a tom or two falling down and putting a nick in my kick drum hoop.
When I first saw the Opti-Loc, it reminded me of the Pearl ISS mount. Then I thought of the Pearl OptiMount, then a combination of the two. The Pearl Opti-Locs mount on two tension rods on top (like the OptiMount), and there is a third mounting point on an air vent (there are two on these toms) at about 1/3rd of the way from the bottom of the tom. The tension is more evenly distributed.
Pair the Opti-Loc and Uni-Lock systems together, and you have a sturdy drum that only moves in the way you want it to.
Heads
The Pearl Decade Maple kit comes with Remo UT heads. The snare and tom heads are Ambassadors. The kick head is a Powerstroke 3. Well, the UT versions of them, anyway. The snare head is coated, while the tom and kick heads are clear. The kick drum resonant head comes with a port hole for adjusting the muffler, or for setting up a microphone.
The heads themselves are very thin. I didn’t spend a whole lot of time with getting the heads on and tuned up, maybe an hour total. They do sound decent, if you choose to use them for a while until you get new heads.
Demonstration
For this demonstration, I used 2 overhead Audix F9 microphones. I used no EQ or compression. I wanted the drums to sound as authentic as possible to give you an idea of what they sound like out of the box. I did have to tune the floor toms up a little bit for the overhead mics to pick them up, otherwise they sounded too thuddy.
Here’s a video of the Pearl Decade Maple kit in action. This was at the Cavalier Theater in La Crosse, WI. The only microphone used is the one that was attached to the camera. I am using Aquarian Drumheads; Texture Coated, Hi-Performance, Response II Coated, Classic Clear, Super Kick II, Regulator.
Final Thoughts
At this price point, I was surprised to see the quality and the features that would normally be found on more expensive kits. The stock hardware is solid, but can be switched out based on preference. For the floor toms, snare, and kick drum, the number of lugs may pose an issue if you want to tune very high or very low. I tune my toms and kick drum to what I feel is medium tension, with my snare on the medium-high side. I do not have any issues with warping or any uneven tension.
After six months and several shows, I can say with confidence the Pearl Decade Maple is an excellent kit that will serve a gigging drummer well. I rarely use all 7 pieces at once. I will if I’m filling in for a band that plays metal or a wide variety of genres. I typically play two up, one down for country, and one up, two down for rock, but it is nice to have options. I plan on getting the 18″ floor tom in the near future. I’m going to add them to the left of my hi-hat with a either a piccolo snare or a really deep mahogany snare.
Thank you to SSE Music of La Crosse, WI for ordering this incredible drum kit for me!
Originally Published – 6/4/2018