This was my first proper new drum kit, ( my first kit was a new sound from a catalogue) sounded really good and lasted me a long time,, I then got a second hand Pearl mlx kit,, kept the export and then my lad played it in his band,,,good memories! 👍👍😁
Have this same series same color but with the massive 13” 14” rack toms and a beautiful 18” floor Tom. Currently converting the 18” into a kick with the 13” on a snare stand and 14” with floor Tom legs. Not so much a cocktail kit but a mini power tom kit.
I’ve owned my #66 wine red export kit since 1991. My parents bought it for my first new kit for Christmas. They said if I stuck with drums for 10 years, they’d buy me a new kit. Lol believe it or not I started playing at age 3
1991-1994 Had 8-ply Mahogany Luan and 1-ply Inner Birch. I heard from someone who said he is expert lol. I can't verify personally. He said those are the best years for Vintage Export's. A 9-Ply Starter drum is rare.
Yup this kit was bought new in 91 but predates that. The “high tension style” lug casing is from about 1988. Chrome hoops and the old style cast logo on the Omni sphere cymbal tillers are a good giveaway. Around this time pearl released the forum series five piece pre packaged kit that was kinda what the export used to be because the Export kept going up in price (and features)
As a Pearl fan and kit owner, I think you gave a really thoughtful overview. I remember when Modern Drummer reviewed this kit and loved everything except the snare, which they said that “…it’s good if you’re a fan of Alex Van Halen’s sound.”. I always thought that was funny and a little snooty at the same time. Your comments about using suspension mounts and then adding muffling were spot-on. The only muffling I ever use is in my bass drum, and that’s not much. I’ve spent many years learning how to tune properly rather than hide behind tape or Moon Gel.
Excelent review. The information you gave us is really valuable since it’s been kinda hard to find info about these kits. I own an Export Pro Series and love how it sounds, however it’s not comfortable to play it since it’s just too big. Thanks for the video man, I really enjoyed it and learned about the kit👍🏻
Export pro was pretty much the same except they came with double braced stands, “hammer head” drumheads, black painted metal bass drum hoops, and later used the pearl IMS mounting system. the hoops originally were too thin and bent from the mounts so later they upgraded the hoops to a thin key gauge. I think export pro also added 16x20” bass drums and 14x16” mounted toms to the line up.
@@awesomefanger I have a BLX Pearl drumkit from the 1980's and it is a lacquered finish painted in a blue color. These drums sound awesome and I love them. They look just like Pearl Exports but they are more professional. Pearl later came out with the Masters Series in the mid to late 1990's and replaced the BLX series.
Hotters 7060 when I was 16 I wanted to buy a blx kit (13/14/16/18/24/24)that was used at a local shop, ended up with the Yama turbo tour instead. Pearl lacquered their drums inside as well and those drums had tons of sustain.
@@awesomefanger Pearl also came out with lacquered MLX kit too. Those drums from the 1980's were made of maple wood and the Pearl BLX were made of Birch wood. Both of these drums sounded awesome. I have a question was the Yamaha turbo that you had lacquered also??
Lol my first kit was a Tama Rockstar from 1997. It sounded dead. A few years later I got a late 90s or early 2000s Pearl export, just before it was discontinued. It is very loud and very bright! Also has been very reliable!
I believe the rockstar series by 1997 was made in Taiwan and were Philippine mahogany. so it’s possible they are the same shells used in the earlier exports (without the birch inner ply) Tama rockstarDX and pro up to around 1991 were made in Japan and had basswood shells in the Xtras sizes (11x12 12x13” etc) I will agree they are generally more dead probably because of the heavier hardware, fully glued wrap and deeper shells. I just wanted Tama because all the Metal guys played them and all the hard rock guys played pearl.
I got one of these for free from my old high school a year ago they had it sitting in an abandoned room for years and I would go play it sometimes and then it was mine lol
I’m trying to find out a little more about my kit. It’s exactly like this but in black. I also have a 5.5x14” snare that looks similar but the “pearl export series” plate is bronze. Think the snare might be from an earlier export kit. Any info would be appreciated.
All the 70s Pearl export we sold were black back in the day. These days you can buy 2 entry level maple kits of another brand for the same price they sell his crap for.
Chrome hoops on the bass drum look so much better than black hoops imho. I have this kit from a few years later and it’s still going strong. I got it second hand and so I didn’t get to choose a colour, which is unfortunate because it’s a drab grey-navy colour. Planning to rewrap it but the cost is just ridiculous. Great video anyway! Cheers
Yup. I wanted a tama granstar back in the 80s. I was a kid and only could afford the tama rockstar dx! I wanted a rock mirror chrome wrap. Only made for 3 years. But in 1990 the long lugs were introduced! And that's what j wanted. But couldn't even afford that. I had a Frankenstein kit.
These scimitars aren’t even lathed underneath, the later versions with the cursive logo were and in my opinion sounded better but seemed a little less durable.
Good play; I noticed you were summoning songs that you knew, as we all do. I also noticed your face after playing the cymbals. Yes, Zildjian had some entry level "diamonds". And I will quote someone else who said, "You smash those once they will become Chinas". However, please don't use the beginner pack cymbals as a reflection on the 90s Export Taiwan series drums. As many have said, there were millions made, and they are tanks with the right heads and tuning. Very reliable, and very popular. Yes, Japanese ergonomics were not correct. For kick drum mounted toms you would need to be 7 feet tall to accurately arrange them. Perhaps the Japanese think we are 7 feet tall... Can everyone afford a Gretsch? or even DW? No, and certainly not then. I have a set and they still sound good with the right TLC. With the right heads, cymbals, and arrangements, these junk drums can sound exceptional.
I will be gigging this set on Friday as a four piece. As far as the cymbals, i am very familiar with the scimitar bronze, including the later versions. I think these sound better than the ZBT and ZXT cymbals.
I have the 2000s kit you’re talking about. When the toma are in tune they sound good, though very bright with a lot of attack. Unfortunately the ones with the isolation mounts go out of tune a little after a week or two of playing, but weather changes will do the same
I don’t have the iss version but do recall that people who got the first run were bending the hoops, later pear put heavier hoops to fix this. My big problem was you had to put the toms all the way at the end of the tom holder to not have it hit the shell when it bounced.
Lol I think this is the drumset our school has. It is really dark green, almost black. Idk if it is the same drum set, because the badges say "Pearl Export Series."
There was a change in the 90’s to a slightly more curved lug casing and the badges have an oval in them with the logo. I often see these drums mixed in with an older export set as from a distance they look about the same.
Este video me hizo amar aun mas mi kit de (pearl export), a mi me suena de maravilla! Y no le pongo absolutamente ningún ahogador, ni moongel, ni nada! Y asi suena bien , sonido (gordo) sustein agradable y suficiente, ataque y volumen muy buenos!
Enter Sandman for a very era appropriate demonstration. I might be going to look at one of these tomorrow but I think the toms have the mount that connects to 2 top lugs, I had an emerald green set with those.
@@jessejafrnd yeah they did say pro but could have dropped the name later on. The year they introduced export pro, the put Ferrari red in that line only and only had cardinal red in the standard export line.
@@awesomefanger I suppose these could be Cardinal red.. all the tension rod hardware has this sweet black rubber trim around it that really pops. I'm pretty fired up about getting this old kit.
Nice video I grew up around those drums back in the day played guitar back then. I have the newest version I guess of your kit. Export in Honey Amber Laquer 22 double bass 8 10 12 13 14 16 toms. love it. Black Remo Emperor batter heads and Black Ambassadors on the bottom side. Ludwig 402 snare with a Ambassador X Batter on it. Both Bass drums have EMAD batter heads and no pillows inside. Tell ya what for a cheap kit and some good heads can't go wrong the the Export. Again nice video really enjoyed it. Keep up the good work.
@@awesomefangerthanks for the response ! Looking forward to seeing your exports rewrapped… no bubble on this end … I already put a ding on the Tom but it doesn’t affect the sound just the esthetic …
Seriously, with the right heads don't need the ISS mounts and maple shells, etc. Won't really hear the difference. However, I would always go with a high end snare. Cheap snares don't cut it.
Hi, could you give some suggestions of drumheads for this kit? In fact, I am guitar player, and bought one for my home Studio. Thanks and greetings from Brasil
I used cs black dots. They are essentially ambassadors (1 ply) with a tone control dot in the middle. If you use ambassadors they will have extra ring. I usually use clear emperors (2ply) on top with ambassadors on the bottom. Kills the overtones but is more resonant than the pinstripes. That’s just my opinion.
I have the banana 🍌 yellow early nineties export like this but I don't have a pearl snare. I put new pinstripes on top but don't like it, might go with coated emperors next time.
Make sure you stretch out those heads first. Pinstripes are a kinda you get what you get tuning range. Tuned high they don’t sound good at all to me. Emperors are my favorite. But get them smooth white, they always look new.
I had an early 80's Pearl Export set - the toms and bass drum sounded ok, but the snare was terrible, spent a lot of time trying to tune it, never could get a good sound at all. Also, it came with Camber cymbals, which sounded like trash can lids.
@@awesomefanger Agree - it did not have a good sound at all. I have to say, the quality of entry-level drum sets today FAR exceed the sound of the early 80's to 90's sets.
@@rcfred_689 just the same you have to know what you’re doing and what you’re going for as far as sound. Some of the modern entry level kits focus too much on hardware and have wet wood pulp for shells.
Omg I’m trying to wait for the review but what’s with the random stories? Idc about where your wife got it or your buddy’s highschool blah blah blah... wth man? I am 3 minutes in and still got nothing. Are you ever going to tell me anything ?
5 minutes in and still no comments on sound or even better... actual playing. You’re like a weird Star Wars toy collector talking about a toy. Do you even play ? Yeah I give up.
Super Glued yeah there are features on UA-cam that allow you to skip ahead. I'm sorry I wasted your time giving you information about the actual kit. It does say review. There are tons of videos of people just playing drums with no knowledge about what they're playing on.
First off my wife bought me this kit from one of her coworkers whom now has an electric kit. Second the nostalgia. There’s also something to be said for old dried out drum shells resonating better.
This drum kit will always have a special place in my heart
Instablaster.
The Honda civic of the drum world
I have a Honda civic and a pearl export 😑
Corolla
Toyota Corolla
Got this kit in wine red in 95 still have it . updated cymbals to the k series.Cheapest hobby Ive ever had. Its given me 100s of hours of pleasure
I still love tama ! Rockstar dx 1990. And the granstars. And artstars. And the early 80s superstars
I still play this kit, was my fathers he bought it new.
This was my first proper new drum kit, ( my first kit was a new sound from a catalogue) sounded really good and lasted me a long time,, I then got a second hand Pearl mlx kit,, kept the export and then my lad played it in his band,,,good memories! 👍👍😁
My first kit, exact model and colour, purchased new in 1989.
Sick audio clarity and great groovin’
Had the same kit, played a lot gigs and never let me down . The kcar of drums back in the day.
Have this same series same color but with the massive 13” 14” rack toms and a beautiful 18” floor Tom. Currently converting the 18” into a kick with the 13” on a snare stand and 14” with floor Tom legs. Not so much a cocktail kit but a mini power tom kit.
I’ve owned my #66 wine red export kit since 1991. My parents bought it for my first new kit for Christmas. They said if I stuck with drums for 10 years, they’d buy me a new kit. Lol believe it or not I started playing at age 3
I had this same kit. Birch inner ply. Artic white. Great sounding drums. Classic!
Birch inner ply......what are the other plys?
I just picked up this kit recently on the cheap. I think it has the Birch inner ply
1991-1994 Had 8-ply Mahogany Luan and 1-ply Inner Birch. I heard from someone who said he is expert lol. I can't verify personally. He said those are the best years for Vintage Export's. A 9-Ply Starter drum is rare.
Also they got rid of Chrome Hoop on Bass Drum so thats how you can tell. This one in this video has chrome hoop so pre 91.
Yup this kit was bought new in 91 but predates that. The “high tension style” lug casing is from about 1988. Chrome hoops and the old style cast logo on the Omni sphere cymbal tillers are a good giveaway. Around this time pearl released the forum series five piece pre packaged kit that was kinda what the export used to be because the Export kept going up in price (and features)
As a Pearl fan and kit owner, I think you gave a really thoughtful overview. I remember when Modern Drummer reviewed this kit and loved everything except the snare, which they said that “…it’s good if you’re a fan of Alex Van Halen’s sound.”. I always thought that was funny and a little snooty at the same time. Your comments about using suspension mounts and then adding muffling were spot-on. The only muffling I ever use is in my bass drum, and that’s not much. I’ve spent many years learning how to tune properly rather than hide behind tape or Moon Gel.
I looked up that MD article and it was pretty spot on. The same issue reviewed the CZX top of the line kit too.
Excelent review. The information you gave us is really valuable since it’s been kinda hard to find info about these kits. I own an Export Pro Series and love how it sounds, however it’s not comfortable to play it since it’s just too big. Thanks for the video man, I really enjoyed it and learned about the kit👍🏻
Export pro was pretty much the same except they came with double braced stands, “hammer head” drumheads, black painted metal bass drum hoops, and later used the pearl IMS mounting system.
the hoops originally were too thin and bent from the mounts so later they upgraded the hoops to a thin key gauge. I think export pro also added 16x20” bass drums and 14x16” mounted toms to the line up.
@@awesomefanger I have a BLX Pearl drumkit from the 1980's and it is a lacquered finish painted in a blue color. These drums sound awesome and I love them. They look just like Pearl Exports but they are more professional. Pearl later came out with the Masters Series in the mid to late 1990's and replaced the BLX series.
Hotters 7060 when I was 16 I wanted to buy a blx kit (13/14/16/18/24/24)that was used at a local shop, ended up with the Yama turbo tour instead. Pearl lacquered their drums inside as well and those drums had tons of sustain.
@@awesomefanger Pearl also came out with lacquered MLX kit too. Those drums from the 1980's were made of maple wood and the Pearl BLX were made of Birch wood. Both of these drums sounded awesome.
I have a question was the Yamaha turbo that you had lacquered also??
Hotters 7060 yes mellow yellow, birch and mahogany. Satin finish inside.
I have a review of the kit on my channel.
Lol my first kit was a Tama Rockstar from 1997. It sounded dead. A few years later I got a late 90s or early 2000s Pearl export, just before it was discontinued. It is very loud and very bright! Also has been very reliable!
I believe the rockstar series by 1997 was made in Taiwan and were Philippine mahogany. so it’s possible they are the same shells used in the earlier exports (without the birch inner ply)
Tama rockstarDX and pro up to around 1991 were made in Japan and had basswood shells in the Xtras sizes (11x12 12x13” etc) I will agree they are generally more dead probably because of the heavier hardware, fully glued wrap and deeper shells. I just wanted Tama because all the Metal guys played them and all the hard rock guys played pearl.
Minha Pearl export series 1995 preta é top!! Igor Cavalera fez um comercial com essa Pearl.
I got one of these for free from my old high school a year ago they had it sitting in an abandoned room for years and I would go play it sometimes and then it was mine lol
I'm Definitely love this kit. Maybe
I’m trying to find out a little more about my kit. It’s exactly like this but in black. I also have a 5.5x14” snare that looks similar but the “pearl export series” plate is bronze. Think the snare might be from an earlier export kit. Any info would be appreciated.
All the 70s Pearl export we sold were black back in the day. These days you can buy 2 entry level maple kits of another brand for the same price they sell his crap for.
Chrome hoops on the bass drum look so much better than black hoops imho. I have this kit from a few years later and it’s still going strong. I got it second hand and so I didn’t get to choose a colour, which is unfortunate because it’s a drab grey-navy colour. Planning to rewrap it but the cost is just ridiculous. Great video anyway! Cheers
Yup. I wanted a tama granstar back in the 80s. I was a kid and only could afford the tama rockstar dx! I wanted a rock mirror chrome wrap. Only made for 3 years. But in 1990 the long lugs were introduced! And that's what j wanted. But couldn't even afford that. I had a Frankenstein kit.
Sounds great. So big, warm and bombastic. Also, it's crazy how much better Scimitars sounded compared to the ZBTs and dare I say even the S line?
These scimitars aren’t even lathed underneath, the later versions with the cursive logo were and in my opinion sounded better but seemed a little less durable.
Does anyone know what wood they used to make them for export?
Philippine mahogany with one ply of birch on the inside.
Good play; I noticed you were summoning songs that you knew, as we all do.
I also noticed your face after playing the cymbals. Yes, Zildjian had some entry level "diamonds". And I will quote someone else who said, "You smash those once they will become Chinas".
However, please don't use the beginner pack cymbals as a reflection on the 90s Export Taiwan series drums. As many have said, there were millions made, and they are tanks with the right heads and tuning. Very reliable, and very popular. Yes, Japanese ergonomics were not correct. For kick drum mounted toms you would need to be 7 feet tall to accurately arrange them. Perhaps the Japanese think we are 7 feet tall...
Can everyone afford a Gretsch? or even DW? No, and certainly not then. I have a set and they still sound good with the right TLC.
With the right heads, cymbals, and arrangements, these junk drums can sound exceptional.
I will be gigging this set on Friday as a four piece. As far as the cymbals, i am very familiar with the scimitar bronze, including the later versions. I think these sound better than the ZBT and ZXT cymbals.
which tree has this drum pattern?
which toms sound better? The 90's toms from the kit you have in the video, or the 2000's export toms with the iss system and with the gold pearl logo?
I have the 2000s kit you’re talking about. When the toma are in tune they sound good, though very bright with a lot of attack. Unfortunately the ones with the isolation mounts go out of tune a little after a week or two of playing, but weather changes will do the same
I don’t have the iss version but do recall that people who got the first run were bending the hoops, later pear put heavier hoops to fix this. My big problem was you had to put the toms all the way at the end of the tom holder to not have it hit the shell when it bounced.
Does anyone know what wood they were made from? to these exports from the 90s
Philippine mahogany and one ply of birch on the inside.
I have that kit with 2 racks and 2 mounted floor toms snare and bass
Lol I think this is the drumset our school has. It is really dark green, almost black. Idk if it is the same drum set, because the badges say "Pearl Export Series."
There was a change in the 90’s to a slightly more curved lug casing and the badges have an oval in them with the logo. I often see these drums mixed in with an older export set as from a distance they look about the same.
Sound good
Este video me hizo amar aun mas mi kit de (pearl export), a mi me suena de maravilla! Y no le pongo absolutamente ningún ahogador, ni moongel, ni nada! Y asi suena bien , sonido (gordo) sustein agradable y suficiente, ataque y volumen muy buenos!
Enter Sandman for a very era appropriate demonstration. I might be going to look at one of these tomorrow but I think the toms have the mount that connects to 2 top lugs, I had an emerald green set with those.
That may be an export pro. Same shells, but double braced hardware and the ims mounts
@@awesomefanger Yeah, I got them. I.S.S Farrari Red. They just say Export Series made in Taiwan. Do the pros say "Pro" on them?
@@jessejafrnd yeah they did say pro but could have dropped the name later on. The year they introduced export pro, the put Ferrari red in that line only and only had cardinal red in the standard export line.
@@awesomefanger I suppose these could be Cardinal red.. all the tension rod hardware has this sweet black rubber trim around it that really pops. I'm pretty fired up about getting this old kit.
Nice vid
Nice video I grew up around those drums back in the day played guitar back then. I have the newest version I guess of your kit. Export in Honey Amber Laquer 22 double bass 8 10 12 13 14 16 toms. love it. Black Remo Emperor batter heads and Black Ambassadors on the bottom side. Ludwig 402 snare with a Ambassador X Batter on it. Both Bass drums have EMAD batter heads and no pillows inside. Tell ya what for a cheap kit and some good heads can't go wrong the the Export. Again nice video really enjoyed it. Keep up the good work.
My church had this same exact kit and color with Sabian b8 cymbals
My Jr. high had this kit in black with the split block lugs (1987 I believe) and a set of b8’s. These sets were EVERYWHERE.
our as well but the green one with vintage crash of avedis zildjians and one scimitar crash
How does this color look under stage lights??
Only had it out at one gig, daytime at a restaurant.
I just got this kit for $214 local musician friend shop was in a good mood mines a bit faded skin colors but sound still great
I’m going to rewrap some additional drums for this kit. Fade is ok, but bubbling is no good.
@@awesomefangerthanks for the response ! Looking forward to seeing your exports rewrapped… no bubble on this end … I already put a ding on the Tom but it doesn’t affect the sound just the esthetic …
Seriously, with the right heads don't need the ISS mounts and maple shells, etc. Won't really hear the difference. However, I would always go with a high end snare. Cheap snares don't cut it.
How big is the bass drum?
16x22’ standard for the era.
@@awesomefanger
not 18''x22 ''?
@@johnkramer6625 nope 16 was the new standard in the 80’s early 90’s
Hi, could you give some suggestions of drumheads for this kit? In fact, I am guitar player, and bought one for my home Studio. Thanks and greetings from Brasil
I used cs black dots. They are essentially ambassadors (1 ply) with a tone control dot in the middle. If you use ambassadors they will have extra ring. I usually use clear emperors (2ply) on top with ambassadors on the bottom. Kills the overtones but is more resonant than the pinstripes. That’s just my opinion.
This is the one i have
Think early ones had 10 lugs on basis drums
Yes, the very first ones with the grey sealer inside did. I believe they were just 5 piece kits with no add-on’s
I have the banana 🍌 yellow early nineties export like this but I don't have a pearl snare. I put new pinstripes on top but don't like it, might go with coated emperors next time.
Make sure you stretch out those heads first. Pinstripes are a kinda you get what you get tuning range. Tuned high they don’t sound good at all to me.
Emperors are my favorite. But get them smooth white, they always look new.
I had an early 80's Pearl Export set - the toms and bass drum sounded ok, but the snare was terrible, spent a lot of time trying to tune it, never could get a good sound at all. Also, it came with Camber cymbals, which sounded like trash can lids.
Yes the snare is a one trick pony. Just 80’s rock. like a baseball bat hitting a pile of leather jackets.
@@awesomefanger Agree - it did not have a good sound at all. I have to say, the quality of entry-level drum sets today FAR exceed the sound of the early 80's to 90's sets.
@@rcfred_689 just the same you have to know what you’re doing and what you’re going for as far as sound. Some of the modern entry level kits focus too much on hardware and have wet wood pulp for shells.
Japan made?
Maid in Taiwan. Hence the export name.
Cool
Omg I’m trying to wait for the review but what’s with the random stories? Idc about where your wife got it or your buddy’s highschool blah blah blah... wth man? I am 3 minutes in and still got nothing. Are you ever going to tell me anything ?
5 minutes in and still no comments on sound or even better... actual playing. You’re like a weird Star Wars toy collector talking about a toy. Do you even play ? Yeah I give up.
Super Glued yeah there are features on UA-cam that allow you to skip ahead. I'm sorry I wasted your time giving you information about the actual kit. It does say review. There are tons of videos of people just playing drums with no knowledge about what they're playing on.
Ne'er-do-well sorry man I was in a rotten mood that day. You did kinda go on and on but ... I over reacted. My bad.
Why would you play this when there are so many good Pearl kits and other great entry level kits about? Cheap and nasty.
First off my wife bought me this kit from one of her coworkers whom now has an electric kit. Second the nostalgia. There’s also something to be said for old dried out drum shells resonating better.
Well mark Kelly you're obviously a genius player so yes go with the best if you can afford it.
Well first off these drums sound great and second who the hell left you king to judge someone else’s taste in drums ??? Your an obviously an asshole