Bo Eder
Platinum Member
Historically, the reason you see those Pearl-type arms everywhere is because everyone copied Pearl to begin with. Pearl in this respect is like Microsoft and Windows, either their copyright didn't stop people from infringing on the design, or they just licensed it to everybody who wanted it, I don't know. I think Pearl thought theirs was an improvement on the Rogers Memri-loc system, which was the same principle, but a slightly different and lighter design (very cool though on a nice Rogers Big R kit!).
And Pearl, like Nikon for cameras, may be stuck with it because so many people can continue to use the old stuff, or buy new stuff and it all works together. Not a bad scenario for a drum company. Ludwig did the same thing by staying with their designs for years too.
I agree with Carmine - everybody makes good drums. And all the good drums more or less fall in the same price range. Once you've saved up all your money, you might as well buy what you want, they'll all be good. Although until now (with those used Exports cluttering up my drum room), I've never owned a Pearl kit. I think what turned me off was my first summer marching with a drum corps and we were the first to get the first batch of Pearl marching drums. I hated them with a passion, they're were so badly designed and we had to modify parts or get new parts altogether. They'vesure come a long way in that department, though.
And Pearl, like Nikon for cameras, may be stuck with it because so many people can continue to use the old stuff, or buy new stuff and it all works together. Not a bad scenario for a drum company. Ludwig did the same thing by staying with their designs for years too.
I agree with Carmine - everybody makes good drums. And all the good drums more or less fall in the same price range. Once you've saved up all your money, you might as well buy what you want, they'll all be good. Although until now (with those used Exports cluttering up my drum room), I've never owned a Pearl kit. I think what turned me off was my first summer marching with a drum corps and we were the first to get the first batch of Pearl marching drums. I hated them with a passion, they're were so badly designed and we had to modify parts or get new parts altogether. They'vesure come a long way in that department, though.