Pearl project completed!

Bo Eder

Platinum Member
So I finished a little drum project I started a few weeks ago. I acquired a 14x26 Pearl Challenger marching bass drum and decided to pair it up with a couple of other Pearl shells I had lying around. When I got the bass drum, it's wrapped white cortex was damaged and clearly yellowed by years of abuse in the sun. But an inspection of the maple shell revealed it was all cosmetic. The edges and roundness were good. I was totally gonna leave the way it was, but I thought the best of it and decided to put in the time to make it nice.

I contacted Sam at Jammin Sams and got a hold of some black wrap and with his instructions in hand, decided my first go at re-wrapping a shell. I didn't get the wrap on completely tight, but with all the hardware on, it's hardly noticeable. So on this bass drum I replaced the long lugs with Session Custom lugs to match my other two toms, and installed some old SP-30 spurs from another bass drum I had.

I'm ready for some Zeppelin now. The kit itself is a 10x14 rack tom, and a 16x18 floor tom, with the 14x26 bass drum. I keep debating getting into 15" snares, and I may want to try that in the future. But here's what the drums look like now, on their second life!

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It looks like a perfect match, great job!

Does it sound different in any way, given that it's a marching bass? I'm curious if there are any key differences between regular bass drums and marching bass drums.
 
I didn't play it when I acquired it as a marching bass. It seems to be your standard 5- or 6-ply wood drum and I just tuned it according to what I expect to get from a 26" bass drum. It delivers the Bonham-type sound, and is just a huge sound overall. I'm using a PS3 on the batter side and a Evans EQ3 on the front with nothing in it, the drum is tuned down a bit and it shakes the walls.
 
Wow that does look great Bo. Does the 26 in play much more different than a 24 in. ? I bet it has a nice "tone" even with it shallow?
 
Excellent job!

Was is difficult mounting the spurs? Was there a template of some sort you used?
 
Wow that does look great Bo. Does the 26 in play much more different than a 24 in. ? I bet it has a nice "tone" even with it shallow?
It does feel different compared to a 24 (i’ve Had a 14x24 too), but not too different. I do like it 14” deep though - it doesn’t seem outrageously boomy.
 
Come on Bo - if you get a 15" snare, you'll be itching for a 16, so you might as well jump straight to that. ?

Oh - and the drums look good. I'll bet they sound good too.

I got a line on one of those 6.5x15 snares, but none of my current Pearl snare stands will open up that wide. So I ya e to get a new stand too. Not sure I want to do that. Actually, my Gretsch COB sounds awesome with these anyway.
 
Bo, what's the approx. cost for the black bass drum wrap from Jammin Sam?

I also noted he sells drum heads, are they private label ? (very inexpensive, have you tried them?)
 
Bo, what's the approx. cost for the black bass drum wrap from Jammin Sam?

I also noted he sells drum heads, are they private label ? (very inexpensive, have you tried them?)
Total on the wrap for that big was about $90 (total). I never tried the heads. I’m in SoCal so there’s no shortage of places to get drum expendables.
 
Nice job, i wrapped a kit using Jammin Sam's green sparkle wrap. I also used Precision Drum wrap on a large kit. This uses the "glue" to apply. What a painstaking operation that was. I like the tape option a lot better to apply.
 
Nice job, i wrapped a kit using Jammin Sam's green sparkle wrap. I also used Precision Drum wrap on a large kit. This uses the "glue" to apply. What a painstaking operation that was. I like the tape option a lot better to apply.
Yeah - it I wanted it all glued, I have a guy who’s good at that and he gets the job. I don’t think the Sams way is bad - just so long as I keep it from cooking in the hot sun, it should be good for years. If I do big festivals outside, I’ll use my natural maple Pearl Reference kit.
 
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