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Reference 5-Piece Shell Pack

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Overview

Each drum is individually engineered to deliver tonal perfection.

This shell pack includes a 22" x 18" kick drum, 10" x 7" and 12" x 9" rack toms, and 14" x 14" and 16" x 16" floor toms.

Whoever said that beauty is only skin deep, didn't know anything about Pearl's Reference Series. These are drums with a rich inner beauty crafted by the artful blending of the finest birch, maple, and African mahogany.

What if each drum in your drum set was engineered as an instrument unto itself? What if each size of drum was designed to respond perfectly within the confines of its respective frequency without compromise over any other area of your kit? This is the mission behind the Pearl Reference Series. A complete set of individually engineered, incredible-sounding drums.

To fully understand the Pearl Reference Series, you must understand that the desired tonal characteristics of a 10" tom are completely different than that of a 22" bass drum. Thus, to use the same material in both drums would result in a compromise.

The Shells
Pearl Reference Series drums use a combination of task-specific bearing edges and 3 time-proven woods: birch, maple, and African mahogany. Using maple as a sole material has long been the traditional choice for shells and for good reason. Maple provides smooth, well-balanced tone that is perfect for a 12" tom. Subsequently, all Reference Series 12" toms are composed of 6 plies of maple, the only single-wood shell in the series. The 10" and 8" toms receive 4 plies of maple with 2 inner plies of birch for cut and attack. For maximum response, all 13" and smaller toms have rounded 45 bearing edges.

Beginning with the 13" and larger toms, mahogany is added to the inner plies to increase the lower frequencies and accentuate the warmth of the maple. The 14" toms and larger begin using fully rounded bearing edges for even more shell contact. 18" and 20" bass drums use 4 inner plies of mahogany with 2 outer plies of maple. As the size of the bass drums increase, so does the amount of mahogany. The 22" and 24" kick drums are made with an amazing 6 inner plies of mahogany surrounded by 2 outer plies of maple for the ultimate in solid, responsive bass frequencies.

With Pearl Reference, it's not about compromise; it's about every drum in your kit performing at its optimal capacity.

The Hardware
The same tireless pursuit of perfection that goes into Pearl's legendary drums is found in its hardware. This hardware was designed to maximize the sound of your drums. Pearl hardware has set a high standard for strength, durability, and innovation.

Lug design
Bridge-style lugs and floor tom brackets provide maximum resonance with minimal shell contact. Pearl's revolutionary BRL lugs assure the ultimate in head seating and tuning integrity. The unique swivel function allows the tension rods to align perfectly into the lugs so there's no lateral pressure against the hoops, thus assuring maximum resonance and sustain.

Bass drum claw hook
Pearl's kick drum claws incorporate rubber hoop isolators for scratch prevention on lacquered hoops, to provide evenly distributed clamping force for consistent tuning. The key bolts are recessed for a snag-free fit in carrying cases and to eliminate accidental detuning.

Floor tom leg brackets with air-suspended rubber tips
Full height adjustment with Pearl's built in memory lock keeps floor tom positioning perfectly set. Pearls' patented Air Suspension Rubber Tip allows your floor tom to rest on a cushion of air. These large rubber feet prevent premature sound decay from floor contact. Floor toms never had it so good.

OptiMount suspension system
The OptiMount Suspension System provides tom mounting with zero shell contact for ultimate resonance. By attaching to the tension bolts via isolated rubber bushings the shell is allowed to float which, in turn, allows it to sing to its fullest capabilities.

MasterCast die-cast hoop
Pearls' die-cast hoops offer state-of-the-art head seating and tuning capabilities thanks to its structural strength and precision manufacturing technique. The MasterCast Hoop system prevents binding and allows the shell to resonate to its absolute fullest potential.

Bass drum spur
Pearls' telescoping spurs feature rubber or spike tips for maximum traction control. The high-grip rubber tip can be retracted to allow a recessed spike to be exposed for maximum bite on carpeted surfaces.

Stainless steel suspension rods and bolts
Pearl's stainless steel tension rods are machined from a single piece of stainless steel to the most exacting tolerances in the industry. They feature super smooth and precise tensioning with absolutely no play. Each is matched with a precision-machined brass swivel nut for ultra-precise performance.

Cymbals, stands, and kick pedal sold separately.

Features

  • 22" x 18" kick
  • 10" x 7" and 12" x 9" toms
  • 14" x 14" and 16" x 16" floor toms
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