THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL

No, this is not a piece about the Pirates of the Caribbean movie starring Johnny Depp.  This is a drum blog, dummy!  And although I really like that Disney film I am not obligated to discuss it here.  Try my movie blog over at www.mpmm-moviereviews.blogspot.com where such subjects are discussed in detail.

This particular post is presented to promote my recent purchase of a Pearl drum set.  While the last thing I need around here is another stinkin' drum set, especially one that needs major maintenance and repairs, I could not resist snagging this five-piece in order to help out my step-kid who needed some cash right away.  (He thinks I bought his kit, when actually I plan to hold on to it until he can buy it back from me, sort of a no-interest loan using the kit as collateral.)

Right off the bat I must admit that I really don't care for anything Pearl.  I honestly don't.  I don't like the look of the hardware, particularly the tom mounts, which to me look like too much tubing, almost like thick plumbing pipes.  I prefer Tama hardware, which is strong enough to hold up two toms, no matter what their size, with a single post.  The Pearl "double tom mount" style just seems like overkill to me, and adds to the number of "things" I have to angle and adjust.

Although the kick drum, snare and floor tom are all intact and sound good enough, the 12 and 13-inch tom-toms have no bottom heads.  I didn't think this would be much of an issue since I was given the rims with the kit.  I figured I could buy some new tension rods and put new bottom heads on these two drums, but after I set everything up, I realized the bottom lugs are missing as well.  This poses a major problem.  This means in order to restore these toms to their intended "double-headedness," I have to go in search of matching lugs that will fit the pre-drilled holes.  This might not prove to be so easy.

For the time being I don't have any plans for this kit other than dusting it off and cleaning it up a bit.  It's a good little beginner's set if I wanted to sell it, but I'm hoping my stepson will get his act together and find the desire to start playing again.  Until then, I am cursed with this black Pearl.  HA HA!  Couldn't resist.....