Pearl did, in fact, have labels that read "All Maple Shell". I have quite a few older Pearl catalogs and will check this out. In the meantime, I'll be calling Pro Drum for some info on this kit. Stay tuned!

I know they did. I just don't know if they were made before or after Buddy Rich's death...

OK, just got off the phone with Jerry at Professional Drum Shop in Hollywood. I've been visiting there for decades. A great place to hang out! I'll sum up what Jerry told me:

Pearl did, in fact, try to get Buddy as an endorser around 28 years ago, which would be about 1983. Two kits were made for Buddy. The tags on the drums only said "All Maple Shell", which was just before they began to market them as MLX, BLX, etc. The first kit, with a 16x26 bass drum was played by Buddy at an Academy Awards show or something similar. Buddy didn't like where the tom mount on the bass drum was positioned! You know Buddy with these things! That kit was at Pro Drum, but "disappeared" shortly after and is most likely in the hands of someone in Florida. The second kit, which is the one up for sale on CL, was never played by Buddy, but was made for him. Yes, that second kit has a 16x24 bass drum. Each kit contained only one floor tom at the time. Jerry informs me that this kit was sold to the first owner for around $1000. The second owner is the one selling the kit on CL.

So, it appears that Pearl did try to entice Buddy over to them! I'm glad to know that Buddy really dug the beautiful RK kit from Joe MacSweeny of Eames Drums.

Wow, so someone on CL was actually telling the truth!!!

Wonders never cease...

I could have seen Pearl trying to snag Buddy Rich- after all, they were on their way to becoming (at one time) the biggest drum name on Earth. Snagging Buddy would have been a history-changing thing for them.

Thanks for the legwork and info!!!!

There are tiny grains of reality in many absurd stories. When CBS was offering its Fender division for sale in 1984, there was one little importer of crappy cheap Asian copycat guitars who was circulating the rumor that they had made a bonafide offer to buy the Fender company. The truth was that this little company did, indeed, offer CBS an amount of money insufficient to buy even the inventory of picks and strings. But, it was an offer. At the time, when my music store owner customers would tell me that their Hondo guitar rep said that his company was buying Fender, I would smile, and say: " Yep, they made an offer that was almost as good as the $2500 I offered IBM to buy their company". Soon after that silliness, Fender employees under the leadership of Bill Schultz, bought the company from CBS. We did make some prototypes for artists who indicated some interest in an endorsement. Our artist relations people--all three of them--did not stalk artists like the small armies of star f__kers that some other guitar companies had chasing the artists. We actually loved it when someone known for playing a les Paul or an Iceman through a Marshall would show up on Austin City Limits playing a Tele through a Twin Reverb. We also took no offense when Clapton or SRV would be seen using a 335 or a Rick 12 string through an old Supro amp.

it could be possible. companies try to get artists to use their gear all the time. of course the real value would be if he played them.

i'm selling many custom ahead drum sticks made for alex van halen. ahead tried to get him as a endorser. and when i went to the band's storage place (thru my old boss) there was a peavey kit there. from what i heard he almost crossed over. can you imagine avh on peavey?

i heard many stories of artists or musicians who play(ed) for prince, and when they went to his place and he has a room filled with gear, halls lined with gear and all in the hopes to get him to endorse them.

It really does not matter much what gear the artists play on their records (CDs, etc,). What matters most to instrument manufacturers/distributors is what they are seen playing. Witness ZZ Top. Billy and Dusty play some bizarre custom instruments onstage and in the videos. Their recordings are usually made with trusty old vintage Gibsons and Fenders. Pro players know this. the general public does not. Some artists like Clapton, John Mayer, Santana will play onstage what gear they feel is best suited for a particular song for a particular venue. These choices can change at a sound check. You can see some artists two consecutive nights in different venues, and they will choose different gear each night. Top name drummers are generally not into all of that. But, the board operator will tweak the same drum set differently for each gig. Therefore, drum manufacturers get more consistency in the representation of the endorsement drums, cymbals, and hardware. I don't want to get started on the techie sh!t. The keyboard players are squirrely beyond imagination when it comes to their machinery. How many new synths or synth modules does one techno nerd need to make the same Rhodes, Wurlizter, Hammond B3, Leslie, grand piano, celeste, and walrus gas passing sounds?

Weirdly enough, the road is a time for experimentation for many pro musicians, as I have found. After all- how many different Wolfgangs did Eddie play? I saw him with one of the more finished Wolfgangs, but there were stenciled numbers and the like on his prototypes throughout the tour. This is just an example. Eddie probably has a main squeeze guitar he plays in the studio.

I know how much I love my mongrel Premier kit. Would I take it on the road? Hell no!!!! But I wouldn't mind getting something road-worthy made sounding nearly like my studio kit. If I trigger my sino OCDP kit with samples, I could make it sound like my Premier kit in the mix...

As far as endorsements go, as long as the logo is clear and visible, it's cool. I rode bikes that DEFINITELY were not the brand in question; but my local printer had the font correct and made CERTAIN that I was riding Brand X (not the real name), even if it was a flat black rattle-bombed Brand Y item that was Brand X via the local print shoppe.

I tried getting a very attractive lady triathlete to use my composite products. She sent the item BACK!!!! Ouch...

Most of the time, most people who are in a position to make a name for your product keep it and never even say yeah or nay. Kinda butt-hole-ish, if you ask me...

In that way, I am glad I am not doing that stuff any longer. But the itch is there to make drums as soon as my non-compete expires...

Hey- back in the late 70's, Buddy walked past my dad's car in the parking lot at Meadowbrook Theatre in Michigan. Dad's car was for sale at the time, and Buddy actually glanced in our direction. I now own the car, which is for sale again.

Shoot me your best price.

jim