Gentleman, out of storage and after a VDF cosmetic restoration, this is my circa 1972 Pearl F-1S Artist –I think-- in WMP all fiberglass shells that my parents bought me in 1976 when a junior in high school. This was my trusty drum set for nearly 30 years playing semi-professionally in a 60’s cover/Beatles tribute band. I rarely used the 14 and 18 inch toms, though. While I can be a tinker-er, for some reason (and now obviously glad), I never touched the set-no mods, no holes, no upgrades, nothing, except a head change for the BD reso and 16 inch batter-all the rest are original Pearl factory heads. Can’t believe the heads lasted all these years. Pedals and hardware all original and in great shape. When I wasn’t gigging, the drums were stored in the cases in a climate controlled basement. The Jupiter 5X14 COB 10 lug was showcased in the snare gallery earlier this year. My camera has spruced up the WMP wrap somewhat as they have actually yellowed to a fair degree. It bothers me somewhat, but you guys here convinced me it is simply part of being “vintage.”

22” Bass Drum

13, 14, 16 and 18 inch toms

Jupiter snare

All original hardware.

14 inch New Beats, 16” Zildjian Crash and 20”Zildjian Medium Ride

MY STORY: How & When I got these drums.

If you have time for a somewhat lengthy read, read on and I’ll give you my best recollection of how I got my first “real” drumset.

I vividly remember the day I got this drum set. Having taken up the drums via formal lessons in 6th grade, by 1976, I was playing 1st snare in the school stage and marching bands and had begun gigging in what turned out to be a 30 year run at playing oldies-some not oldies yet when I first began! Most of my exposure to drums was in school. Our school district had some deal with the local Slingerland drum dealer so all of our gear during my junior high and high school years was Slingerland.

My parents finally gave into my relentless lament that I had out-grown my puny blue sparkle Zim-Gar set: that terrible sounding abomination with chince cymbals-soft brass clunkers with a sound similar to trash can lids. Ugh!, but that old set did have one good item I liked: a pair of 12 inch Beverly hi-hat cymbals that sounded quite pleasing. But the Zim-gars were purchased for me second-hand, had one miserable bent 10 inch bass drum mounted brass cymbal, a Slingerland hi-hat stand (probably of more value than the whole set) , and, of course, NO floor tom. There’s nothing more re-affirming of a lousy import set of drums than a set lacking a floor tom. Without a floor tom, I felt naked sitting behind that set. But I cut lawns, shoveled snow and baby-sat and was eventually able to have my much wanted Ringo set up. I got 2 floor cymbal stands and a perfectly matched no-name 14 inch floor tom from open stock in the Sears catalog! What luck, I remember thinking that Sear would have of all things, blue sparkle drums you could buy and add to your set…With the Monkees and bubble gum pop prevalent during the late 60s & early 70s, I know I put 100,000 miles on that set, but knew I wanted something better…something that had “the” sound I was hearing on those great records.

Having been struck with an unusual streak of envy, my buddies were playing the latest (mid 1970s) Slingerland and Rogers sets at the time and I loathed, and I mean hated bitterly that name “Zim-Gar,” as it sounded so foreign and tragically “uncool” to me. Knowing I could NEVER leave the house with them, I told my buddies I had a blue sparkle Gretsch. (Through this forum, I was finally-after a long search-able to learn that Zim-Gar stood for Zimmerman-Garfield and was the name of a music store in Brooklyn NY that imported what we now commonly call Pearl drums “stencil” sets). Seems I was destined to be a Pearl “man.”

The defining moment when the drummer’s cupid shot a Slingerland arrow right though my heart was when one of the guys in the high school had his drums set up in the middle school auditorium for a combined concert that obviously featured tunes that used a drum set. Since my bus got to school rather early, I went into the auditorium stage for the usual before-school band rehearsal and it was there that the angelic choirs began to sing from heaven! A complete shiny new Slingerland drum set in red tiger pearl was set up in the percussion section. And best of all: REAL ZILDJIAN CYMBALS!!! I could not even breathe! Never was there such a sight so grand in all the earth. Raised in a rather strict household, it was 100% unthinkable to touch something that didn’t belong to me. So a couple of my band buddies started arriving and knew my reputation of being able to play some of the basic rock beats. Rock & Roll beats---well this seemed very radical at the time as Sousa marches and structured drum cadences were all we played. After much prodding to act before the band director arrived, I reluctantly sat down and began to play. There is no doubt I thought I died and went to heaven….those drums were tuned perfectly and sounded wonderful-just like the drum sounds I was hearing in the pop tunes of the day that were forever floating around in my thick head. The boom of the bass drum, the crack of that COB snare and the perfect “chick” of those New Beat hi-hats, I had never heard anything so sweet to my ears in all this earth. So around the toms and some strikes on those Zildjian crash and ride cymbals, a Ringo fill here, a Seraphine fill there….I was on a plane where I never existed before, that is, until the guys came running in to alert me the band director was coming! I was Cinderella and the clock had just struck midnight.

For the next few days I couldn’t think of anything-not even girl body parts! At home I literally scoffed at or completely ignored my loathsome Zim-Gars.

It was a happy day when my folks took me to the music store on the west side of town. The occasion was a combination of my 17th birthday and an early high school graduation present. Never mind that we drove right past the city music stores that held the Slingerland, Rogers and Ludwig dealerships---didn’t matter because I was getting a new drum set today! While my memory has faded on exactly what was in the music shop that day, I recall walking through the front door and breezing right past a towering white marine pearl set that seemed to reach the store ceiling. No way—too mammoth. I’d have to throw out my bed to fit it in my bedroom, besides there was no way, not on my parents’ struggling budget. But I eagerly went right over to the smaller 12-14-20 sets from several makers, but NO Slingerland Red Tiger sets—no Slingy at all! Hmmmm. Darned if I can recall what set the salesman and my folks agreed on, but it had no cymbals and was pushing nearly $900 with throne, cases and cymbals until he directed my Dad to a set for sale on consignment. Yep-the towering white marine pearl set. “It’s a Pearl,” said the salesman…in 1976, who knew what a “Pearl” was? My heart sank-just another glorified MIJ—no Slingerland, Rogers or Luddies! I can remember the amazed look on my parents face when I broke into tears right in the music store. Bad move. Emotional “moments” were not tolerated in our house, let alone in public! The salesman, sensing trouble, ran to the back room and shortly re-emerged with the “deal.” For $500, the 6 piece Pearl set, Sling Relaxon Throne, hard cases and REAL ZILDJIAN CYMBALS (new beats, 18” sizzle and a 20 inch ride --all A Zildjians), could all be mine. Because the salesman assured my folks that this Pearl brand too was a “professional” set, brand names didn’t matter to my Dad-so just like that, the deal was done!

So off we went with this huge set crammed in our little 71 Dodge Dart. I can recall that my brand name disappointment was short-lived because my 16 year old heart was now set on getting home and getting set up. Ooooh, couldn’t wait to hear those Zildjians. But before I could begin set up-I was delayed by a firm “Gibbs” slap and a reprimand from my Dad over the emotional outburst in the music store-I had forgotten it, but obviously my Dad did not…but I did survive.. (If you don’t know what a Gibbs slap is, refer to TV show NCIS on CBS). I hastily put the set up in our basement and was suddenly tremendously puzzled. No wood? Plastic shells?---NO..it couldn’t be!!! Did I really just end up with an MIJ set made of plastic?? I was flabbergasted. How weird is that? Don’t they have trees in Japan? But let me make it clear: there would be no waves made about it to my folks. I knew from how I was raised, my parents wouldn’t think twice about loading the gear up and taking it back to the store banishing me forever to my much maligned Zim-Gars. So, pressing on in the positive, I knew I at least had new Remo heads, a cool looking heavy snare and THOSE cymbals. After hurriedly tweaking the throne and adjusting all those toms for my reach, compared to my tiny Zim-Gars, I felt like I was sitting in a canyon of drums. Huge!

Well, all my fears and uneasiness were relieved after I pulled out my trusty Ludwig 2B sticks and gave the first couple of strikes to the skins. THEY SOUNDED INCREDIBLE. The MIJ “plastic” drums did indeed deliver the sound! Not believing my ears, I gave every square inch of every drum a workout-even the reso heads. Even my Mom, seemingly nonchalant to all things drums, poked her head through the basement door and commented on the very rich sound. I managed the tedious task of relocating my “Soundesign” modular stereo system to the basement from my bedroom, slipped on my headphones, dropped the needle on the vinyl and the next 9 hours blew by until my Mom once again poked her head through the basement door and said it was 11PM, time to stop! I remember like yesterday the first two songs I played: with all those toms---More Than a Feeling by Boston, followed by Carry On Wayward Son by Kansas.

It was mighty fine to be back in heaven once again. Keep on Pl