You`re correct on the Tiger`s Eye- started in 69 and ran for a few more years- this darker brown "tiger" seems more popular on these slightly later models. In this case- look at the tom mount- that one didn`t yet exist in 69. I do not have a 1970 catalog - only 66,68,69,72, (various pieces of cats from 73/74) and then 2 for 1975, 77, 79. The earliest this could be would be 1970- BUT they were not using that badge in 1970 yet- it began in 72 to the best of my knowledge. So the order of importance I am using to date these are like this (most important first to least).
1: tom mount style
2: badge design
3: bass drum spur design
4: wrap
5: lug design
6: drum sizes
7: associated stands
Hope I don`t sound snotty or tense- I just love dating this stuff. Here in Japan I spend hours a day dating the kits that roll through on auction. Comparing my dates to descriptions of them here in Japanese (helped alot by my wife!)
Here's a good example- here `s an unusal Pearl stencil kit under the name "Custom"- it's got the same tom holder as yours and the same lug design, yet it's set up for a single bass drum pipe and double tom holder branching up. That double tom holder was only found on the Thunderking models for a few years and was the first way Pearl mounted two toms on the bass drum. Yours goes to an actual 2-holed bracket on the bass drum which came in around 72/73 (to the best of my knowledge). This is not a Thunderking copy exactly because Thunderkings never had a cymbal arm bracket on the bass drum (because it was intended to hold two toms) This Custom kit has two toms and a cymbal arm bracket- so a hybrid. I see this kind of cross outfitting on some stencils- like they were using extra parts. Your kit has a cymbal bracket so it's not a Thunerking- that points it to being a deluxe IMO. I place this Custom stencil at around 72 as well. Here you see the longer bass drum legs that came on Pearl Thunderkings and then Challenger and Downbeat kits also in the 71-75 range. Those look to be after market FT legs.
