The oldest Pearl drums I have seen had "stick chopper" double flange hoops,not stick savers. This badge preceded the script badge.I cannot say if it's a fifties drum,but if it is it's a rare survivor.Actually,the '66 catalog shows the same badge on the steel snare and club date style drums,and the same stick saver rims.

looks like that badge with the capitals is shown as a 50's badge from what i read now.

the badge below i have listed as a 50's badge as well. it looks a little different though.

mike

According to this forum. The oval badge was used through the 50's and 60's the difference is in the "earl". 50's is capital lettering "EARL" and 60's is cursive.

According to vintage drumatix (est.1997) this oval "red P" is a 50`s badge and the rarest pearl brand you can find, and the one you show was put on all brands from the 50`s to 65ish and then continued on low end and jr. models up to 1973.

I don`t know how accurate this info is !i

It doesn`t say ..Made in Japan on it !i

yeah...heres the info from this site...

http://www.vintagedrumguide.com/pearl_badges.html

it doesnt even show that badge that i included in my first post though.

mike

Wow. I thought it would be a lot easier to figure this stuff out. haha. The tom was stuffed with newspaper from 1970. Not that that means too much, except it was more than likely 1970 or before. The heads I don't think were original. It had a no name calfskin on bottom and a ludwig Weather Master on top. Also, the mount looks to be 50's or 60's. I don't remember seeing this style mount on a 70's drum.

Mike's badge is the earlier of the two block letter badges (Made in Tokyo). Oddball's pic shows a much later, late 60s early 70s wrap.

Mike, the badge you show is the real 1950s Pearl badge..Pearl used two types of these badge's in the 50's...Mikey

Hate to say this but this page is wrong on most of the dates.The rectangle badge is A.K.A. " the Premier copy badege" Pearl used that for a few years 1963-64 sold only in Japan...Mikey