To be honest, I've never seen a 1950s Pearl drum, but I think almost all of the MIJ items back then were made of luan. Then again, I'm no expert.

Alex

prove they exist, then have a look inside

The earliest Pearl set I have seen was not much different than the early 60's ones except in detail. It had spurs and a cymbal arm like 50's Ludwigs, a sort of clamping affair that did not look too practical. The particular set I'm thinking of was listed on 3bay a while ago-red sparkle 4-piece with all the original hardware.

Pearl did indeed make drums during the 1950's, but did not export them until 1957 and then most likely in tiny quanities. It wasn't until 1961 when they built their 15,000 square foot factory for mass producing drums did they begin to export drums in earnest. So anyone who has seen a pre '61 Pearl drum has either seen it in Japan or has seen a very rare thing indeed.

FWIW, I knew the family of an Air Force pilot who had been stationed in Japan in the early '60's and who brought home a Pearl kit when they moved back to the States.

This surely happened with other servicepeople as well. One of the unofficial perks of being a military officer, especially a flier.