Hi EasternDrummer.

You may have your answer by now, and if not I suggest you head over to the Pearl Drummers Forum and they will sort you out.

I can't give you a definitive answer, but can perhaps give some pointers. I reckon you could have a very early Export, which was offered in this colour wrap, BUT the sizes and especially the (original) virgin bass drum make me unsure about that. Why a possibility? Made in Taiwan, the tom mounts, which are similar to the lower end mounts offered late 70s into very early 80s, the painted interior, almost certainly over Luan (or whatever wood they had), and the badges. Late 70s badges were plastic (see pic from my 78-79 kit). Yours look like flat metal. If they were Maple they would have 'Maple' written underneath. I think Exports were offered from '82 which may not fit your timeframe.

Another option would be a later 'Select Wood' series, pre Export, but again the undrilled bass is a mystery (very few upper end configurations had that and I don't know of any lower end). 'Select Wood' in the W Series kits meant, usually, Luan, and at the lower end of the range. As far as I am aware, they weren't painted, though, but they might have started doing that by '81. The tom mounts and badges are, whichever series it is, saying lower end, early 80s (81 would fit), perhaps pre Export. Pearl did do a bit of mixing and matching at crossover points. Still would expect a bass mount though!

Sorry, but I'm fairly sure they're not maple - you'd have a badge saying so, the shells wouldn't be painted (thin transparent lacquer, maybe), or if they were the older 70s maple series, the older badge (see pic) and upgraded mounts.

The Luan would still give you a nice warm tone with good heads. They weren't wood snobs yet at that time - it was just a cheaper wood. Many vintage Ludwigs had part poplar shells, after all. Still sounded great. Think some of their top end drums still do, actually, and poplar is also 'cheap'. In the late 70s Pearl's top of the line shells were wood-fibreglass, nominally above the maple kits!

Pearl gave names to their kit configurations, of which there were many, and which tended to come in one or more different shell materials (wood fibreglass, maple and 'select wood' for example). These names changed frequently, and kits of the time don't always match the catalogue!

Nice kit - bet it's thunderous in those sizes!