Pearl Decade 7-piece Shell Pack Review

[@alidisco]

Just hands down the very best drum product demos on the web.

[@tylerbailey9329]

This is straight-up one of the best kits I've heard in my life.

[@stevenfederico2594]

You need to get out more

[@NicholasDickinson]

Forget about how the drums sound (which is great), your playing is incredible as always!!

[@Avedis-G]

Man, I’m impressed. I’ve been a DW guy for 25 years but after selling my Collector Series last year I’m already looking for a new kit and a new sound. I’m also on a budget and these are by far the best sounding drums I’ve heard at this price point. It’s so helpful to have a good drummer and the same drummer testing out all the different kits! So easy to compare back to back! Thank you and keep up the great work!

[@deadshot4245]

Looking at my next kit and dw is so far out of a realistic price range. Pearl I find gives the most bang for the buck along side ddrum

[@chriswright8464]

I have the same drum kit in black ice, Fabulous.

[@aribenjamin3401]

I have watched this video so many times that I can anticipate 80% of what nick is going to say but this is just my favorite video

[@ColinWilliamsDrums]

Never get tired of seeing nick play

[@Danfromoverthere]

I just got this kit! But I actually don’t watch these for the products anymore I watch it to see Nick jam man! He’s awesome!

[@johngrahammusic9545]

thanks for reviewing this drum kit! a while ago I commented on the tama superstar classic video asking if you could review this kit, and here it is!

[@jjdente7666]

Nicks just amazing, love his groves and style.

[@wonderming1]

Sounds great. Good heads, good tuning, and let's not forget all the mics and studio processing.

[@jimmydunn2231]

Awesome video! Nice choice of cymbals, they was an amazing complement to the sound of the actual drum volumes. Definitely a home run on this video and your playing Nick!

[@derekotooleguitar]

Dear Mr. Nick D, It has occurred to me that there appears to be a hole or two in your hi-hat. Just a quick heads up, - Derek

[@marcsebastianacusar9044]

Not just 2, there's a Cajillion of them. That's an 18" Sabian Sick Hats. They are produced like that.

[@MalibuGlassMI]

Chineses cymbols...LOL

[@afischer9540]

I just like that sweetwater always sends me candy like I just brought my drum parts home from a parade, keep rockin' Sweetwater!!

[@EverythingisFire]

That section at 00:40-00:57, in particular, was sooo well done.

[@mattg7946]

I didn't know Tony Danza played the drums so well. On a side note I just ordered this kit because of this demo. Great job brother!

[@krak2121]

Nick, could you do a video on a Pearl Masters Maple Complete.

[@kylemelcher894]

I NEED that track in the intro. It’s SO groovy aghh

[@JimmerJamesKM]

My first time seeing one of your demo's! Excellent video! Superb drumming style to boot! Discovered you when I got a contest entry link for a new Pro Tools Recording system, from my son Devon in Florida! Then your guy Michael gave me a buzz today. I thought that was awesome! These Pearls really did sound great! I think I need to replace ALL of my drum heads after seeing this and the new band project from Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin and Rick Wakeman. Delicious sound overload! This Vid sounded great on new Bose Headphones too by the way. NICE recording!

[@LeSiZmOr]

Nick is on fire again!! Huge fan NDV!!!!!!

[@ledzeppelinfan12344]

since when is it okay to put only 6 lugs on a 16" floor tom

[@ChristopherSackett]

What do you mean? My kit has 6 lugs on all my toms, including the 16

[@billmint8122]

Yeah there's should be 8 for sure

[@jacobwalker9912]

Man my thoughts is that its not ok to do so and Pearl knows better than that petty shit. Dude i really wanted one of those. Oh Nick has that kit sounding nice though, but naw, i dont think it compare to my superstar classic 7 pc.

[@mattblack118]

I have a 16 with 6 lugs that sounds amazeballs. Less lugs means less tension and you can get a slightly deeper tuning. Hard to keep in tune tho. JMO

[@pikirea7403]

I love watching these videos with headphones on, sounds so nice !

[@aboutthemetal8783]

We need the drum companies out there to give us some deeper toms, lots of us don't like the short stack style or sound, you pretty much have to get a custom made drum kit and thats a hell of a lot of money, some people can't afford or don't want to spend 6/7 thousand pounds on a shell pack.

[@polyduckwanaland]

Yep. Idk where they get the impression that 16x16 floor toms are for rich people.

[@alexmanchester4218]

That intro was amazing

[@priceown]

What a great review, i'm definetly having this drums

[@XcluZiveBeats]

Nice great kit and video, but I love my Tama 7 piece superstar classic! Still smashed the like button nevertheless.

[@jackpytleski7750]

Keep coming back to the sound of this set.Like he said more bang for your buck.For under 1000.00,I'm a buyer no doubt.

[@dr.w1636]

Nicky is always so inspiring!

[@carlitobandito9420]

There is a small spelling error in the description: Menial - Byznace Extra Dry 18” China Either that or Menial is a new brand i've never heard of ;P

[@drumcatfairy77]

Meinl is how it is spelled....It is a German company....It is spelled correct....MEINL

[@acidrain812]

Talking about spelling errors but you misspelled "Byzance" 😂😂

[@jnfransoi6998]

Those hi hay cymbals always make me wonder what if your stick gets in one of the wholes

[@crazyjoedavola5430]

Holes?

[@itsjoeredula7]

Nick D'Virgilio is one lucky man!

[@markkeneson6806]

I would really like to see a comparison of the Pearl Decade Maple drum kit and the Ludwig Evolution Maple drum kit. They seem to be similar, and in the same price range, so it should make for a good comparison.

[@spencersher66]

Mark Keneson I want that also these are the two kits I'm debating between

[@daviddurant5655]

Mark Keneson I hope soon because I ordered the element maple kit from AMS

[@daviddurant5655]

I hope soon because I have ordered the element maple kit

[@charldaughter]

Those hats will always trigger my trypophobia

[@jacobpotts7954]

charldaughter What is that

[@erraticboss168]

Little Drummer Boy fear of lots of circles/close circles

[@jacobpotts7954]

The Erratic Drummer oh

[@ExplodingBody]

4:21

[@brettsenzer5902]

Lol

[@Youngl3lood3]

lmao, good one lol

[@callumj26]

😂

[@cantstopmike311]

Why is there not more demos, reviews of these!!!! Making it hard to decide what set to get next.

[@runningbull6178]

i just ordered these from sweetwater i am very interested to see how this company takes care of buisness on the shipping side this should be good will update soon im excited i just got dragged through the mudd by woodwind brasswind they sent me an incomplete set i ordered a 6 piece shell pack and got a five piece shell pack long story short it was a living nightmare still waiting on refund $943.00 looking forward to working with the pros at sweetwater 👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@8xtime]

I ordered this set from Sweetwater and I received it within 24 hours, free shipping, I've never had that kind of service from any other online retailer

[@runningbull6178]

Yep they do an excellent job of shipping i got my drums quickly solid work sweetwater 👍👍👍👍

[@leterrip4758]

Wow,thanks for reassuring me that sweetwater us good,im about to drop $1250 on a double bassed pearl export series

[@leterrip4758]

Wow,thanks for reassuring me that sweetwater us good,im about to drop $1250 on a double bassed pearl export series

[@runningbull6178]

These guys are solid

[@mattblack118]

What a fantastic drummer!

[@PedroDVC]

I really this guy! Great drummer and cool person!

[@allaboutthemetal3680]

If only drums were cheap in the uk , they are nearly exactly the same price in sterling as they are US dollars! Amazing demo vids dude

[@georgeb6300]

Ik it's so annoying 😂

[@sehunkim4849]

The cymbals sounds so good. Can I know the name of the product?

[@adriancartagena5034]

Wow, those drums sound great

[@Wannagobackto1980]

Getting ready to get me a set from Sweetwater. This set here but mine is gonna be YELLOW!!!!

[@sgtpepper1138]

How do you like it? Someone was commenting on the 16" only having 6 lugs, how does it sound?

[@Wannagobackto1980]

@@sgtpepper1138 awesome set!!! Love them.

[@truthweallknow]

I have a set of Pearl and I love them they're good drum set

[@leterrip4758]

As much as i love this drum set,NOTHIN BEATS A BLACK BEAUTY!!!!!!!!!!

[@brettsenzer5902]

let er rip The LP cowbell? I think you get more sounds out of this than that

[@Max-dd4ow]

I just bought a set, hope they are as good as they are in this video

[@tommo3378]

Trouble is Nick makes any kit sound good!

[@bailey12444]

Awesome as usual, stay healthy NIck thanks 🙏

[@ThomasMetal75]

I love Nick and his drumkit reviews, but take a drink every time in a review he says "very inspiring", or on tuning the drums, "went their naturally", or when he says the toms have a "nice interval from high to low", and take 2 drinks when he talks about finding your head combination to find your sound.

[@michaelanderson2881]

I clicked on the link for the kit and got this page: Mapex Saturn Evolution Workhorse 5-piece Shell Pack - Maple & Walnut - Gun Metal Grey

[@anthonyn1312]

You mean 14x5.5 matching snare drum on the decade Maple series from Pearl?

[@liambosch7477]

those are some sick hats!

[@vegasmarc21]

Sounds great. Great player.

[@astronaut2005drummer]

Great drum set!

[@malinwj1167]

Any opinions out there - this Pearl Decade Maple vs Tama Superstar Classic? I can't decide which is a better purchase.

[@roybeckerman9253]

Where does this model fit into the Pearl pecking order, from the top downwards,

[@FlawedReputation]

My man is a walking pocket!

[@sjang816]

is it just me or does this kit sound better than a lot of the higher end ones?

[@hughschultz9089]

Could be a bit to do with the high end microphones being used.

[@carterminton5458]

nycjin816 this kit is made with high end maple, I also think this sounds just as good at high end drums. these drums cost nothing for how good they sound. the mics probably effect the sound too.

[@sjang816]

carter minton exactly bro, in the 1000ish 7 piece kits there are many options, tama ss classic, pdps, gretsch Catalina's, and now pedal decade maples, which according to this vid, I am now leaning towarss

[@carterminton5458]

nycjin816 my freind has a gretsch Catalina and personally I think the decade sounds better.

[@ryana6961]

It's because they're tuned really well and they've been mixed and EQ'd. In person this kit sounds no where near as amazing as a Tama Star or DW Collector's.

[@SuperLoffe]

Will you be reviewing the Masters Complete as well?

[@tomeleefan]

Just curious, if this is a 100% maple kit, what is the major difference between this kit and say a reference or a masters series? You can buy this for 1k or a masters for 5-6k but doesn't seem like the sound of the shells would be that much different. Can anyone explain?

[@DoubleD_93]

Mainly the differences are in the rate of growth of material, the man hours put into the material, ability to customize, and location of manufacture. While the sound differences might be minimal, these overseas kits typically use fast growth timber, which is typically asian maple or birch. Higher end kits typically use north american maple, which has a more striking grain and is more expensive to harvest since it requires more nutrients and input to grow. Man hours are important because Reference/Masters series have a lot more attention to detail from expert craftsmen. The cheaper drums are made on a production line where machines replace a lot of the human work, and while quality control still exists, there's not as much pressure to strive for best quality vs. strive for a quota. Since it's a production line, they are much cheaper since parts are shared between lines. Customization is a further extension of man hours. Sometimes, these companies may need to create new jigs to make a custom drum size built to order, and it'll take 6 months. With cheaper drums, everything is a standardized size with no options to change any specs from the factory, so it's cheaper. Location of manufacture also plays a role in price. Chinese labor is cheaper than Japanese labor, and since a lot of these companies are Japanese based companies, their headquarters and expert craftsmen are typically in Japan, so they charge you for the "quality". Sometimes, you get the situation like Tama, who recently outsourced one of their top lines (Starclassic series below bubinga and Star series) to China while still charging the same price. Truth be told, with good QC, chinese craftmanship is pretty damn good, but some companies are still lacking behind on the QC, resulting in mishaps like untrue bearing edges or bad finishes.

[@ehleroo]

Thanks for weighing in. I had the same question.

[@steernie]

Noob question here. When buying this shellpack does it include any drumheads? Also if I want to buy for example the "Remo Clear Emperor Drumhead"s for the toms, do I have to buy 2 of each to get both top and bottom skin?

[@johnbensinger4931]

steernie it comes with stock heads. i think they are ambassadors

[@roybeckerman9253]

18" hats .Haven't seen that before. !

[@isaacstout427]

I love the way he says his name

[@jacksonmasco]

i usually hat smack rack toms but gOD dAMN did this one sound like heaven

[@cantstopmike311]

Just wish the toms weren't mounted on the kick.

[@Bootstrap_Bill]

Michael I have this kit and having it mounted on the kit actually helps dampen the kick a bit which surprised me

[@cambrowndrums]

I have it too and it's a great drum kit for the price... one of the best imo and I actually like the mounted toms to the kick drum it helps set them up better and dampen the kick drum

[@drew_on_drums]

If it came with 2 virgin kicks and an icon rack of be 100% content with buying this

[@SmangItDrums]

Michael You CAN remove the mount on the kick and pick up Pearl’s BBC-1 Masking Plate to cover up the holes for fairly cheap.

[@pr-xy1dw]

you mount them on to a rack

[@blackjackmusic1107]

I am stuck between the tama 7 piece superstar maple or the pearl decade 7 piece for my new set...I would love any suggestions from my drummer peers

[@drumminfro]

Blackjáck Music I'm torn between the two as well. Which did you end up getting?

[@jdock694]

I wonder if Pearl will ever offer the decade in a chrome wrap?

[@asanmartinjr07]

You need more lights on the front of the drum set. It's difficult to see the color & detailing.

[@Killenmachine05]

I have to admit, Ive always had kind of a dissuasion towards pearl, but theyre kinda winning me over.

[@hendoggystyle]

Which sounds better, these or the Tama Superstar Classics?

[@jacobboyd7965]

What sizes are the rack toms? He said 7 x 10 and 8 x 12, but on the website it says 8 x 10 and 9 x 12

[@gabu29605]

Guys, is this really a good kit? and is it good to play in church?

[@josuemartinez6526]

Yeah, its a nice kit

[@gabu29605]

Josué Martinez thanks man!

[@josuemartinez6526]

Although it is a big set, there is the same one but a 5 piece set instead

[@leterrip4758]

Yes,it is very punchy and good for accents

[@nascar3fan108]

Josué Martinez. I have the slate galaxy flake 5 piece

[@breathingkyle8613]

These honestly rival the Ludwig Classic Maples in my opinion and I see those as the greatest sets ever made.

[@prestigeacaciakennel8448]

who owns a decade? what do you say about the 6 lugged floor tom?

[@Youngl3lood3]

whats the name of the music you played at the beginning ?

[@danyheld9952]

Top Sound 👍🏻

[@vaughnmiller5319]

Hi hats with holes punched out in them is the most stupid thing I think I've ever seen concerning a drumset in my life. I just couldn't help but comment on that. Good job here with the playing and description of this kit. Thanks Nick.

[@StephenFinkNRP]

Will the 3pc kits be available in the new wraps?

[@tyler-pons]

Yes.

[@Tangodown76]

im sold!!!

[@fattesthuman6942]

If i buy the 5pc on your website does it says made in china on the logo?

[@surekharatan]

ocean galaxy flake is not on sweet water.com and why do you guys sell it now

[@manliket7089]

What kit is better out the two Yamaha stage custom or pearl decade maple

[@tyler-pons]

Pearl Decade Maple is better.

[@isiscruz9075]

Man like T Yamaha stage custom

[@aaronking7326]

I scored this exact kit for $200.....Sometimes yard sales are gold mines

[@Senior-nt6dy]

What is the tuning for the toms

[@roloduarte3100]

Nick can play.

[@JulianKlimczyk]

Can you review the 5pc

[@drumcatfairy77]

The 5 piece is virtually identical minus the 8 inch rack/mounted tom and 14 floor tom....SAME drums,Same specs...Go to the Pearl website for more info or Sweetwater.com...

[@Jackson-DeGrappo]

Where can I get the song he is playing?

[@assanee31]

A day ago, I tried this drums w/ stock head and I felt..this drum is cheap. There is big difference between the masters custom and the decade kit. You get what you paid for!

[@huzayfakhan5208]

What are snare wires?

[@henrypuga7833]

what are the dimmensions?

[@rossshimer5529]

I can't wait till I get mine I am going with the red 7 pice pearl decade 8 10 12 14 16 22 bass drum

[@johnsivertfrystad3720]

what is the name on the raid

[@Senior-nt6dy]

Does anyone else have problems with their tension rods falling out on in this drum kit? I try to tune my drums low but they sound so high even after 1/4 turn, which they end up falling out.

[@sgtpepper1138]

Did you ever get it sorted out, maybe try a different head?

[@Senior-nt6dy]

sgtpepper1138 Sorry for the late response, but I had Evans black hydraulics on previously, but now I have Evans ec2’s. The problem hasn’t been solved

[@adrianpunga1998]

Hey fellow drummers out there :) Is this kit worth the money? Or is it better to save some more and bu a tama superstar hyperdrive maple?

[@carterminton5458]

Adrian Brown personally if I were on a budget I would buy this, the decade is great quality for the money.

[@adrianpunga1998]

well i am on a budget man,but you this feeling when you don't have enough money for spending on cheap stuff :) so that's why i am asking about tama superstar hyperdrive - those are more expensive,but seem to bemore serious (construction of the shells,hardware)

[@johnbensinger4931]

Adrian Brown i love my decade. its a beaut, and sounds amazing

[@tyler-pons]

Although this is a budget kit, it doesn't sound like one. They sound great, and the other finishes look even better in person. I would definitely go with this kit for the sound, the looks, and the value.

[@cayninx7993]

Those hats though

[@kamilpeciak1543]

This or Tama Silverstar or Mapex Mars Pro?

[@anthony22bob]

Toms sound a bit dead to me. That said, Nick is a spectacular drummer with impeccable groove-- and he can make any set sound decent. Doesn't hurt that the folks at Sweetwater also have amazing mic/sound production capabilities.

[@graysumowski13]

what a track

[@Jack-52]

is it weird if i prefer Gretsch’s 7 piece kit to this?

[@ysteinmartinsen6914]

Well, i am going to by this, upgrade my old tama stagestar, bought it for about 200$

[@dennism1548]

What would you recommend....the pearl vision birch vbl or pearl decade maple?

[@jacobboyd7965]

Nitroniac 82 decade maple