Get this Session Studio Classic 4-piece shell pack here: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SSC924XUPC106
Get the Pearl Sensitone Premium Beaded Aluminum snare here: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/STA1465AL
In this video I am playing a Pearl Session Studio Classic drum kit. It is called a 4-piece shell pack because the snare does not come with the kit. You can add any snare drum you like to compliment these very nice drums. In the video I am using a Pearl Sensitone Premium Beaded Aluminum 6.5″ x 14″ Snare Drum and it fit very nicely with the rest of the kit.
The sound is in the shells
These Pearl drums feature 6-ply birch/kapur shells that are 7.5mm thick and have perfect 45-degree bearing edges. Kapur wood comes from Southeast Asia and has a nice worm tone. It is paired with the bright attack of birch and the combination creates a shell with powerful attack and warm tonal decay. These drums are very well suited for both studio and live and they are popular with players from every style of music. I got them to tune up very quickly and found that the tones I got for each drum were great. I was able to achieve wide intervals from high to low on the toms, and you can go even father if you like. Using a normal single-ply head on all the drums showed just how resonant they can be. I definitely liked the sound I was hearing coming back at me.
Great sizes
For me, the sizes of the drums really work perfectly. In this shell pack there are 10″ x 7″ and 12″ x 8″ rack toms, a 16″ x 14″ floor tom, and a 22″ x 16″ kick drum. The rack toms, being slightly shallower then a lot of drums on the market, make them very easy to place around the kit. I was able to get them low to the kick drum which made them very comfortable to play. The floor tom has very nice low and definitely complimented the rack toms. My favorite is the 22″ x 16″ kick drum. As with the rack toms, most kick drums come in 22″ x 18″ configuration, and that is usually just fine, but the 22″ x 16″ size of this Pearl Session Studio Classic brought me back to the good old days and had a vintage feel with a modern sound.
Beautiful look and hardware
It takes 31 steps in the lacquer process to get these drums to look so good, and they do look great! That beautiful finish is also on the matching wood kick drum hoops. There are OptiMount Tom Holders for the rack toms which can easily be adjusted vertically, RL-10/RL-20 Session Lugs, recessed kick drum claws with rubber lining, and LB/LG-40 Masters floor tom brackets and legs. All really nice features.
This Pearl Session Studio Classic drum kit is set up like a true classic. From the vintage look and sizes to the fantastic sound. If you are looking for a kit like the ones that inspired you to play in the first place then this kit could be a perfect option.
— Nick D’Virgilio
