New Exports Are The Old Forums.

[ChongRRMC]

With the exception of the wood used, the new Exports are simply the old Forum drums.....
Pearl needs to bring back the 8 lug floor toms....

[NO DRUMS]

Different wood, different drum

[RushDrums24]

'With the exception of the wood used'

That does fundamentally change the drum as a whole! Having played both Forum and (owning) an Export kit, the sonic differences are definitely clear to see. The Exports have more warmth and low end, while the Forums are more toppy with a little more attack (Both kits with Coated Ambassadors over clear) and less tone.

The other major difference is with the introduction of the Opti-loc mount rather than the ISS, The former definitely being more secure and offering a much better fit than the latter. Without the hoop deformation that the ISS could cause too. Sure it's no optimount but it certainly gets the job done and my opti-locs have never failed in 7 years.

Comparing Export to forum is like saying the Decade maple is the same as a Vision. Yes they're made similarly but each has fundamental differences and advancements. Don't get me wrong, the Forums and Visions were superb kits, but the newer introductions have their upgrades and differences in sound for sure.

[ChongRRMC]

Well at least I got people talking here !
And they STILL need to bring back the 8 lug FT's in the Export line-up.....
Merry Christmas, Folks !!!

[Josh Conover]

I said the same thing when they were introduced. But to me it was more of a hardware thing. The newer Exports and the Decade Maples both have the smaller lugs like the old Forum series along with other cost-cutting measures like only six lugs on the floor toms. Even in the later years of the Forum series Pearl was offering the ISS mounts to the toms. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Pearl didn't bring back the Exports, they brought back the Forum series with a new shell.

Having said all that, the new shells are night and day nicer than the older Forum series and even certain Export lines. Near the last few years (or maybe it was just the last year) of the Exports, they were all maple shells with suspension mounts and eight lug floors. The Visions were more comparable to the older Exports than the newer Exports and Decades as far as hardware goes.

No one liked the Forum name. It was on its way out and people at least wanted an Export kit. I just wish they turned the Decades into what the Vision series was since they turned the Exports into the Forum series.

[ChongRRMC]

I feel poplar sounds miles above better, then the "Asian Mahogany" - Poplar wood blends. But thats just me...
But absolutely, the hardware is pretty much what I was thinking.
I just didnt put it down as such....
Merry Christmas !