Wait Times

[kyle75]

Hello My Fellow Pearl Drum Peeps,

Like most of you in this forum, I have purchased a Reference. I have to say the wait times are crazy. For the purposes of this post lets remove the current contributing factors of this pandemic, like it never happened.

Pearl is the biggest drum manufacturer in the world (KUDOS!). By now one would hope they would be able to implement some type of tracking mechanism for their customers, at least for the Reference and Masterworks lines. I bought a Reference simply because I don't like any of the MCC colors that are offered. So I am happy to wait to get what I want. If you are going to spend a ton of money on a kit, you better love the color!

A tracking mechanism does not speed up the production or wait times for a kit. However, it does provide transparency for the customer and would update wait times as a kit moves through the production process. The customer pays a lot of money for these kits, usually with a substantial deposit, only just to wait for months on end. Right now, the customer must call the dealer which they purchased the kit through and if Pearl has not provided a note to the dealer, the customer is left in the dark wondering what's going on. A great solution is to provide some type of tracking mechanism for paying customers to login to see the status of their build.

Please don't vilify me here, I just want to provide Pearl with a great suggestion to help ease the burden on their end and the stress of us waiting customers on our end

[insane65]

The wait time will be what it will be. I waited 6 months for my Refs in 2005. I get it. Crack one open, fire one up and watch the Bucs & Cowboys.

[zildjian_chris]

Yeah I agree that a tracking system would be good. I'm still very early in my wait time for my new 16" Ref floor tom I try my best to forget about it haha

[drumfreek005]

The wait time will be what it will be. I waited 6 months for my Refs in 2005. I get it. Crack one open, fire one up and watch the Bucs & Cowboys.

I agree. I was given the usual 120-150 days when I ordered my Starclassics; I think I contacted my drum store somewhere between 120 and 150 days for an update but otherwise accepted that they showed up when they showed up.

[TMdrums]

Although I agree with you Kyle, I suspect Pearl would have to hire a team to monitor and report the drum build progress as well as shipping information from Taiwan to final destination for it's many customers throughout the world. Maybe it's just another way of saving money. Anyways, if this makes you feel better, I ordered two Gretsch Drums with a custom wrap and I'm on a 19 week wait! The drums are made in South Carolina and I live in North Carolina! Ugh!!! Like insane65's great advice, crack a cold one and try to be patient!

[MitchLyons]

For what it’s worth, I ordered a single Tama Starclassic Maple bass drum back in April and was quoted 150 days. Just checked in on my order last week and the dealer still has not heard from Tama regarding an update. I’m staying hopeful, but staying patient as well. I forget that I have it coming sometimes! I hope I forget when it’s coming and I get a nice surprise from the mail carrier!

[melvinspeed]

I suspect that the level of detail you want is cost prohibitive.

I could see a relatively simple set of notifications for the customer:
1. Order placed
2. Order underway
3. Order shipped

But I doubt that's enough detail to satisfy your curiosity about your order.

[kyle75]

Hey There,
As I understand it both Reference and Masterworks are produced at the same factory in Japan. This system can be as simple as a bar code that is scanned at each stop along the production process and emailed to the customer stating your kit is currently at this part of the production process. Just something simple that. I am a very patient person. I just want to know where the delays are and what part of the process the kit is at. I don't think that's a big ask as a paying customer. Especially for a high end kit build

[AL PERCIVAL]

Kyle,

The Factory used to provide updates at least on Masterworks with internal pics and shipping info. With COVID, all that's changed.

With that said, let me know what kit your ordered shell pack color etc... and through what dealer, and I'll try and see if I can find out any info. No promising, but I'll inquire.

[kyle75]

Kyle,

The Factory used to provide updates at least on Masterworks with internal pics and shipping info. With COVID, all that's changed.

With that said, let me know what kit your ordered shell pack color etc... and through what dealer, and I'll try and see if I can find out any info. No promising, but I'll inquire.

Hi Al,
Thank you. I sent you a PM with specifics. Please let me know if you did not receive it.
V/R
Kyle

[melvinspeed]

Kyle,

You're presuming all parts of the kit are at the same stage of assembly. As if there's "one-status" that covers the entire kit. I suspect that's not the case. And each "component" of the kit would be at a different stage and therefore tracked separately.

Also, where will you affix this barcode to a wooden shell that is getting formed, shaped, sanded, lacquered, etc?

I'm sure it's possible, there's loads of technology around production lines that I don't know or understand. But I also suspect the cost would be excessive.

[Feenix]

The Factory used to provide updates at least on Masterworks with internal pics and shipping info. With COVID, all that's changed.

Pretty cool that they used to give even that much information. Dealing with Tama (from Canada) is like gazing into the void and waiting for a drum set to fall out.

But I also suspect the cost would be excessive.

Definitely this. They'd have to spend around, say, $1 each for small, reusable clip-on plastic bits that a bar code could be stuck to that can be clipped to a shell as well as to somewhere in the work/cure area so it's always traveling with the kit. Plus another $0.25/kit for some adhesive-backed paper and ink to print off a bar code sticker that's tied to the order number. A few dozen $5 bar code scanners, and some off-the-shelf, budget inventory-management software (couple hundred buck for a license?), and, baby, you got a stew going. Way too much money.

I mean, I agree the utility gained from such a thing doesn't really justify the implementation, but it's not as exorbitant a cost as you may think, especially compared to their bottom line (think of what they charge for a single MW bass drum!). They'd probably spend more on training/reminding their workers to scan in at every step, than the capital cost of setting it all up.

I'd also assume the kit generally travels through The Factory together. At least once the finishing begins, in order to keep the finish consistent from one drum to the next.

[LeftySlammer92]

For what it’s worth, I ordered a single Tama Starclassic Maple bass drum back in April and was quoted 150 days. Just checked in on my order last week and the dealer still has not heard from Tama regarding an update. I’m staying hopeful, but staying patient as well. I forget that I have it coming sometimes! I hope I forget when it’s coming and I get a nice surprise from the mail carrier!

When I ordered my 14" floor tom a few years back, I was quoted 120 days from December 2017. After having to go above the dealer directly to Hoshino USA, I finally got some communication back on it, and in September 2018, at long last got my component in. 9 months almost to the day.