Pearl Session Studio Select wrap finishes

[paisteSFguy]

I may be looking into one of these as my next kit. I love the idea of the thin birch/mahogany shells and the finish selections are pretty spot on. I do have a few questions about the wrap finishes though.
A) I know they're quality Delmar wraps, but are they glued all the way around? A friend of mine told me that the wraps on the Masters MCX kits weren't thoroughly glued down.
B) Are the wrap seams treated in a certain way to insure they won't lift down the road?
C) How susceptible would they be to bubbling/yellowing/etc?

I apologize in advance for my skepticism. I've had some iffy experiences with wraps on mid-line kits.

[MattKeaton]

I think if a wrapped drum is exposed to sunlight (at least here in Aus) it doesn't matter what brand it is or how much it cost, it's going to wrinkle.

[Labambawarrior]

I think there is always more potential for issues (bubbling, seam separating, tearing, discoloration, etc.) down the road with a wrap versus a lacquer finish. Of corse you have to be extra careful about scratching or denting a lacquer. I think it all comes down to how you care for your drums with either type of finish. I wouldn’t let a lacquer finished kit be exposed to sunlight for long periods of time either.

[BadAstronaut]

A) I know they're quality Delmar wraps, but are they glued all the way around? A friend of mine told me that the wraps on the Masters MCX kits weren't thoroughly glued down.

No. Pearl uses 2 strips of double sided tape at seams.

[CUZNRED]

I would not buy any wrapped kit that isn't 100% glued to the shell, you are asking for problems down the road otherwise. For the most part Pearls sparkle finishes are lacquer anyhow

[melvinspeed]

Here's a pretty comprehensive article on the subject. Way more to consider than I would have thought.

http://www.jamminsam.com/gluing-drum...-devalue-them/

[Action Jackson]

I wouldn’t You have a wraped shell anyway. There are too many problems to deal with, wrinkling, pulling away, discoloration, and last but not least they choke the shell. Quite plainly put, this is just my opinion “they stink”. Now the one trade-off is, if you get a raped kit like a studio session select or a music city custom you should be able to get it in about two weeks. But that’s all you gain in my opinion a quick turnaround time. If you’re looking for quality go ahead and step up to the lacquer finish and have some patience and you’ll get a nicer kit.

[jmagnum]

Seems to be a non-issue if we're talking about drums with a lifetime warranty.

[Drumming-4-Life]

This SSC looks really nice. I'd choose it over some of the Masters kits currently being offered.

[AL PERCIVAL]

^ That kit is so close to me I can almost taste it.

[quicksticks]

I’ve owned an MCX kit in bronze glass wrap since 2009 with absolutely zero problems. The seams are perfect and the lugs hold everything in place. There is no chocking of the shell. As for discoloration, I’ve been on this forum for many years and have read about more problems with lacquer finishes discoloring than wraps. Pearl is now offering a wide variety of wraps on their high end drums that come with a lifetime guarantee. They must be very confident in the quality of their wraps. Also, Ludwig, Gretsch, and DW offer wraps in their high end drums.
I know there has been a problem with some of the cheaper, thinner wraps offered on entry level kits. I have not heard of any problems with MCX wraps or any of the Music City wraps. The notion that all plastic wraps will bubble Is just not true. Plastics today are quite durable and a quality wrap will probably outlast you.

[melvinspeed]

Plastics today are quite durable and a quality wrap will probably outlast you.

Heck, the wrap is still impeccable on my '88 MX kit. If you can get 30 years out of it, I don't see how it's an issue.

[Labambawarrior]

^ That kit is so close to me I can almost taste it.

Lucky!! I can’t wait for mine!

[TWH]

This SSC looks really nice. I'd choose it over some of the Masters kits currently being offered.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]508306[/ATTACH]

That’s because it has a gong drum....

[Drumming-4-Life]

That’s because it has a gong drum....

It was more because of the mahogany interiors

I don't really like the gong drums with the non-matching hoops. IMO, that's just lazy on Pearl's part. They could cut a groove in the hoops to allow for a strip of "custom" wrap to be added one the drum is ordered by the customer.