Pearl Special Reserve 14x5 Snare Drum

[Oliver_Stein]

I was curious enough to test order this one to give it a ride or two:



This drum is a limited special model only available via german reseller Thomann and it comes with some promising features:

10 STL-100 lugs per side
FatTone Hoops
5mm Maple Shell with 5mm re-rings (which makes it a Masters Reserve Shell, hence the name)
Remo USA heads
SR-017 Strainer
Delmar Wrap in Black Diamond Pearl
Pearl Ultrasound SN1420-D snarewires

Given this features for me it appears to be a very pro drum with only very mild cost cutting features like the chrome instead of stainless steel tension rods (didn‘t we had them for generations?) and for some maybe the SR-017 strainer which I like very much.

What got me caught is that this limited special model is priced in the lower range of the Sensitones (Steel models), just above the Utility Snares. A corresponding Masters Maple Reserve Snare would be almost double the price and it comes with the same features only tubelugs instead of single ones. The retail for this drum is 289 EUR which equals 322 USD. They also offer a 6.5 and 8“ model for the same price.

Anyway, I couldn‘t resist and ordered it together with a 14“ Aquarian TC head to replace the stock Ambassador first hand. I have 30 days to test it.

If you want to hear how it sounds there is a test video on Youtube:

What do you think about it?

[Oliver_Stein]

Received my new snare drum today - here are some pics for you:


















Looking forward to do the testdrive on this fine drum!

[Drumming-4-Life]

I looks like a nice drum for the money. Enjoy it!

[AL PERCIVAL]

Gorgeous! Congratulations! One of my favorite shells.

[TMdrums]

Beautiful SD! Bet it sounds as great as it looks! Enjoy!

[Oliver_Stein]

Thanks all!

Beautiful SD! Bet it sounds as great as it looks! Enjoy!

Had no chance to play her woth full set. The few strokes I did during tuning were absolutely promising! Will provide audio samples of the drum later!

[Eric]

Beautiful instrument at a fantastic price.

[richie rich]

I think you will like it and with those fat tone hoops -it has a little more open sound than die cast

[Oliver_Stein]

I was able to play the drum yesterday during a rehearsal with one of my bands - this thing is really superb sounding. Pretty warm, but enough bite to work in a blues/rock setting with two guitarists on valves... I had it tuned in the good middle of the tuning range and had no dampening on it at all. Very nice tonality, even my mates noticed it.
There's only one small thing which I detected right away after getting it out of the box and making the pics - I tried to install a Aquarian Texture coated head and because of the different collar vs. the Remo collar it was not possible to get the tuning rods engaged in the threads of the lugs - even not with pressing the head down. They are too short. After some investigation I found that they measure 47 mm below the head - for the Aquarian 52 mm would have been needed. As this length is not available from Pearl (correct me if wrong) I ordered a bunch of 52 mm tuning rods from the "german Drum Foundry" which arrived today. This should solve the problem for very little money.

Other than that I'm totally pleased with this drum - great look, great built quality, great sound without long tuning and compared to my steel Free Floater it's really lightweight! I can only recommend these drum and its bigger brothers to anyone - it's a bargain!

[Drumming-4-Life]

I was able to play the drum yesterday during a rehearsal with one of my bands - this thing is really superb sounding. Pretty warm, but enough bite to work in a blues/rock setting with two guitarists on valves... I had it tuned in the good middle of the tuning range and had no dampening on it at all. Very nice tonality, even my mates noticed it.
There's only one small thing which I detected right away after getting it out of the box and making the pics - I tried to install a Aquarian Texture coated head and because of the different collar vs. the Remo collar it was not possible to get the tuning rods engaged in the threads of the lugs - even not with pressing the head down. They are too short. After some investigation I found that they measure 47 mm below the head - for the Aquarian 52 mm would have been needed. As this length is not available from Pearl (correct me if wrong) I ordered a bunch of 52 mm tuning rods from the "german Drum Foundry" which arrived today. This should solve the problem for very little money.

Other than that I'm totally pleased with this drum - great look, great built quality, great sound without long tuning and compared to my steel Free Floater it's really lightweight! I can only recommend these drum and its bigger brothers to anyone - it's a bargain!

Those STL mini lugs were not originally designed to be used the way they are frequently used now. The receiver nut for each lug is toward the bottom of the lug housing. Pearl is trying to use the shorted tension bolts possible with these lugs. If you use longer tension bolts, they will stick out the bottom of the lug housings... and look pretty bad. I suspect once you've re-cranked the Aquarian head a few time (as most heads stretch with time and use), you will start to see the 52mm tension bolts start to peek through the bottoms of each lug housing... especially on the snare side at the 4 housings closest to the snare bed.

[MusicMan]

After some investigation I found that they measure 47 mm below the head - for the Aquarian 52 mm would have been needed. As this length is not available from Pearl (correct me if wrong) I ordered a bunch of 52 mm tuning rods from the "german Drum Foundry" which arrived today. This should solve the problem for very little money.

You shouldn't have any problem getting 52mm lugs from Pearl. If so, send me a PM and I can get you some.

You can also resolve the issue by using an extra plastic washer on each tension rod (which will add a few millimeters to accommodate the longer tension rods if they happen to reach the bottom of the STL-100 lug).

[Oliver_Stein]

You shouldn't have any problem getting 52mm lugs from Pearl. If so, send me a PM and I can get you some.

You can also resolve the issue by using an extra plastic washer on each tension rod (which will add a few millimeters to accommodate the longer tension rods if they happen to reach the bottom of the STL-100 lug).

I already have the tension rods here, I don‘t care if they are from Pearl or whatever third party as long the quality is given (which is). The rods came with washers, so I can use them in addition if fine tuning is necessary, good tip!

[Megyalila Ballad]

Thanks all!

Had no chance to play her woth full set. The few strokes I did during tuning were absolutely promising! Will provide audio samples of the drum later!

That is gorgeous! I am considering the 6.5” myself.

How has your experience been with it, now that it has been a year and a third?
Were you able to record any samples?