Pearl Forum 2002 Fusion Set Reviews 5

I got my set from musiciansfriend.com a year ago, for $599. Being in the market for a good quality drumset and also being in a budget was quite a challenge. The Pearl set was the one the met both my needs - musical and economical. Cymbals, throne, sticks and a video featuring Eric Singer were also included.

My set has a beautiful Charcoal Metallic finish. The drums sound very, very awesome. I'd say that very few beginner kits give the quality of sound that the Pearl Forum does. I'm even recording with the Forum set and you won't believe the results!

The snare drum is my only real issue. It is really hard to get a good sound from it. Save yourself some money, and later on get a better sounding snare drum. Pearl itself has tons of awesome snare drums in the market.

The hardware is fine at first, but I suggest that if possible, upgrade your hardware with the w800 series from Pearl. That's what I did. The drumheads need to be changed. I replaced my ones for Remo Ambassador coated ones, once I'm a fan of raw sounding drums. The cymbals are ok for the beginner, but if you play drums for a while, get yourself some Sabian, Zildjian or Paiste ones. The drum pedal is pretty good. I'm still using it. The shells are very well made. They seem to be made from a blend of mahogany and hardwood lays. Very heavy and very solid, and apparently the shell covers are made to stick with the shells for a long time.

Awesome drums for the price. Some upgrades needed, but I didn't find a better sounding set for the price.

RockSteady rated this unit 5 on 2003-12-20.

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