About Reference

In 1999, Pearl began its most ambitious undertaking, The Masterworks Series. Every aspect of the manufacturing process was custom made, from the number of wood plies, the wood selection, to the final finish. Over the last 5 years, through arduous listening tests, Masterworks has taught Pearl a great deal about drums and what makes the perfect shell. This knowledge has led Pearl to the Reference Series. To fully understand the Reference Series you must understand that the desired tonal characteristics of a 10" tom are completely different than that of a 22" bass drum. Thus to use the same material in both drums would result in a compromise.

Reference Shells

Reference Series drums use a combination of task specific bearing edges and 3 time proven woods, Birch, Maple, and African Mahogany. Using Maple as a sole material has long been the traditional choice for shells and for good reason. Maple provides smooth, well balanced tone that is perfect for a 12" tom. Subsequently, all Reference Series 12" toms are composed of 6 plies of Maple. The only single wood shell in the series. The 10" and 8" toms receive 4 plies of Maple with 2 inner plies of Birch for cut and attack. And for maximum response, all 13" and smaller toms have a rounded 45° bearing edge.

Beginning with the 13" tom and larger, Mahogany is added to the inner plies to increase the lower frequencies and accentuate the warmth of the Maple. The 14" toms and larger begin using a fully rounded bearing edge for even more shell contact. The 18" and 20" bass drums use 4 inner plies of Mahogany with 2 outer plies of Maple. As the size of the bass drums increase, so does the amount of Mahogany. The 22" and 24" bass drums incorporate an amazing 6 inner plies of Mahogany surrounded by 2 outer plies of Maple for the ultimate in solid responsive bass frequencies.

With Reference Series, it's not about compromise, it's about every drum in your kit performing at its optimal capacity.

For more information on Reference click here http://www.pearldrum.com/reference-rf.asp

What Do I Get For My Money

Reference drums are priced as individual shells allowing you to build your perfect set of drums in the sizes you want to play.

The price of a Reference drum does not include any hardware or tom arms which need to be purchased separately.

If you would like a quote for a Reference drum kit please contact us with a list of the shell sizes you would like (see below for available sizes)

It is worth bearing in mind that although there is normally a limited stock of Reference drums available for immediate purchase, most kits would be Special Order, made exclusively for the customer and shipped from Taiwan, taking between 4 - 6 months.

Available Sizes

Bass Drums

18"x14", 18"x16"
20"x14", 20"x16", 20"x18"
22"x14", 22"x16", 22"x18", 22"x20"
24"x16", 24"x18"

Floor Toms

14"x14"
16"x16"
18"x16"

Rack Toms

08"x07", 08"x08"
10"x08", 10"x09", 10"x10"
12"x08", 12"x09", 12"x10"
13"x09", 13"x10", 13"x11"
14"x10", 14"x11", 14"x12"
15"x13", 15"x14"
16"x13", 16"x14"