My first drum set was a 1985 Pearl Export Series EX5300, a 5-piece kit consisting of a 6.5"X14" metal snare, an 8"x12" and a 9"X13" rack tom mounted on the kick drum, a 16"X16" floor tom, and a 14"X22" kick drum. I soon added another 8"X12" rack tom that I found orphaned at a music store which I tuned to sound like an 8"X10" tom, and in time I picked up an inexpensive pair of timbales that were later replaced by a 6", 8", and 10" set of Remo Roto Toms.
Pearl's Export series was the most popular series of drum kits ever made, having sold over one million sets before it was discontinued in 1995. There were four different models in the series, the EX, ELX, EXR and ECX. The first generation of Export drums was introduced in 1984 and were made of 9-ply Philippine mahogany. The EX, ELX, EXR shells were later made with 6 plies (7.5mm) of Poplar, and the ECX series shells were made from maple. High gloss lacquer was applied to the outside ply with a unique 30 step finishing process. Export series shells also feature split suspension lugs and all four models came standard with Pearl's ISS tom mounting system, heavy duty double braced leg hardware that included a snare stand along with one straight and one boom cymbal stand, and the P120P single chain, round cam chain drive bass drum pedal. In 2013, Pearl re-introduced the Export series with the EXX model and then added the EXS model, replacing the Forum series.
Priced today at roughly $1,000, the Pearl Export series is a very reasonably priced drum set. Some drummers have quibbled with the quality and sound of poplar shells, but the difference in sound quality between poplar, birch, or maple is hard to distinguish by the untrained ear. As for sound quality, the Export series fell into the intermediate drum kit range, but from a durability perspective, it
was made to withstand rigorous playing, gigging, and transport. For the price, the Pearl Export Series provided a lot of bang for the buck, are highly sought after on the used market, and continue to hold up, attesting to the durability and longevity of the drums.