1989 Pearl Steel Shell Snare Drum

Today I found this awesome 1998 Pearl Steel Shell Snare Drum for only $10.49 plus tax at my local thrift shop. I cannot wait to set this baby up to hear how it sounds.

The information that I found was only from the internet. If someone knows a little bit more about the history of this drum please share it.

No matter what I try it will not upload the picture of the front of the drum. I've even taken another picture and it says that the file is too big I'm using the same tablet to take pictures I don't understand what's going on.

Thanks,
D'

I had to take several pictures in order for it to upload the front of this drum it kept saying that the file was too big anyway here it is.

Drumdame said:

I had to take several pictures in order for it to upload the front of this drum it kept saying that the file was too big anyway here it is.
View attachment 150215

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Can't go wrong for $10.50. Very nice buy.

I would put an Evans HD Dry batter head on it to tame some of the steel shell overtones. Peace and goodwill.

Drumolator said:

I would put an Evans HD Dry batter head on it to tame some of the steel shell overtones. Peace and goodwill.

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Thank you for the tip drum buddy!

holy crap!!! That is a SOLID find for $10!!!! That could be a cannon!!!

Wow, that's a score! Pearl's steel snares are classic by this point.

JimmyM said:

Wow, that's a score! Pearl's steel snares are classic by this point.

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Trust me, it didn't look like that... it was pretty dirty with a little bit of rust. After cleaning it, it doesn't look half bad, it was totally worth the money.

I'm waiting for my son to come over and tune it the way he'd like it and he can use it for a change from his wooden snare.

Hi Donna,

That is a beautiful looking Pearl steel snare that you got there. You did a great job cleaning it up, and you can't beat the price at $10.49.

As a Pearl aficionado, I'm going to say that your new snare drum is actually from the late 1980's. So, more likely 1989, instead of 1998. There are a few things that lead me to this conclusion.

First, the Pearl badge on the snare is the style that they used from the mid to late '80s. The serial numbers on the badge itself won't give any clues to the year it was built. Pearl Corp. has said that this is so, except for the modern high-end Masterworks line. So, no help there.

Second, the long-style lugs. That style of long lugs is definitely from the '80s. Pearl had phased out that style of lug before the Masters Series came along in the early '90s.

Third, the snare's throw-off mechanism. That style of throw-off is one that Pearl used in the late '80s.

It's a sweet find for $10.49 Donna, and will produce quite a "crack" when fully unleashed. So, taming it down a bit by head selection as already suggested, and/or other means, will probably be necessary to achieve maximum sonic enjoyment. Especially, when playing it indoors (AKA - the basement).

What a score!!!

Congratulations on your snare. I picked up a "cheapo" Pearl steel shell student snare on Ebay last year. I think I paid $40-60. I swapped heads, carefully tuned it, and the snare literally came alive. Very nice instrument for the price.

Blk Diamond said:

Hi Donna,

That is a beautiful looking Pearl steel snare that you got there. You did a great job cleaning it up, and you can't beat the price at $10.49.

As a Pearl aficionado, I'm going to say that your new snare drum is actually from the late 1980's. So, more likely 1989, instead of 1998. There are a few things that lead me to this conclusion.

First, the Pearl badge on the snare is the style that they used from the mid to late '80s. The serial numbers on the badge itself won't give any clues to the year it was built. Pearl Corp. has said that this is so, except for the modern high-end Masterworks line. So, no help there.

Second, the long-style lugs. That style of long lugs is definitely from the '80s. Pearl had phased out that style of lug before the Masters Series came along in the early '90s.

Third, the snare's throw-off mechanism. That style of throw-off is one that Pearl used in the late '80s.

It's a sweet find for $10.49 Donna, and will produce quite a "crack" when fully unleashed. So, taming it down a bit by head selection as already suggested, and/or other means, will probably be necessary to achieve maximum sonic enjoyment. Especially, when playing it indoors (AKA - the basement).

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Hey drum buddy, thank you so much for all that info. It also came with a Yamaha case, sticks, and a couple drum keys. If I get a chance tomorrow I will post the Yamaha traveling case.

In the last 4 days I bought three guitars and that Pearl snare drum.

In the end I did end up taking that guitar with the unglued bridge back to the thrift store this evening and they gave me a full refund. Next time I'm going to be aware of that. I'm sure guitarist no that's one of the first things they look at. I know nothing about guitars. But I do very well selling all kinds of musical instruments. That's definitely my wheelhouse!

I have been buying and selling things for over 50 years but now I love selling musical instruments. And every now and then I might find something great for myself in the Drum line.

JimmyM said:

Wow, that's a score! Pearl's steel snares are classic by this point.

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This is the case that came with the Pearl Steel Shell Snare Drum along with the sticks and 2 drum keys. I still can't get over it... all for $10.49 + tax. I feel like I'm in drum heaven! Lol

Believe me when I tell you, this case was so grimy with embedded thick filth I can't believe that I even brought it home, it was that bad... it was dump material!

Yesterday happened to be a beautiful hot day here in Worcester so I took it outside and hosed it down and scrubbed it with Mr Clean inside and out. At this point, I had nothing to lose. Then the hot sun dried it beautiful... now I have a nice drum bag for extra snares that I have.

Blk Diamond said:

Hi Donna,

That is a beautiful looking Pearl steel snare that you got there. You did a great job cleaning it up, and you can't beat the price at $10.49.

As a Pearl aficionado, I'm going to say that your new snare drum is actually from the late 1980's. So, more likely 1989, instead of 1998. There are a few things that lead me to this conclusion.

First, the Pearl badge on the snare is the style that they used from the mid to late '80s. The serial numbers on the badge itself won't give any clues to the year it was built. Pearl Corp. has said that this is so, except for the modern high-end Masterworks line. So, no help there.

Second, the long-style lugs. That style of long lugs is definitely from the '80s. Pearl had phased out that style of lug before the Masters Series came along in the early '90s.

Third, the snare's throw-off mechanism. That style of throw-off is one that Pearl used in the late '80s.

It's a sweet find for $10.49 Donna, and will produce quite a "crack" when fully unleashed. So, taming it down a bit by head selection as already suggested, and/or other means, will probably be necessary to achieve maximum sonic enjoyment. Especially, when playing it indoors (AKA - the basement).

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I was just wondering if I could dampen the sound with an O-ring? Would that work just as well? or do I have to buy a new batter head?

Lets see....to build my own snare...hummm....1 lug $10.49.
Great find Mrs. Dame.

The 49 cents baffles me. The drum is uber cool and I can just hear the conversation over the pricing. Oh ya..i think we can ask 10 for it..you think 11s to high? Well? how about 10.50?..hmm...lets put 10.49 on it so it'll sell. Ok..good thinking. That drum would've been in my car faster than I could get out the front door. The LORD was involved in this DD.

Drumdame said:

I was just wondering if I could dampen the sound with an O-ring? Would that work just as well? or do I have to buy a new batter head?

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Absolutely you can use the O rings. I use Ambassadors on my snares and have two O rings…one about a half inch wide to take the worst of the ring out but nothing else, and one wider to do the Al Green doosh without loosening heads.

Drumdame said:

I was just wondering if I could dampen the sound with an O-ring? Would that work just as well? or do I have to buy a new batter head?

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Hi Donna,

No, you don't have to buy a set of new heads immediately. You can start out with the heads that are already on the snare. Certianly, if they look like they are still in decent shape. I can see that the batter head is a Remo head of some sort, but I can't quite make out what it says. (I'm guessing that it's a single ply Coated Ambassador.)

When your son comes over to take a look at it, you should work together on assessing the different parts of the snare. Things like the condition of the snare wires, the smoothness of throw-off mechanism, the condition of the mylar straps that hold the snare wires in place, the existing batter and snare heads, etc.. You already have somewhat of a head start, in that you've probably visually assessed some of these areas when you were cleaning up the drum. Now is the time to take a closer look, and make sure that everything is in functional order. By doing so, you can help eliminate some of the headaches that can occur when you go to tune your snare drum, and can't seem to figure out why something doesn't sound right.

When it comes to tuning your new snare, you can start by finding a tuning that: A) Fits within the drum's range, and B) Something that you both find sonically pleasing. Now, if you need to add some damping to the snare, to tame some of the overtones that are inherent to snare drums, O-rings are a perfectly acceptable means of doing so.

If you can't find a sound that fits the criteria above, it might be time to look for a new set of heads. A new set of heads are great for giving you a "clean slate" to work with, not just sonically, but also in the fact that they should hopefully be in pristine condition physically.

So, give the current heads a shot and see what you come up with. If they need to be replaced, there are multitudes of choices available to help you achieve the sound you are looking for. Remember, there's nothing wrong with using some sort of damping on your drums (O-rings, Moongels, Snareweights, tea towels, etc...), especially if it helps you find the sound you are looking for.

Blk Diamond said:

Hi Donna,

No, you don't have to buy a new heads immediately. You can start out with the heads that are already on the snare. Certianly, if they look like they are still in decent shape. I can see that the batter head is a Remo head of some sort, but I can't quite make out what it says. (I'm guessing that it's a single ply Coated Ambassador.)

When your son comes over to take a look at it, you should work together on assessing the different parts of the snare. Things like the condition of the snare wires, the smoothness of throw-off mechanism, the condition of the mylar straps that hold the snare wires in place, the existing batter and snare heads, etc.. You already have somewhat of a head start, in that you've probably visually assessed some of these areas when you were cleaning up the drum. Now is the time to take a closer look, and make sure that everything is in functional order. By doing so, you can help eliminate some of the headaches that can occur when you go to tune your snare drum, and can't seem to figure out why something doesn't sound right.

When it comes to tuning your new snare, you can start by finding a tuning that: A) Fits within the drum's range, and B) Something that you both find sonically pleasing. Now, if you need to add some damping to the snare, to tame some of the overtones that are inherent to snare drums, O-rings are a perfectly acceptable means of doing so.

If you can't find a sound that fits the criteria above, it might be time to look for a new set of heads. A new set of heads are great for giving you a "clean slate" to work with, not just sonically, but also in the fact that they should hopefully be in pristine condition physically.

So, give the current heads a shot and see what you come up with. If they need to be replaced, there are multitudes of choices available to help you achieve the sound you are looking for. Remember, there's nothing wrong with using some sort of damping on your drums (O-rings, Moongels, Snareweights, tea towels, etc...), especially if it helps you find the sound you are looking for.

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Below is a picture of the bent sne wire and that's the reason why I got the drum for $10.49. So the drum was $29.99 and I got it all the way down to $10.49 because of that. Now the question is can that one bent wire be fixed or do I need to replace it?

I tried three times sending a picture of the batter head and it will not upload so I can tell you that it's a Remo Weather King Coated Ambassador that looks pretty new.

Wow, Donna! It's almost a dead ringer for my Yamaha 14 x 6.5 inch steel snare. FWIW, it had an Evans HD Dry batter head and I was either too naive to tune or couldn't find the sound I liked in its tuning range. I even used a Remo Tone Control ring and still couldn't find it. My first attempt at replacement heads was a coated Ambassador over a hazy Diplomat - it didn't take much work and I found my sound - without the Remo ring. Give the current heads a go and see if you can find your sound.

I'd bet you can straighten that snare wire in about two minutes with a little careful work with a butter-knife - as long as you don't kink it, you're good to go! If worst comes to worst, the original purchase price of the snare gives you some wiggle room on replacement parts!

The thrift stores in my neck of the woods (not exagerating - woods!) never have musical stuff. But if you're in need of gently used crock pots, let me know!