Quote (Superchum @ Mar 10 2010 01:54am)
Don't get too caught up in Maple shells. This is becoming a spec race. When Yamaha recording customs came out, they were the first birch shell kit. The industry snubbed it until Steve Gadd started recording with it. Birch was then know as a high quality shell. Then all of a sudden when manufacturing moved over seas and cheap birch became available, companies started making "All Birch Professional" drum kits. If you've ever played a Recording Custom next to say a Pacific FS or Stage Custom or Pearl Vision, they don't all sound the same.
The same thing is happening with maple. Chinese maple doesn't have the same consistency as North American Maple, but it's maple! So they take this cheap maple and make a kit out of it and say, "Look!!! All maple!!!" Who gives a shit! This kit might have Na Maple though since it's made in Mexico. Usually they specify though.
Pending on the age of your Exports, this is probably one step up in quality. If you Exports are maybe 11 years old or older, than it would be a significant step up. If you bought your Exports used, You can tell how old your kit is if the Tom mounts penetrate the shell. If there's an I,S.S. Mount your fine.
The main thing to consider if you're going to make a switch is, why switch? Your sound is shit? You don't like the look? Someone insulted your kit? Told you DW is the only good drum company? I'll tell you this, the hardware on Pacific is mediocre. Anything with those RIMs mounts are wobbly, their tome adjustments are finicky and their wing nuts are small and cranking them to make adjustments are cramping . Although, the tom mounts in your picture aren't bad cause they hold the drum by the lug housings and not the tension rods. This is probably comparable to the Pearl Visions Maple series. A well designed kit with pricier parts using cheaper manufacturing. Personally I see this. You've got an intermediate kit already and you're looking at getting another intermediate kit. If you're into drums, why not save the extra $1000 and get a REAL nice kit. The kit you've got is durable enough you can gig with it, (tour with it!) and if you put good heads on it sounds pretty good too. Look for a used Yamaha Maple Custom or Pearl Masters Maple Kit.
Anyway... there's a couple cents from me.
I know what you mean about the maple difference. i was looking at OCDP's Avalon for a while cause it looks nice and it's also all maple. however, I played it next to some other maple kits in guitar Center and it sounded....cheaper comarably. The gretch and high-end pearl maple kits sounded significantly better. My pearl kit is 10 years old now. it sounds pretty decent but its poplar wood. it does have ISS tom mounts but the thing I don't like about them is that they put all the tension from the weight of the drum in between two lugs of the drum. it affects the tuning of the drum after you mount it. another thing I dont like about it is it;s a wrap that doesnt look too great under the lights on a stage; it's just dark and doesnt give the loook a kit ought to. another reason I wanted this kit is because the toms sizes. My pearls kit's tom sizes are typical standard: 12x9, 13x11, 16x16. I added a 14x12. the smaller tom sizes would allow me to set it up more comfortably and I like the way smaller toms sound anyway (rack toms that is).
As far as Dw being the only good drum comapny, I dont think that way. i've considered many good companys (my favorite drummer plays sonar, and my favorite bands drummer plays a mapex and i've looked up and down their line and tried some of their kits at guitar center.) the Mapex Orions are incredible. Don't think i'm a DW fanboy or something. Also i wouldnt let someone persuade me to get a new kit because they insulted mine. The only opinion that matters about my kit is mine: i'm just looking for some insight about the X7.
So the advantages of this kit vs mine are:
1 additional tom
Smaller rack toms sizes
lacquer sparkle finish
maple (north american?)
better tom mounts