Pearl's current line of drum kits range from entry level to professional grade, all of them use Pearl's heat compression SST system on the plies. In ascending order, they are:

[edit] Current Line

• Rhythm Traveler – a traveler's kit. All drums in the kit feature shrunken depths. Package includes cymbals, throne, hardware, mesh heads and cymbal mutes. Rhythm Traveler drums are made with 6 plies (7.5 mm) of "Selected Hardwoods".
• Target – Manufactured for the European market, and sold as a complete set with cymbals, throne, hardware and drumsticks. Drums are made with 6 plies of Basswood.
• Forum – Made with 6 plies (7.5 mm) of Poplar. Upgraded in January 2008 to FZ - now featuring upgrades like ISS mounting.^{[clarification needed]}
• Vision - Introduced in 2007, these drums are the replacement for the now-discontinued Export and Session series drums. Vision drums originally came in 2 varieties: the VLX Lacquer finish drums, and the VSX Covered finish drums. The shell material is Birch and Basswood. 6 ply toms: 1 inner ply birch, 4 interior plies basswood, 1 outer ply birch. 8 ply floor toms and kick drums: 2 inner plies birch, 4 interior plies basswood, 2 outer plies birch. These drums are made in China, and also feature new lugs and come with the new 900 series hardware. These were meant to replace the Export drums. In 2008, Pearl introduced new varieties: the VBX with all birch shells and the VMX with all maple shells, and with the birch/basswood shells stopped producing the VLX, but have kept the VSX and also have a new line, the VX, which has Export-style wrapped finishes.
• Masters Custom (MCX) - Introduced in 2007 they offer shells of 6-ply maple. These drums are the replacement for the entire Session line, and have a few differences from the Session kits: They feature Die Cast hoops, Masters-series lugs, and Remo drumheads. They are the same configuration as the Masters Premium MRP kits—but only come with 5 finishes and the only available hardware color is bright chrome. As a result the drums are not made up as "custom" stock, so they are warehoused in large quantities, and the time between order and delivery is much shorter.
• Masters Premium – Released in January 2007, Masters Premium are 4 lines within this series consisting of, MMP, MRP, BRP, and BMP; they replace the Masters Series. MMP drums feature 4 plies(5.0 mm) of maple with maple reinforcement rings. MRP drums feature 6 plies(7.5 mm) of maple. BMP drums feature 4 plies(5.0 mm) of birch with reinforcement rings. BRP drums feature 6 plies (7.5 mm) of birch. All series offer the choice of either chrome, black-chrome, or brass hardware. [2]
• Reference - Released in January 2006. Pearl has blended wood types (maple, birch and mahogany) together for the toms, snare drums, and bass drums. They are the highest quality that Pearl offers that are not totally custom-made. As of 2008, 27 finishes are available, with either chrome, black or gold-plated hardware. 8" and 10" Toms are 4 outer plies of Maple with 2 inner plies of Birch. 12" Toms are 6 plies of Maple...the only single wood origin drum in the lineup.
• Masterworks – Pearl's flagship model, hand made drums. Everything including the plies of wood (mahogany, maple, birch, carbon fiber/maple are some of the models), style and finish of hardware (chrome, 24k gold, black), and finish can be selected by the customer. For an added cost, Masterworks drums can be ordered with an exotic wood outer ply (such as tamo or bubinga) which enhances the finish.[3] Delivery times can run six months.

[edit] Discontinued

• Export (EX,ELX,EXR,ECX) - Pearl's most popular series of drum kits, also the most popular set ever sold (the one millionth Export kit was produced in 1995). The latest generation of Export drums were made with 6 plies (7.5 mm) of Poplar, and come standard with Pearl's ISS suspension mounting system. The ECX series are made from maple. In January 2008, Pearl discontinued these drums in favor of the new Vision series.
• Session - Session drums were made from 100% Maple or Birch shells depending on which the customer chose; both were 6-ply (7.5 mm). Session drums came standard with the Optimount suspension system and 2.3 mm Superhoops. The series was discontinued in January 2008. These drums are extremely popular, but expensive.
• Masters - Forerunner to the Masters Premium. Shells in Maple (MMX, MRX, MSX), Birch (MBX, BRX)and Mahogany (MHX). Most finishes are now available on Masters Premium and/or Reference.
• MX, MLX & BLX - Preceded original Masters series, with the MX being a wrapped 6ply maple kit, and the MLX and BLX being lacquered 6ply Maple and Birch Kits respectively. Included 2.3 mm Superhoops, through-shell mounting and often came with a free-floating snare.
• DX & DLX - Original 'Session' series, with the DX being a wrapped birch/mahogany, and the DLX the same but lacquered.
• World Series (WLX/WX) - Kits placed between the Exports and MLX & BLX kits, over their time had various shell compositions, came in both wrapped (WX) and lacquered (WLX) models.
• Custom Z (CZX) - In 1988, Pearl released the exclusive Custom Z line, which was made up of toms of eight-ply maple, kick-drums of ten-ply maple and power-tom sizes. The only finish available was natural champagne curly maple. The drums were so large, heavy and expensive, very few were ever sold.

[edit] Limited Edition

Over the years, Pearl has released a number of limited edition kits, normally special versions of existing lines:

• Redline - Redline kits are finished in either solid black or solid white, with matching black or white lugs/hoops etc. The rubber gaskets on the lugs and bass drum claws were dyed red, hence the name. Black and white kits came in different size shellpacks. At NAMM 2008, Redline Reference series were released to the US market - Redline MMP kits were released to Europe at the Musikmesse later that year.
• 50th Anniversary - Original Masters Series, 4 ply birch with reinforcement rings. 24 carat gold- plated lugs. Only 30 kits were made - 10 in Wine Red, 10 in Black Mist, 10 in Emerald Mist. Kits were not sold in the US - only Anniversary style snares, although these single snares were of higher quality than the snare drums that came with the Anniversary kits.
• Chad Smith & Joey Jordison limited edition - These kits were released before as an Export kit shell pack. The Joey Jordison kit consist of two bass drums, three toms, two floor toms and a Joey Jordison signature snare. The Chad Smith kit consisted of one bass drum, one tom, two floor toms and a Chad Smith signature snare. In 2008 these kits were released again, but as a Forum drum set. The configuration is the same.
• Mahogany - in 2009 Pearl released a limited amount of shell packs as well as a limited amount of 14" snare drums constructed out of African Mahogany. These came in the following sizes: 10" & 12" toms, 14" & (optional) 16" floor toms and a 22" bass drum. ^[5]

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