Pearl PK900C Educational Bell Kit

We rented a set of Vic Firth practice bells for my son at $25 a month, but at that rate, buying a set would be more economical. So we bought this Pearl set, and when it arrived, put it next to the Vic Firth set to compare them. Well, let me tell you, they are surprisingly similar. First of all, there is NO difference in the quality of sound or how they feel to play. If you blindfolded yourself, you wouldn't know which one you were playing by sound or feel. That's the most important thing. There are a few minor differences between the two- the Pearl brand has the names of the notes on the bells, whereas the Vic Firth doesn't. The Pearl bells have a slightly textured finish, and the Vic Firth bells have a smoother finish- which is an aesthetic thing and makes no difference in playing them. Also the Pearl mallets are about 2 inches shorter than the Vic Firth mallets. The stands are quite different, however. Both stands are very good, but the Vic Firth stand is a little more sturdy and moves a little bit less if you try to wiggle it. But really, do you plan to bump into your bells all day? And the wiggle difference is small. The Vic Firth stand is super easy because it's like a tray and you just lay the bells on top, whereas the Pearl stand has a screw thingy that you tighten under the bells, which is also easy, but not as easy as laying something down on a tray. The Pearl set has a much better sheet music stand, however. It can accommodate a nice sized notebook easily, whereas the Vic Firth set has this weird clip setup, which is awkward for setting up music, especially when you have to turn pages. Both sets have a rolling case with handle, a practice drumhead, and drumsticks that all look either the same or similar. Overall, the price is really good for this set compared to the Vic Firth set, with equivalent playing sound and feel, a superior music stand, and a somewhat lower quality stand than the Vic Firth . Love this Pearl practice bells set, well worth it, great value. I would recommend this set to anyone who doesn't want to spend two or three times the money for the same quality percussion set.

When my son joined band I had NO idea about the stuff he needed for it. We decided to purchase a percussion kit (bell kit) rather than rent one. I checked all our local music stores and was stunned to learn that they ranged in price from $300- $400!! I immediately looked online for name brands like Pearl and Vic Firth. I found this one and it had alot of good reviews so I ordered it. It came quickly and we were really impressed! It is easy enough for my 9 year old to assemble and take apart on his own and I love the carrier and its sturdiness and added bonus it has wheels. Separately, the kit, carrier, stand, and drum pad would have been almost triple the price we paid. I had alot of jealous parents who bought their percussion kits at the music stores and only got a soft carrying case, and paid WAY more for it. I definately recommend this product for anyone who is looking for a quality instrument at a great price.

We bought this for my daughter because her band teacher recommended one that was $150-200 more. The first day of lessons, she said everyone else's xylophone attached to the stand differently and it was easier. She has since learned how to do it but it still seems wobbly She can't use the stand for her music because it gets shaken off. We also needed different mallets than what came with. All in all, it sounds fine and the case is great but in hindsight, knowing she'll be using this for years, I would have spent the extra money.Edited: I have revised this review to 4 star. Almost 3 years later, we are still using this and are on our 2nd percussionist. This has held up and works well after we bought sturdier stand. We have also bought a Pearl brand drum set and can say this is a quality brand. However, if you plan to have a percussionist in your life for several years, I would highly recommend putting the money towards this: Stagg XYLO-SET 37 37-Key Xylophone with Mallets and Stand. Our beginning band directors no longer require us to have a traveling bells kit so if we were starting fresh, I would have bought the wooden Xylo from the beginning. It is more true to the instruments they actually perform on.

My wife is an elementary band teacher. We were impressed by the quick delivery, the excellent price, and the high quality. The case is excellent, the sound is very good for the quality, and it has stood up well to daily take down and put up and traveling between school and home by 5th grade band students. No extra parts or pieces were needed to meet all the expectations for our school. Little things like the music stand and the solid construction of the main support have made us very pleased with this product. We would highly recommend it to others.

It is my son's second year in percussion. Having been a noob last year, we rented him a Mapex set exactly like this one. It cost us about $270 to rent it for 9 months. So instead of throwing that money out the door again, we decided to purchase one. School hasn't started yet, but this kit looks to be of comparable quality to the Mapex. One thing that is nice is the keys have the notes engraved on them...we had to use stickers and a marker...then deal with sticker residue, etc. Also, this case looks to be of a little higher quality. The Mapex case only made it through half the year until the zipper was completely smashed in the lower corners and it could no longer be zipped. It was terrible. The wheels on this one seem better too. Hopefully it lasts...will update later!

Great set the keys are slightly closer than the more expensive sets which isn't that much of a problem once you get use to playing them. All the keys have the notes on them it looks good sounds great and the travelling case is so handy it all works well together well worth the money the only thing that could be improved on is the sticks, the heads tend to fall off which I am told is a normal problem so we bought other ones and glued the old ones and it's all good. The stand is good and does its jobWould recommend as a starter kit