"For my carbonply maple set as well, I had the opportunity to play one before they were on the market, and from the start I was very interested. At that time, for me it felt like I had exhausted the possibilities within Pearl for using maple as a wood for drums, but this new material, carbon, was very attractive. Because of that, once it hit the market I quickly acquired one.... and I used it as my main for a fairly long time, wouldn't you say? As a drum, since the feel of maple is light and soft, and carbon is much more tough, it has a higher tolerance and tuning and such is very easy. If you're going on dozens of tours, sooner or later that tuning will wear you out. But, for carbon, even if you don't tune it closely, it will resonate with more than one sound. My set is the older model, the shell is a thin 4-ply rather than the ones they're selling now which are 6-plies. That effects the sound to make it rather sharp. Attack, nuances and such come out sharply, and it also bears a low sound. You can definitely say the sound isn't bright but I think it's a good sound with a wide range."

- Sakura, in February 2006 article of Rhythm and Drums magazine. Translated by James Chertudi.


Pictured drums: 14"x6.5" Toshi Nagai model Hammered Copper snare drum, 8"x8", 10"x8", 12"x8" rack toms, 14"x14", 16"x14" floor toms, 24"x18" bass drum.

Cymbals (from left to right): HHX 18" Chinese, 8" Radia Splash, 10" Radia Splash, HH 18" Medium Thin Crash, 14" HH Regular Hat top over 14" Paiste Sound Edge bottom, 20" HH Medium Heavy Ride, 17" HH Medium Thin Crash, 15" HH Regular Hats, 18" Jia Chinese, 10" HHX Splash on top of 18" Jia Chinese.

Heads: Remo Ebony Suede over Ambassador Snare Side for the snare, Coated Ambassadors over Ambassadors for the toms, Ebony Ambassador and a Pearl Masters Ebony head for the bass drum.