Do you know anything about Mapex Drums? If you are looking to buy a new drum kit for your jamming, live gigs, or recording, then maybe you should check out any of the Mapex drum kits available in the market. If you are looking for high-quality drum kits, it is really a great option.
The brand “Mapex Drums” was founded in Taiwan in 1989 by KHS Musical Instruments. Mapex manufactures drum kits from entry-level to professional-level price points. Aside from drum kits, they also manufacture snare drums, hardware, accessories, and marching band equipment. Mapex drum kits are considered to be one of the best; from their entry-level to professional series, they can go against any top brands in the market.
Most of their drum kits are manufactured in Tianjin, China, where one of its factories is located. All of their entry-level and intermediate drum kits are built in China, although the majority of their marketing is in the USA. Their professional-level drum kits are all made in the USA at the company’s factory located in Nashville, Texas.
Mapex is endorsed by many legendary drummers, like Chris Adler of Lamb of God, Billy Cobham, Tony Coleman (BB King), Josh Devine (One Direction), and Shawn Beamer of Molly Hatchet. If you are looking for drum brands that many known drummers use, then maybe you should consider Mapex drum kits.
What Are The Mapex Drum Models That I Can Choose With?
Mapex Venus
If you are still new to drumming and don’t want to break the bank, maybe the Mapex Venus is what you are looking for. Mapex Venus is the company’s entry-level drum kit with an entry-level price point. Many drummers consider this kit as one of the best when it comes to drum kits for novice drummers.
The shells of the Mapex Venus are made of 9-ply poplar wood. To help with the tuning, Mapex designed what they called SoniClear bearing edges. The bearing edge design allows the drumhead to sit flatter, resulting in an increased contact between the drumhead and the shell. The design will produce a stronger and more centered pitch to the drums, making them easier to tune.
The Mapex Venus is available in two configurations: a 5-piece Fusion and a 5-piece Rock setup. The Fusion setup has a smaller bass drum and floor tom than the Rock setup. Both configurations come up with cymbals, hardware, a drum throne, and a pair of drumsticks.
The lugs and screws are durable and have a chrome finish. The cymbals are made from brass, which is expected for an entry-level drum kit. The drumheads that come up with the Mapex Venus are made by Remo, which are pretty great and also easy to tune.
Overall, the Mapex Venus is one of the best entry-level drum kits that are available on the market. The set is really recommendable for beginners as it is a complete setup already. For some countries, the entry-level drum kit for Mapex is also called Storm.
Mapex Mars
If you are looking for an intermediate-level kit with still an entry-level price point, then you should look into Mapex Mars. If you want to have a high-quality drum set that you can afford without breaking the bank, then these kits are really a great option.
Mapex Mars’ shells are made of 6-ply Birch. Just like the Mapex Venus, the Mapex Mars drum kits also have SoniClear Bearing edges to help the drummer in tuning with its fast and very clear tone. The kits also have SoniClear tom suspensions to increase the overall resonance of the toms.
Mapex Mars drum kits are available in four different configurations: a 4-piece Rock setup, a 4-piece Bop setup, a 5-piece Crossover setup, and a 5-piece Rock setup. The 5-piece Rock setup has two floor toms and one tom-tom in its setup, while the 4-piece Bop setup has the smallest bass drum of all the configurations.
The lugs and screws of the Mapex Mars are durable, and the bass drum is also equipped with low-contact claws. Unlike the Mapex Venus, the Mapex Mars does not come with cymbals and other hardware like hi-hat stands and drum throne. All Mapex Mars drum kits come up with drumheads made by Remo, a pretty reliable brand for drumheads.
Overall, the Mapex Mars is an excellent option for intermediate drummers who are on a strict budget. All Mapex Mars drum kits are pretty reliable, and their hardware is made to take a beating.
Mapex Armory
For intermediate-level drum sets, the Mapex Armory is one of the best in the business. The drum kit produces a clean and focused attack, while its aesthetics is stunning.
All Mapex Armory shells are made of 7.2mm 6-ply Birch/Maple Birch formula. They also have SoniClear Bearing edges to reduce unwanted frequencies and improve tuning time. Just like the Mapex Mars, Mapex Armory drum kits also have SoniClear tom suspension to increase the overall resonance of the drums.
Mapex Armory is available in 5 different configurations: a 5-piece Fusion and 5-piece Rock setup, a 6-piece Studioease Shell setup, a 6-piece Studioease Fast Shell setup, and a 6-piece Studioease Fast Shell with Extra Deep Bass Drum setup. All configurations come with a 14×5.5 Tomahawk snare drum which is a pretty excellent steel snare drum.
The difference between the Studioease Shell and Studioease Fast Shell setup is that the latter has smaller floor toms than the former, while the Studioease Fast Shell with Extra Deep Bass Drum setup has the largest bass drum in all of the configurations.
The hardware has a chrome finish which is pretty standard in the music industry. The Mapex Armory also does not come with stands for cymbal, hi-hat, and snare. Like all Mapex drum kits, the Armory drum sets are also equipped with drumheads made by Remo.
Overall, the Mapex Armory is one of the best budget maple drum kits on the market. The Tomahawk snare drum is also a great snare drum to be used for an intermediate-level drum kit. For those who are looking for cheaper maple drum kits, Mapex Armory is a great option.
Mapex Saturn
If you are looking for a professional-level drum kit with a lower price point compared to its competition, then maybe the Mapex Saturn is what you are looking for. Its shells are made from a hybrid of maple and walnut, which results in a rich tone that is great for studio recordings. It still uses the SoniClear Bearing edges for a faster tuning experience.
The Mapex Saturn is available in three different configurations: a 4-piece Fusion setup, a 4-piece Rock Fast setup, and a 5-piece Studioease Fast setup. All configurations do not come with a snare drum. Therefore, you need to have one before you are going to purchase this kit.
All of the drum kit hardware has a chrome finish, and it is equipped with triple-flanged Power hoops, which give the shells a commanding voice and presence. It also comes with Remo USA heads. The Mapex Saturn uses some of the technologies and features that were used in the company’s top-of-the-line drum kit.
Overall, the Mapex Saturn gives you a feel of a cream of the crop drum kit but has a lower price. It is one of the best options for budget professional drum kits in the market today. It would really be an excellent investment for the price you are paying for one.
Mapex Saturn Evolution
An upgrade to the Mapex Saturn, the Mapex Saturn Evolution uses the Mapex Design Lab technologies, including the renowned Halo Mounting System and the Hybrid Shell Formulation. The Saturn Evolution uses different combinations of Birch, Maple, and Walnut for its shells.
The Mapex Saturn Evolution is available in eleven different configurations. All configurations use a different combination of wood for the makeup of the shells. All Mapex Saturn Evolution drum kits do not come with a snare drum.
The Mapex Saturn Evolution comes up with Sonic Saver hoops, which greatly enhance the overall natural tone of the drums. All the hardware has a black brushed nickel or chrome finish.
Overall, the Mapex Saturn Evolution drum kit is a highly recommended set for professional-level kits. They are great for recording and live performances. However, its price point is already on the expensive side.
Mapex Black Panther
When it comes to flagship drum kits, the Mapex Black Panther is one of the best that is available on the market. There is no doubt about it.
The Mapex Black Panther is available in two systems: the Versatus and Cherry Bomb systems. For the Versatus System, there are four configurations you can choose, while there is only one configuration for the Cherry Bomb system.
All shells in Versatus configurations are made from a hybrid of maple and mahogany wood, while the shells in the configuration of the Cherry Bomb system are made of cherrywood.
Black Panther snare drums are also considered to be one of the best snares, as many known drummers use these snares in their recording and live performances.
All its hardware is top-class, and its aesthetics is excellent. It is tough to find any fault with this drum kit. This is really what you expect from a top-of-the-line drum kit.
Overall, the Black Panther drum kit is an excellent drum kit that many drum legends use today. Its overall quality is off the charts. Its only drawback is that it is costly, which is expected for all flagship drum kits.
Conclusion on Mapex Drums
If you are looking for high-quality drums, then Mapex Drums is a great brand you should look into as they are one of the top brands for drum kits in the market today. They offer entry-level to professional drum kits, so you will really have many choices in choosing one. If you ask are Mapex drums good, then, no, they are great.
