Mapex Pro M vs. ???

[blue7]

Hey Drummers,

I am going to start playing again and am interested in buying a maple set. Budget is $1000-1500. I would like to get something that I won't feel the need to upgrade in a few years. My dream set is something like a Yamaha Maple Custom because the hardware is supposed to be great but this is way too expensive.

What do you think about the Mapex Pro M?
Other Alternatives?

[Class A Drummer]

Dream set... dont you mean Maple Absolute? yeah you probably do. Stage customs would probably be in your range. Those are really nice sets. But i prefer the Pearl Session to that. Ive never really played a Pro M, but all of these sets come highly recommded.

[nhzoso]

I think most of the major manuf. kits in that price range will be great intermediate to semi pro level and should last you a very, very long time. Go to a drum shop and listen to a few, as long as you stick to Tama, Sonor, Yamaha, Pearl, Gretsch, Mapex, Ludwig and maybe 1 or 2 more I am forgetting you should be fine. Good luck and be sure to post pics of whatever you get.

[rendezvous_drummer]

I own a stage custom and it's a great kit for the price. But if it's maple you're looking for and you don't want to spend tons of money, then look no further than the Mapex or Sonor maple kits. I'd also suggest looking for used maple custom absolute, or maple custom definitives from Yamaha, since they are the best drums imo.

[aceman]

If you want maple and like Yamaha, check out the new Tour Custom kits. 60 degree bearing edges give them tons of rumble and the hardware is the same as the highend yammy kits. Its under your budget of $1500 too!

[rendezvous_drummer]

If you want maple and like Yamaha, check out the new Tour Custom kits. 60 degree bearing edges give them tons of rumble and the hardware is the same as the highend yammy kits. Its under your budget of $1500 too!

Goddam I can't believe I forgot to mention those!! BUY the Yamaha Tour Custom, and leave the sonor and mapex alone!

[blue7]

Thanks for the replies!!

I just read about the Yamaha Oak Custom - and I'm in love :)

I'll have to go hear them, but until then, anyone heard these?

Thanks again!

[mofle]

Goddam I can't believe I forgot to mention those!! BUY the Yamaha Tour Custom, and leave the sonor and mapex alone!

I second this.

Buy them, dammit!

[tommapex]

Hey Drummers,

I am going to start playing again and am interested in buying a maple set. Budget is $1000-1500. I would like to get something that I won't feel the need to upgrade in a few years. My dream set is something like a Yamaha Maple Custom because the hardware is supposed to be great but this is way too expensive.

What do you think about the Mapex Pro M?
Other Alternatives?


I've been playing a Pro M for about a year and a half now. They are rock solid, great sounding drums for the money. Mapex hardware is rock solid as well. The kits also come in some very nice finishes. Try one out if you can and compare. They are a great value.

This is my kit, http://www.drummerworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22081

[rendezvous_drummer]

Thanks for the replies!!

I just read about the Yamaha Oak Custom - and I'm in love :)

I'll have to go hear them, but until then, anyone heard these?

Thanks again!

Yamaha oak Customs are beautiful, loud drums!! If you have the money, I strongly consider picking one up. Either way you go, go for a Yamaha.

[osamasgoat5467]

If you want maple and like Yamaha, check out the new Tour Custom kits. 60 degree bearing edges give them tons of rumble and the hardware is the same as the highend yammy kits. Its under your budget of $1500 too!

I have no idea if they sound good or not, and they're probably not even in stores yet, but on the 18th Pearl released a maple Export set to try and beat the Tour Customs.

[dingbat]

The Yamaha Tour Customs are in stores, have been for the last two months. I checked some out at GC, the finsh and build quality are nothing short of exquisite in the $1000 price category, very simple, classy and elegant, as expected from Yamaha. Looking at some promo pics, the new ECX Export maple and Vision birch series by Pearl still use the old dreaded ISS suspension that is attached directly to the drum hoop (not the better design of the Masters and Reference), a very big no-no in my book, putting too much stress on the hoop, resulting in possible warping and affecting tuning and overall sound. On the other hand, the Export ECX as stated on the Pearl site, has 6 ply 7.5mm maple shells, which are interestingly the same specs as the Sessions and Masters MMX - if the Export ECX is built with the same maple veneers and are the same raw shells as the two other lines, this is a very good thing and a huge and long overdue improvement for the Export line, and the kicker is that all shells in all series starting this year have a limited lifetime warranty (like Mapex) which was never offered before by Pearl. The ECX would seem to make the Session SMX redundant in a way. We shall see when the drums hit the sales floor, let the games begin. Here's a promo video from Pearl highlighting their building process -

http://www.pearldrum.com/sst-video.htm

[rendezvous_drummer]

I have no idea if they sound good or not, and they're probably not even in stores yet, but on the 18th Pearl released a maple Export set to try and beat the Tour Customs.

Considering it's a Pearl Export, I cannot take them seriously. They are probably made like the normal exports are made...very cheapily! I hate Pearl...I really do.

[SketcHyRollin564]

going back to your origional post, the Pro M's seem like they are the best deal on the market. Amazing sounding drums, ROCK solid hardware (even on their lower lines, they have this), some nice finishes to choose from, and they always seem to have somthing free to go with the kit, in the Pro M's case, its a free snare (good one, too), and if im correct, a free throne.

[sconklin]

Just got a set of the Sonor force 3005 maple and so far so good. The hardware is nice and the tom mounts are similar to the YAM. stage customs that I sold a year ago. Got 7 drums for a grand.

[larlev]

The Yamaha Tour Customs are in stores, have been for the last two months. I checked some out at GC, the finsh and build quality are nothing short of exquisite in the $1000 price category, very simple, classy and elegant, as expected from Yamaha. Looking at some promo pics, the new ECX Export maple and Vision birch series by Pearl still use the old dreaded ISS suspension that is attached directly to the drum hoop (not the better design of the Masters and Reference), a very big no-no in my book, putting too much stress on the hoop, resulting in possible warping and affecting tuning and overall sound. On the other hand, the Export ECX as stated on the Pearl site, has 6 ply 7.5mm maple shells, which are interestingly the same specs as the Sessions and Masters MMX - if the Export ECX is built with the same maple veneers and are the same raw shells as the two other lines, this is a very good thing and a huge and long overdue improvement for the Export line, and the kicker is that all shells in all series starting this year have a limited lifetime warranty (like Mapex) which was never offered before by Pearl. The ECX would seem to make the Session SMX redundant in a way. We shall see when the drums hit the sales floor, let the games begin. Here's a promo video from Pearl highlighting their building process -

http://www.pearldrum.com/sst-video.htm

Just thinking to myself....I think the MMX are 4ply......The MRX is 6ply

[larlev]

Just got a set of the Sonor force 3005 maple and so far so good. The hardware is nice and the tom mounts are similar to the YAM. stage customs that I sold a year ago. Got 7 drums for a grand.


I would have a hard time buying anything but a 3005 for $1000......I haven't played a tour custom, but it would have to be REALLY bad a** to push me away from Sonor.

[Mediocrefunkybeat]

Thanks for the replies!!

I just read about the Yamaha Oak Custom - and I'm in love :)

I'll have to go hear them, but until then, anyone heard these?

Thanks again!

If you can get used to the brightness, the Oak Customs are very nice indeed. I'll be buying an Oak Musashi Snare Drum in the next week or so, we'll see how that goes. Hopefully a lot of fun. Yamaha do make serious products in all the avenues they explore, and they're certainly some of the best drums out there as far as I'm concerned. The Tour Custom looks like a really, really solid set.

Tbh, most manufacturers' mid-intermediate level sets are really excellent now. I can name a few off the top of my head that I would myself consider:

Yamaha Tour Custom
Yamaha Oak Custom
Sonor Force 3007/2007 (that's right Kids, they got another upgrade, still take an 05 though)
Mapex Pro-M
Premier Artist Series (Maple or Birch)
Tama Superstar
Maybe a Pearl Sessions, if I ever get over my irrational Pearl hatred
ANYTHING Tamburo (I play a Tamburo, it's awesome)
Sonor S-Class (although a little more high end)

Etc, etc.

Really, the intermediate kits of today are more akin to the top end sets ten years ago. You can't really go wrong with anything on that list really. They're all well made sets that I really like the look of. There are a few more that aren't there that I like, but don't know enough about.

Yamaha, Sonor and Premier get the two thumbs up MFB gold badge award though.

[larlev]

I would put the ddrum dominion ash in that group also...really a great kit

[fourstringdrums]

Thanks for the replies!!

I just read about the Yamaha Oak Custom - and I'm in love :)

I'll have to go hear them, but until then, anyone heard these?

Thanks again!

I had a set that I just sold. Hated them. They're beautiful and built well but they are pretty loud and not warm at all. I had a hard time tuning them easily and finding heads that worked with them. I found them to have alot of overtones that you have to try and tune out on the larger drums, especially my floor tom, and it just didn't work for me. Don't make the mistake I did by buying without playing them first.

[aceman]

I have no idea if they sound good or not, and they're probably not even in stores yet, but on the 18th Pearl released a maple Export set to try and beat the Tour Customs.

If you were to play a tour custom kit... You would probably buy it on the spot. They are top notch indeed with alot of warmth and that classic maple sound but with some extra bottom end due to the 60 degree bearing edges. I can't tell the difference in the tour customs sound compared to my higher end Maple custom absolutes. The hardware is the same (800 series) and is an incredible steal for the price.

[dingbat]

Just thinking to myself....I think the MMX are 4ply......The MRX is 6ply


I stand corrected, yes, the MRX is the correct series I meant to refer to. Thanks.

[larlev]

I stand corrected, yes, the MRX is the correct series I meant to refer to. Thanks.


By the way, I didn't mean to sound like an a**.....

[dingbat]

By the way, I didn't mean to sound like an a**.....

No worries, didn't even think that ;-)

[katman]

I have never played a Pro-M, but they look like seriously good value for money. A couple of good deals on new kits on ebay too. Like this one. 7 ply maple, virgin bass, big rock sizes (24x18, 14x10,16x16,18x16) and a meaty 14x8 snare for $729.

http://cgi.ebay.com/MAPEX-PRO-M-DRUM-KIT-NATURAL-ROCK-SHELL-PACK-W-TOM-MT_W0QQitemZ160077345554QQihZ006QQcategoryZ38097QQ rdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

If you were thinking of spending up to $1500, just imagine the paiste signatures you could add to this kit.

[LayinDown]

Seems to me like the drummer that owns a Yamaha set is alsways going to say "Buy Yamaha." The guy who owns a Mapex set is always going to say "Buy Mapex."

This is what you do:

1 - Go to the music store
2 - Use a drum key to tune every set you sit down on (or half-a$$ tune)
3 - Play every set
4 - Buy the one that sounds best to you.

[cantstandyourfunk]

Been owning a Pro M for about a year now. Great drums, the best hardware for the price, and then some. Great colours as well. Go for it. Really, at the price, the parallel kits out here (Tama Swingstar, Premier, Sonor's new mid-range models available in India) sound pretty bad.

[hauk]

im gonna suggest sonor force 3007 (or 3005)
and no, i dont own a sonor

[Cymbalrider]

Most companies are starting to come out with medium priced maple kits. Mapex ProMs were the one of the first. I've got one and it is amazing but I'm sure the other companies' versions are all about the same. Sonor 3000 series are great, Gretsch Catalina Maples are worth a look too. Yamaha just made a Tour Custom which is maple around $1000 for a 4 piece kit. Ludwig has Accent CS custom maples too. For the current price and features you get I believe the Gretsch kit has the most for the money but Pro Ms are certainly recommended. There are many size options and finishes to choose from in the Mapex catalog which makes it nice as well. The hardware you get with the ProMs is also top notch. It can be a little heavy if you have to move it around a lot though, but it certainly holds up well. The Blue Ice finish is absolutely stunning and the other laquers are fantastic. They even have a few wrapped models now too. I have always revceived compliments on my ProMs looks and sound when I have taken it places. This kit is certainly better than any Stage Custom or Export I've ever seen. If you can find a deal on 2006 models go right ahead...save the extra money for drumheads though the stock ones aren't bad. I hate to sound cliche but these drums actually did sound good out of the box. There is no bad choice out of these kits, but Mapex offers more kit configurations. Your choice..