Mapex

StaggerLee

Silver Member
Ok, so yesterday I admitantly and stupidly went on a rant on another forum, though interestingly didnt get hated or flamed for it...but I did learn some lessons... Here is what transpired, and also what I learnt, just thought people would be interested.
Here is my stupid comment:

So I was watcing Katie B, and noticed her drummer, stephen asamoah-duah, was sick and had a lovely snare pair of snares. Turns out they were just MPX snares. I do more research and find he isnt the only mapex artist using these. Charlie Kenny and Jorge Ignacio Forero Quintero use them. I asked mapex if any more do and they said yes, and to look through all there photos. In the end there were too many but a few did crop up. How can professionals take cheap snares on the road and into the studio? Something is fishy here....

The following are comments of note I got, including one from a mapex worker:

First is from a touring rnb drummer:
Go try one and find out!!
But seriously, I've got 2 MPX snares, a 14x5.5 and a 13x6 and they both sound great to be honest. They're usually my go to snares and they do punch well above their weight

Some guy who published books on drums:
It's production size as much as anything. Mapex are one of the biggest manufacturers worldwide and run on slimmer profits per unit, as they make their money by quantity, rather than by the profit per unit. They price the drums to undercut the competition and thus sell more drums.

Mapex dude:
MPX snares are made in the same factory as all our drums. The same level of care is given to these snares as our premium black panther lines, and both are designed to compliment each other. Whilst the black panther series caters to specific genres of music and more boutique options, the MPX series carry our namesake and are versatile snares meant to cover a general basis. The costs are cut down with a cheaper throw-off and basic triple flanged hoops in comparison to our black panther series with it's own signature lugs and sonic saver hoops. Many of our endorsers take MPX series on the road and into the studio. Most tend to upgrade the snare with our other throw-offs and snare wires, all available separately.


The rest were people just praising and loving MPX series. I went out today and got one, was well worth it :) So, anyone else have any experience with the worlds second cheapest professional snare drum? I think worldmax still have one cheaper...
 
Yep hear ya! Love Mapex!

The local drum shop owner has an older style 13x6 maple and it is like the economy version of the yamaha steve jordan snare. It sounded great!

Been waiting for a good deal with a 13 black panther.
 
I've actually been planning on getting a 12" MPX hammered steel snare sometime for a side snare. Love the look, love the price, and the modicum of attention they actually give to them (as opposed to other low-end metal snares) makes them actually really solid drums, seems like. Kind of like Tama's new Metalworks that come with Black Chrome heads and die-cast hoops- those small(ish) upgrades make those drums do a metal/hard rock sound impressively.
 
Cheap doesn't always mean bad.

The Ludwig Acrolite was designed to be budget model, and yet, plenty of top studio drummers have used Acrolite on big records.
 
I've got a 10x5 MPX Steel snare. Don't bother forking out loads for a BP Stinger - this does the job just as well for a lot less money.
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Mapex dude:
MPX snares are made in the same factory as all our drums.

That aspect of Mapex production is what helped seal the deal when I bought my last drum kit. One factory, one production line, everything is made "in house."

This line of reasoning might not make a lot of sense to everyone, but my feeling is that if I buy a kit from an American company, I really want American-made drums. If I buy drums from a Japanese company, I really want Japanese-made drums.

But unless you can afford the top end lines from Ludwig, Gretsch, Tama, Pearl, Yamaha etc. you're probably going to get a kit made in China anyway.

So after looking at my budget, I decided that if I'm going to get something made in China, I want something from a Chinese company that proudly makes their products in China. If you compare price point to price point, I think Mapex makes some of the very best stuff out there. I think that making everything in the same factory makes a difference, that there aren't second-or-third class lines that carry the same brand name but are made thousands of miles from "home."
 
I was at GC a few weeks back and someone was looking for a snare drum. the person picked up a mapex snare and tried it out. I was amazed with the sound it made. I took a look at the price thinking it was going to be a high end model but in fact it was one of the cheaper ones. person paid $160ish new. my next snare will be a steel mapex. Im a firm believer that they make great sounding snares for cheap.
 
Cheap doesn't always mean bad.

Yeah sound is what's important, cheap or expensive. I've played cheap sets that sounded better than 5g custom sets. That being said everythings an opinion, what sounds bad might sound good to someone else. Besides a lot of drummers tour with cheaper gear just in case it get's stolen/damaged.
 
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