Pearl Export or Mapex Mars Maple

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WolfDrum

New Member
Hello friends, I'm in doubt between a Pearl Export and Mapex Mars shell pack kit. What do you think about the sound?

Pearl Export

Mapex Mars

Mapex Mars Maple has one floor tom.
 
The mars maple is a higher end kit, without being top tier pro level, while the export is a basic utilitarian kit. Both will serve you well and both are capable of sounding good. They typically would be in totally different price ranges though. Nothing against Mapex drums but pearl is known for their build quality and longevity so that is a big factor here. The exports have their famous lifetime warranty and I've interacted with their customer service before, they are absolutely top notch.

I personally would pick pearl over Mapex but again, Mapex also makes great drums. Maybe split the difference and consider the pearl decade maple?
 
Pearl Export has been tried and true for over 30? 40? years now. I know little about Mapex, but they seem too expensive for Taiwanese drums imho. At least Pearl Exports USED to be made in Japan.
 
Totigerus said:
Pearl Export has been tried and true for over 30? 40? years now. I know little about Mapex, but they seem too expensive for Taiwanese drums imho. At least Pearl Exports USED to be made in Japan.
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I feel like one can never go wrong with an export. They aren't sexy but man do they just work. The built quality is absolutely outstanding and even though they are poplar shells they are built using the same process and type of equipment as pearl's higher end shells.
 
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roncadillac said:
I feel like one can never go wrong with an export. They aren't sexy but man do they just work. The built quality is absolutely outstanding and even though they are poplar shells they are building using the same process and type of equipment as pearl's higher end shells.
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I used to rehearse at a place with a Pearl Forum kit that was dialed in perfectly. No problems with the play-ability. And those kits are even cheaper than the Export!
And this is coming from a "not necessarily a Pearl Drums guy" guy. 🤷‍♂️ (for Japanese drums, I prefer Tama for many reasons).

EDIT
I just went to the Pearl site, and it looks like Exports are now Export EXX? and Forums are now Roadshow?
 
I've owned both Mapex (Meridian) and Pearl Export (from the 1990s) and I think that both companies make great drums, and both have really good build quality for the price range.

I personally prefer the finish options that Mapex offers, so that would probably sway me in that direction, but I really don't think either one is a bad choice. With your preferred choice of heads and tuned up the way you like I think either one would sound great.

Edited to add that I don't think anyone is making a less-than-great set in the intermediate price range. That's one of the reasons why I'll let shell hardware and finish choices play a fairly big part in deciding. Looks absolutely matter, but I also know that so much of the sound comes down to heads and tuning. If all other things are more or less equal, why NOT get a set that looks exactly like what you want?
 
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Totigerus said:
I used to rehearse at a place with a Pearl Forum kit that was dialed in perfectly. No problems with the play-ability. And those kits are even cheaper than the Export!
And this is coming from a "not necessarily a Pearl Drums guy" guy. 🤷‍♂️ (for Japanese drums, I prefer Tama for many reasons).

EDIT
I just went to the Pearl site, and it looks like Exports are now Export EXX? and Forums are now Roadshow?
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The midtown kits are made of the same shells and hardware bits as the exports, they are just a export micro kit despite having a different name. The stands are all basically the same just single braced, which is a bonus in my opinion.

And yes the forum is now basically just the roadshow. I had a bad experience with the roadshow bop kit, pearl immediately made that right again, but I did have a 22" bass drum and 16" floor tom from the roadshow line that I used as a practice kit and for a few gigs. Outstanding build quality and great sound. That 22" roadshow bass drum with the emad combo (batter and reso) heads was unbelievably deep and punchy for a drum that is part of a like $500 full kit.
 
roncadillac said:
The midtown kits are made of the same shells and hardware bits as the exports, they are just a export micro kit despite having a different name. The stands are all basically the same just single braced, which is a bonus in my opinion.

And yes the forum is now basically just the roadshow. I had a bad experience with the roadshow bop kit, pearl immediately made that right again, but I did have a 22" bass drum and 16" floor tom from the roadshow line that I used as a practice kit and for a few gigs. Outstanding build quality and great sound. That 22" roadshow bass drum with the emad combo (batter and reso) heads was unbelievably deep and punchy for a drum that is part of a like $500 full kit.
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I used to stare at a Tama catalog from 1989 (I was 12) for hours on end dreaming. It was the first time I noticed Pro drummers using non-professional drums. Back then, I thought all drummers in signed bands played the most expensive drums available. Steven Adler, Charlie Benente, Dave Lombardo, all played RockStar kits at certain points. Mind blown! I found out just recently that Dave Grohl used RockStars through most of the Nirvana tours as well.
 
Totigerus said:
I used to stare at a Tama catalog from 1989 (I was 12) for hours on end dreaming. It was the first time I noticed Pro drummers using non-professional drums. Back then, I thought all drummers in signed bands played the most expensive drums available. Steven Adler, Charlie Benente, Dave Lombardo, all played RockStar kits at certain points. Mind blown! I found out just recently that Dave Grohl used RockStars through most of the Nirvana tours as well.
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The humble rockstar stayed alive and well in the professional gigging metal scene until they were discontinued (again) in the early to mid 2000s. I don't remember the exact year.
 
Of the two, I would go with the Mapex Mars. Peace and goodwill.
 
I have been pretty impressed by a Mapex Mars I played in a studio : sound, finish, tom mount, overall quality.
 
Depends on if you want maple or poplar/Asian mahgany. The Mars would be more versatile, but the Export can sound good for some rock music (such as the first Oasis album). I'm not sure of the difference of bearing edges, etc. but at this level I guess they'd be accurate, but without much character.
 
I've played a lot of kits, and one of my favorite kick drums I've ever played is a certain Pearl Export kit a friend of mine owns.

IMO, find a used set of Exports with the EX badge on it. They sound really good.
 
I believe that these two drum companies with these two models competing in the same cost-bracket are pretty much neck in neck.

I personally feel however that Mapex is just a little more exciting and possibly punch above their weight.
 
Jasta 11 said:
does he ( or do they) use EQ? its hard to say if if the kits will sound the same in person.
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He doesn't use any EQ or post-production. He uses only room mics, which is by far the most accurate way to capture realistic sound for drum demos IMHO.

This is from his Youtube banner...

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IBitePrettyHard said:
He doesn't use any EQ or post-production. He uses only room mics, which is by far the most accurate way to capture realistic sound for drum demos IMHO.
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What about overhead, like DFP? I think overhead sounds like drummer side, while room mics sound like audience side.
 
Iristone said:
What about overhead, like DFP? I think overhead sounds like drummer side, while room mics sound like audience side.
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You're right, I should have clarified that he's likely using overheads, I was just lumping them in with room mics. But I meant that there are no close-mics being used.
 
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