Mapex Mars Series

107
WWW.RHYTHMMAGAZINE.CO.UK MARCH 2015 |
PRICES
Mapex Mars Rock
Fusion kit, £539; colour
matched hardware pack
(600 series pedal, hi-hat
stand, snare stand and
2 x boom stands), £269
SHELL MATERIAL
Birch
CONSTRUCTION
METHOD
Ply
NUMBER OF
PLIES
6-ply/7.2mm
BEARING EDGES
Mapex SONIClear –
rounded peak with
smooth backcut, 45°
(snare and rack toms)
and 60° (fl oor tom
and bass drum);
accurately cut
FINISHES
AVAILABLE
All wraps: Bloodwood,
Bonewood (as pictured),
Nightwood and
Smokewood
HOOPS
Triple-fl anged, matching
wood hoops on bass
drum
SHELL
AVAILABILITY
Toms: 10"x7" & 12"x8";
fl oor toms: 14"x12",
16"x16" & 16"x14"; bass
drums: 20"x16", 22"x18"
& 24"x16"; snare drum:
14"x6½"
SUPPLIED HEADS
Snare: Remo coated UX
batter and clear UX
snareside; bass drum:
Remo clear UX batter
and ebony front head;
toms: Remo clear UT
batters and UX
resonants
LUGS PER DRUM
Snare: 8 double ended
lugs; 10" & 12" toms: 12;
16" fl oor tom and 22"
bass drum: 16
TOM MOUNTS
Mapex SONIClear, bass
drum mounted
CONTACT
Korg UK
01908 304600
www.mapex.co.uk
Essential spec
SONICLEAR TOM MOUNTS
Mapex’s elegant SONIClear
tom mounts – a drop down
from the Saturn IV series –
are fi tted to the toms
Switching the clear UT heads for coated
USA Ambassadors takes the attack down
a notch, allowing the note to round out
without diluting the inherent feistiness of
the birch.
That the kit has been built to a price is
apparent with the snare as the throw-off
and butt-end are cheap and fl imsy while
the snare wires are unbranded and a mere
16 strands across. Despite this, the snare
produces a pretty decent sound. At higher
tunings the response is drier, but in and
around the sweet spot it gives a thick warm
note with good degree of expression.
VERDICT: This kit looks good, gives an
assured performance and is great
value. The build quality and standard
of equipment is generally high with the
only oversight being the puzzlingly
lightweight snare fi ttings.
BUILD QUALITY
PLAYABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY
RATING
RHY239.gear_mapex.indd 107 22/01/2015 12:52