Over the past few years, Mapex has been creating huge impacts in the drum industry. The Mapex Mars was launched at NAMM 2014, as the company introduced its SONIClear bearing edge to the world. Mars is more common because it has long been used as the series name by Mapex.
However, the company holds that the new drum set does not resemble the previous range. There has been a lot of development to improve the series, all offering incredible service.
Mapex Mars Review
The Mars series offers 100% birch shells that appear in shallow depths and the SONIClear bearing edge. According to Mapex, this feature is responsible for producing a fast, clear tone with a faster rebound. They come with the ‘rock’ shell pack, which carries different sizes to meet the different needs of players.
You can expand this configuration any way you see fit. I have used this kit before. The Remo Clear Emperors on the batter side of the toms and the coated Ambassador on the snare side make them quite impressive.
They should also come with black stands, but I never saw them on mine.
Build
Mapex has been at the forefront of innovation with drums. And the Mars five-piece shell pack is among the best products for the budget end of the industry.
There is a different configuration on the set. In this Mapex Mars review, I will review Mars kit featuring 10 x 7, and 12×8 mounted toms, a 16 by 14-inch floortom, a 22 by 18-inch bass drum, and a 14 by 6.5 snare.
There are four possible shell packs available for Mar. Each of them has identical prices and offers 100 users a friendly experience. The shells on the Rock Fusion five-piece kit we are looking at are all birch. They are also a uniform 6-ply/7.2mm across all the drums.
The inside of the drums is sanded and slightly sealed. It bears the classic light hues of birch. They come with a choice of four new wrapped finishes, all of which come ribbed. For this reason, they stand really proud.
I was impressed with the reminiscent of artisan wallpaper that comes as a result of this craftsmanship. It works really well and is sure to prove anyone touching over the drums.
The design also comes with low mass lugs based on the same design that was developed for the Black Panther series. Also, you should enjoy the Mapex’s elegant SONIClear tom mounts fitted to the toms.
The hardware is designed with a black finish, which is contrary to the off-white Bonewood finish of my kit. They come as standard, with two of the finishes.
Mapex uses an electroplating process to coat the hardware, an attempt to ensure the pack offers 100% service. And according to Mapex, this finish is more durable than powder coating. The coating extends to all parts of the shell hardware, except for the tow tom arms and inner tubing of the bass spurs.
You can call for a non-standard hardware combination of the hardware and wrap. But you can only do this as a special order, where you will have to wait for up to 16 weeks.
They are fitted with a SONIClear edge producing a fast and more profound sound. This is a different approach to the brand’s current edges. The pick is placed more centrally and then cutting with a smooth profile. Mapex claim this approach helps the head to sit flatter, creating more shell contact for more tone. It also makes it easy to tune the drums.
The feel
The Mapex Mars shell pack offers great convenience, in terms of playability. I would like to appreciate that the different styles of SONIClear bearing edge on the kit, makes it easier to use. The snare and rack toms are cut at a 45-degree, while the larger ones cut at 60-degrees.
With this feature, you immediately get the impression of nice sounds. It is amazing just how much bottom end is offered up by the bigger drums, even though the Remo UT heads are relatively thin.
The bass drum produces deep, powerful, and focused sounds when undampened and unported. Overtones are very minimal. Besides, Swift’s natural decay makes advocates for less tweaking. There is a big punchy note on the floor toms that fades quite smoothly.
There are a great volume and projection on the two rack tom. They may be a little, on the belligerent side, but quite clear, with the clear UT heads for coated US Ambassadors taking the attack down a little.
The kit has been built for a great price, with the snare as the cheapest. The butt-end is also cheap and flimsy, and the snare wires are not branded.
Even so, the snare sounds good for the price. Higher tuning makes a drier response, but there is a sweet spot to the thick warm note.
There are different finishes of the Mapex Mars: Mapex Mars Crossover and Mapex Mars Pro Series, which offer an incredible response.
Mapex Mars Crossover
The Mars series from Mapex offers 100% Birch, shallow depth shells, and with the new SONIClear bearing edge. This brings out a wonderful product producing a fast, clear tone with fast rebounds.
The Mapex Mars Crossover features birch 6ply 7.2 shell that allows direct transmission on sound. They also produce less unwanted frequencies and a strong pitch. Tuning is much easier too.
It is a 5-piece shell pack with a 12-inch mounted rack tom, 14-inch, 16-inch floor toms, 14-inch snare drum, and 22-inch by 18-inch kick.
There is more resonance on the tom suspension due to the SONIClear suspension. It is generally a great sounding drum.
Mapex Mars Pro Series
The Mapex Pro series offers a great playability. It holds pretty well inside and outside, on any ground. It is also portable – quite exactly what gigging drummers need.
Mapex Mars series how to put together
If you have ever assembled any drum kit, then the Mapex Mars series should not be an issue. The drum kit comes with enough hardware for easy mounting and setup. You can be sure of an easy time, whether on stage or in the studio.
Verdict
Mapex has become a reputable brand in the drumming industry. And the Mapex Mars series is one of their biggest inventions. Generally, it is a good mid-level drum set that will not disappoint you.
