Mapex comes as one of the main contenders in the world of drum manufacturing. The brand has been making high-end products for a long time and has all the best experience.
For rock drummers, they have the Mapex Mars Nightwood, which offers a perfect solution for all your gigs.
About the Mapex Mars Nightwood
The Mars series shell pack from Mapex come with 100% birch, shallow depth shells. They are fitted with the new SONIClear ™ bearing edge. These features ensure that the drums produce a fast, clear tone and quick rebound.
The ‘rock’ shell pack comes with a size that can be used in a wide range of music styles. In other words, this is one of the most versatile drum shells you can ever have.
With this configuration, you can be sure of a blend of power and versatility suitable for any drummer who needs portability and high-end sound. The kit is designed to deliver the most amazing sounds for any drummer, no matter the genre you are playing.
Configuration
The kit I order was a five-piece shell pack with hardware. The available components include:
KICK DRUM: 20 by 16-inches, 22 by 18-inches, 22 by 20-inches, and 24 by 16-inches
TOMS: 8 by 7-inches, 10 by 7-inches, 10 by 8-inches, 12 by 8-inches, and 13 by 9-inches
FLOOR TOMS: 14 by 12-inches, 14 by 14-inches, 16 by 14-inches, 16 by 16-inches, and 18 by 16-inches SNARES: 14 by 6.5 inches
You can easily create a perfect kit based on the configuration that makes you feel more comfortable. Such great versatility means you have nothing much to complain about.
Build
Five-piece Mars shell packs are available at comparable prices. For this review, I will be looking at the five-piece Nightwood.
All the shells are birch with a uniform 6-ply/7.2mm on all drums. They are sanded inside and sealed lightly. Also, they bear the classic light hues of bitch. You can get them in four different finishes depending on your preference.
This design results in a reminiscent of wallpaper. However, it is attractive enough to pull anyone who sees it from afar closer to admire its beauty.
The drums feature low mass lugs based on the design of Mapex’s Black Panther. The toms are fitted with elegant SONIClear tom mounts.
Mapex adds and electro-plating process to coat every hardware, claiming it makes them last longer than any other brand in the same price range.
You can also request for a non-standard hardware combination and a wrap. But this will mean waiting for 12 to 16 weeks before your special order is delivered.
The angle and cut of the bearing edges are a great approach on its own. There is so much to talk about this feature’s possibilities that cannot fit in this review. All you need to know is that they offer a great advantage to using these drums.
The feel
Look at this video, and you will get a better understanding of what I am talking about here. This kit comes with two varying styles of SONIClear bearing edge. The smaller drums come with 45-degrees, while the bass and the floor toms are cut at 60 degrees.
One can feel the difference since there is more bottom end offered to the bigger drums. Even though they feature the Remo UT heads’ thinness, it is still not the same with these drum shells.
Get deep, powerful, and highly focused sound from the undampened bass drum. You can almost think there are no overtones, and their smooth, natural decay poses no need for tweaking.
The floor tom is also big on the note as the rack toms deliver projection and volume. The snare defines every good sound you get from these drums, even though it is built as a throw-off and butt end cheap. The snare wires are not even branded, only 16 strands across, making it flimsy.
Overall, this is a useful drum set at an affordable price range.
Mapex Mars Crossover Nightwood
The Nightwood Crossover shell pack is 100% birch and has all the features of any Mars Nightwood. They come with shells that allow for direct transmission of sound, reduce overtones, and ensure a stronger fundamental pitch. Tuning drums has never been easier than it is with this kit. If you want more powerful rock sounds and nothing else, this is the kit for you.
Verdict
The Mapex Mars Nightwood shell pack is a useful drum set that has all the features to deliver incredible results. It is also very affordable, which makes it even more attractive. Hence, highly recommended.
