I recently came across one post on the DrummerWord discussion forum that got me thinking about how many of us know Mapex drums.
The post says, “Info on the Mapex MyDentity line is kind to scarce, and not too many reviews are out there. Is there any owner of these? If so, what is this line? Are they good drums, or just making a marketing scheme?”
And from the answers, it may be true that not many people know or own them. But I liked it the most, which inspired me to write this review: “MyDentity is definitely a hybrid Horizon/Meridian line. The whole custom drum set of an economical price will always dictate a lower-end shell. From the two people I know who own them, they were very happy with the purchase.
Mapex uses a single lug system except for Saturn and Black Panther. This way, they are able to create cheaper price points with better-quality wood.”
Well, this is perhaps the best description of the drums.
Anyway, let’s get into some more details about the Mapex MyDentity.
Mapex MyDentity Reviews in [currentyear]
Mapex is one of the biggest companies on the market today, offering lower end drums sets. Many of their drums use a point lug system, which helps them create cheaper products but with better-quality wood.
The company has a great reputation for making reliable drums. They have also done well in the higher market, especially with their Saturn and Black Panther collection.
The Mapex MyDentity is one of their lower-end drums.
I have seen so many negative reviews about this set. Well, there are some positive too, when considering a few features.
On Drumchat.com, one user says, “My buddy that I tech for just got his in. We’re putting new heads and tuning it up… MyDentity birch black hardware with silver sparkle to black fade – 10×8, 14×12, 16×14, 22×18, which is a great kit. However, with the garage typical Remo UK stock heads, the kit does not sound anything near as good as it should.”
In my experience, I have learned to look at drums using more than just their sound. When you want something good, you have to invest carefully.
And this is why I think the Mapex MyDentity are just are great as they should be. After all, they are designed for low-budget users.
What makes Mapex unique?
Think of it this way. How good would if drum manufacturers would allow you to design a custom drum kit online, with your choice of drum size, wood type, finish color, and even hardware color? And then, your drums are delivered within one month at the most affordable price?
Sounds unbelievable, right?
Well, it is what the Mapex MyDentity Series is all about.
I have ordered many drums online, and most dealers/manufacturers take more than six months to complete an order. Mapex wanted to change that by delivering custom drums with speed and reasonable prices.
The reason why custom drums take long is that most manufacturers are overseas. Hence, when you make an order, they design and build there before shipping to the US, which makes the process even longer.
Mapex is a manufacturer, which makes it easier to deliver. The company also has a nicely organized website, from which you can design the drum using any internet-enabled device.
As if that is not enough, they have high-quality professional drum sets with some of the best features. This makes it easy for buyers who want variety or wish to upgrade their current gear.
MyDentity line comes at a flat price. If you order a single-bass drum kit, the price stays the same, based on how many pieces you want, rather than what options you go for.
For instance, if you order a 5-piece kit with a 25-inch bass drum, it costs the same as one with a 20-inch bass drum. And it does not matter whether it’s a maple or birch kit.
Mapex makes it very easy to get a good drum kit without having to spend a fortune. It all comes down to what you want in your drum set. By tapping into your creativity, you can come up with some of the most amazing combinations of the set.
How can one design their kit online?
The best way to understand how Mapex works is by doing it practically. We can try designing a kit online to see just how easy using the site is.
First, not that there are more than 5M possible kits to design. It is amazing how Mapex claims that you can design yours in under ten minutes.
My curiosity took the best of me, leading to the MyDentity page. You click a button to start your “Design A Kit!” journey.
My choice was a 5-piece configuration, and I got one for me to start building. It was easy to customize the size of the bass drum to create a modern 22-inch by 20-inch. I worked on the kit’s overview by changing it to reflect my choice of a deeper bass drum.
Then I moved to the default size of my snare, and changed the mounted tom size to 12-inch. This was followed by quickly editing and creating 14-inch by 14-inch and 16-inch by 16-inch floor toms. There was nothing to slow me down as the process was straightforward.
Suppose you forget something, just re-click where you want to edit. For instance, if you forgot to choose the wood type, you can click each drum and choose maple for them. You can also mix up with a birch snare and maple toms.
Now, you need to select the finish. This is where it gets more interesting as there are very many options to choose from. I went for a Graphite Gray Ripple, and black hardware.
Mapex gives you more than 50 cool wraps to choose from. Pick any you want in solid colors, sparkles, satin swirls, some camouflage, and even black wood grain, among others.
The next step is to pick the color/design of the logo bass drum head. There are four options available, which makes it much easier.
If you know what you want, this process can take you less than 10 minutes. But since you want to fine-tune your kit and get the best, you may take more time.
Configuration
There is a wide range of drum sizes available for the kicks, toms, and snare. The kicks size range between 18-inch by 16-inch 26-inch by 16-inch.
Using the website’s features, you can customize the image of your set in many different ways. In my case, I prefer the bass slightly angled to the right. You can use the web tools to move or rotate any of the components for the kit’s 3D visualization.
Now, if you want to add cymbals, pedals, and other hardware, you are free to do so. This can help you to visualize your complete much better.
Note, however, that the hardware will not be included in your order. However, you can still order the hardware alone and not the shell pack. There is a hardware tab at the top with everything you may need.
This process is really easy, and first.
Features
The Mapex MyDentity drums come with either 7-ply all-maple or 6-ply all-birch shells. Bass drums bear 7.2mm thickness, while the toms and snares and 5.8mm thick. All drums have 45-degree back-cut bearing edges.
Most of the bass drums feature eight lugs, except the 24-inch and 26-inch ones, which have ten. They also have wooden bass drums with matching inlays.
The snare and tom rims are 2.3mm Mapex triple-flanged Powerhoops, which offer super-quality functionality. They use Mapex’s ITS mounts for mounted toms, even though the bass drums are ‘virgin.’ This means you will hang the mounted tom on your cymbal stands.
The snare and toms are fitted with Remo UX coated single-ply batter heads while the bass heads are pre-muffled. These features ensure you get great sounds.
There are a variety of materials you can choose for your wraps and hardware. It will be much easier to create a custom kit if you know what you want.
The sounds
I received my kit with a flawless wrap finish. It comes with ITS mounts, spurs, floor tom legs, and shell hardware that offers easy operation.
But most importantly, this kit sounded better than I had expected. None of the drums sounded low-quality. There are not very drums at this price range that sound this good.
Well, you cannot expect it to work as a professional high-end drum, but it is good enough for the price.
The kick drum has a nice attack when tuned low. And the stock heads perform well in controlling the sustain.
The snare, with its ten lugs and the throw-off, constructed from metal and strong metal offers a crisp and responsive sound. It also offers to cut rim-clicks and loud rimshots. The stock hard has a bit of ring, but nothing you cannot handle.
The toms are not bad, either. They are easy to tune and have a great attack with a strong low-end. Each drum offers equally distributed pitches and wonderful sustain.
Verdict
The new Mapex MyDentity line offers what any quality set can give out there. And from the website, you can come up with the best creation, depending on your needs. The drum sounds excellent, too, compared to others at this price range.
