Mapex Drums is a drum

Drum

The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...

 brand manufactured by KHS Musical Instruments Company

KHS Musical Instruments

KHS Musical Instruments Co., Ltd was founded in Taiwan in 1930 as an educational products company, and gained success in the 1950s as a producer of musical instruments...

 of Taiwan

Taiwan

Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

. Mapex has been in the drum making industry for over 18 years.

Products

Mapex produces seven different lines of drums: the introductory Voyager and Horizon series, the intermediate Meridian Birch and Meridian Maple, and the professional level Saturn and Orion. In years past the V and Pro M series were called the Venus and Mars series, in keeping with the tradition of naming the kits after planets. However, the quality of these series have changed since they dropped the old names. For a short time Mapex also offered the "Deep Forest" line of drums, built entirely out of Walnut or Cherry plies, as well as the Aquiles Priester

Aquiles Priester

Aquiles Priester is the drummer of the Brazilian power metal band Hangar. In 2006, Aquiles participated in Fábio Laguna's Freakeys project. He is a former member of Angra.-Biography:Aquiles Priester was born in Otjo, South Africa...

 signature drum kit.

Mapex is also associated with Falcon pedals, Black Panther snare drums, and Tornado starter kits.

Voyager and Horizon

As of January 2010, the Q and QR series are no longer made, having been replaced by the new Voyager series, while Horizon series has replaced the VX series (VXB for Britain). These entry-level, yet highly regarded kits have improved their lugs, mounts, badges and bass drum claws. The Horizon HZ kit offers a newly mixed birch/basswood drum shell. A newly Mapex cymbal pack is optional with any of these kits.

Meridian Maple, Meridian Birch

As of early 2009, Mapex has replaced the M Birch and Pro-M drums series, with the Meridian Maple and Meridian Birch series. These are considered to be intermediate/semi-pro lines of drums. The Meridian Maple series feature 7-ply, 5.8mm, all maple shells (7.2mm bass drum). They also feature Mapex 2.3mm Steel Powerhoops and Remo UT Pinstripe batter heads. The Meridian Birch features 6-ply, 7.2mm, all birch shells, and also feature Remo

Remo

Remo is a male given name of Latin origin - see Romulus and Remus.Remo may also refer to:* Remo, an American drum skin company* Remo , another name for the German wine grape Riesling* Remo language, a Panoan language of Brazil and Peru...

 UT heads, but not the 2.3mm Powerhoops. These two series are Mapex's most popular series of drums.

Saturn

The Saturn line is constructed of Maple

Maple

Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...

 and Walnut

Walnut

Juglans is a plant genus of the family Juglandaceae, the seeds of which are known as walnuts. They are deciduous trees, 10–40 meters tall , with pinnate leaves 200–900 millimetres long , with 5–25 leaflets; the shoots have chambered pith, a character shared with the wingnuts , but not the hickories...

 (the oldest lines were made of Basswood instead of Walnut

Walnut

Juglans is a plant genus of the family Juglandaceae, the seeds of which are known as walnuts. They are deciduous trees, 10–40 meters tall , with pinnate leaves 200–900 millimetres long , with 5–25 leaflets; the shoots have chambered pith, a character shared with the wingnuts , but not the hickories...

). The kit is constructed of 6 plies of wood for a shell thickness of 5.1 millimeters. It shares a number of options with both the Mars and Orion line, but is not available with birdseye maple plies. Saturn kits come in a variety of lacquer and wrap finishes (including bursts, sparkles and fades) and come with the option of black or chrome hardware. The Saturn has become very popular, as the thinner hybrid shells provide a lower/warmer/darker fundamental tone than similar all-maple shells. Although they are priced as midrange drums, they are considered a fully professional kit and used by recording artists such as Chris Adler from Lamb of God

Lamb of God (band)

Lamb of God is an American heavy metal band from Richmond, Virginia. Formed in 1994, the group consists of vocalist Randy Blythe, guitarists Mark Morton and Willie Adler, bassist John Campbell, and drummer Chris Adler...

.
Many drummers actually consider the Saturn line their favorite Mapex drums.

Orion

The Orion Series is an all maple 6.1 millimeter 7 ply setup with an outer layer of Birdseye maple as an option. It is Mapex's flagship series and is also the most versatile kit available from Mapex as each kit can only be ordered by components. No preconfigured kits are available. It is available with gold, black or chrome-plated hardware.

For the duration of 2005 the Orion's inner "plies" were identical to the all maple pro M's inner ply's the difference being the outer "finish" ply. The Orion received Mapex's figured birds eye maple or other such exotic wood finishes, while the pro M received regular North American maple finish ply. With the exception of the 15th Anniversary edition Pro M. with a production run of 300 worldwide this set was given the figured Birdseye Maple finish of the Orion in Autumn or Jade Fade.

The overall shell thicknesses for both the Orion and the early Pro-M's of 2005 - 2006 were identical at 6.1 mm. This was the case only till early 2006 when production changed at the factory in Tianjin

Tianjin

' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...

. All pro Ms received a changed ply configuration and thickness resulting in an overall shell thickness of 5.8mm, and the Orion kept its 6.1 mm shell thickness. The Orions are actually priced lower than most of their high end market competition. The exotic burl finish is not common with other high end drum companies at the same price point.

Drum heads

Mapex kits also come with Remo

Remo

Remo is a male given name of Latin origin - see Romulus and Remus.Remo may also refer to:* Remo, an American drum skin company* Remo , another name for the German wine grape Riesling* Remo language, a Panoan language of Brazil and Peru...

 drumheads. All of the drums below Saturn come with the UT series, which are made in the Remo factory in China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

. They are made using the same Dupont Mylar film as is used on the Remo USA WeatherKing head. The difference is in the construction of the head. Whereas the US head is made using a poured channel technique, the China heads are crimped. The aluminum hoop is folded over a steel ring that is inserted in the U-channel to hold the film in place. Starting in 2007, Saturns and Orions come with Remo Emperor heads on the toms and clear ambassadors for the resonant heads. This was put in place to showcase the full sonic capabilities of the drums right when they are in stores.

Current endorsers

Chris Adler - Lamb of God

Lamb of God (band)

Lamb of God is an American heavy metal band from Richmond, Virginia. Formed in 1994, the group consists of vocalist Randy Blythe, guitarists Mark Morton and Willie Adler, bassist John Campbell, and drummer Chris Adler...

Aquiles Priester

Aquiles Priester

Aquiles Priester is the drummer of the Brazilian power metal band Hangar. In 2006, Aquiles participated in Fábio Laguna's Freakeys project. He is a former member of Angra.-Biography:Aquiles Priester was born in Otjo, South Africa...

 - Angra

Angra (band)

Angra is a Brazilian metal band from São Paulo, Brazil known for its symphonic interludes, highly technical instrumental playing and Brazilian regional elements.- Biography :...

, Hangar

Hangar

A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...

Gregg Bissonette

Gregg Bissonette

Gregg Bissonette, is an American drummer. Gregg was born in a family of musicians. His father Bud Bissonette plays drums, his mother Phyllis plays piano and vibraphone, and brother Matt Bissonette plays bass guitar. Gregg started learning to play the drums at age 5 from his father...

Will Calhoun

Will Calhoun

Will Calhoun is an American drummer, who graduated with honors from Berklee College of Music.-Career:...

 - Living Colour

Living Colour

Living Colour is an American rock band from New York City, formed in 1984. Stylistically, the band's music is a creative fusion influenced by free jazz, funk, neo-psychedelia, hard rock, and heavy metal...

Tony Coleman

Tony Coleman

Anthony "Tony" Coleman is an English former footballer who made 250 appearances in the Football League playing for Tranmere Rovers, Preston North End, Doncaster Rovers, Manchester City, Sheffield Wednesday, Blackpool, Southport and Stockport County...

 - B.B King

Herlin Riley

Herlin Riley

Herlin Riley is an American Neo-bop jazz drummer. Along with other notable musicians such as Wynton Marsalis and Wessel Anderson, he is a member of the New York jazz group, the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra....

 - Wynton Marsalis

Wynton Marsalis

Wynton Learson Marsalis is a trumpeter, composer, bandleader, music educator, and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. Marsalis has promoted the appreciation of classical and jazz music often to young audiences...

John Boecklin - DevilDriver

DevilDriver

DevilDriver is an American heavy metal band from Santa Barbara, California, formed in 2002. The band was originally named Deathride, however, due to copyright issues and the name being taken by several bands, Deathride changed its name to DevilDriver, which refers to bells Italian witches used to...

Nick D'Virgilio

Nick D'Virgilio

Nick D'Virgilio is an American drummer and multi-instrumentalist musician, often referred to as NDV, best known as a former member of the progressive rock band Spock's Beard. He was also one of two drummers chosen to replace Phil Collins in Genesis on the Calling All Stations album...

 - Spock's Beard

Spock's Beard

Spock's Beard is a progressive rock band formed in 1992 in Los Angeles by brothers Neal and Alan Morse. Neal played keyboards and was the lead vocalist, as well as being the primary songwriter before leaving the band in 2002 to pursue a solo career. Alan plays electric guitar...

, Tears For Fears

Tears for Fears

Tears for Fears are an English new wave band formed in the early 1980s by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith.Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, they were initially associated with the New Wave synthesiser bands of the early 1980s but later branched out into...

Juanita Parra - Los Jaivas

Los Jaivas

Los Jaivas are a Chilean musical group who perform in folk, rock, and progressive rock styles.-History:Los Jaivas appeared in Chilean music in 1963 as a progressive-rock-andino group, mixing rock with South American ancestral music...

Ben Carter - Evile

Evile

Evile is a thrash metal band from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire in the United Kingdom. Their debut album, Enter the Grave, was produced by Flemming Rasmussen at Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark and was released worldwide in 2007 by Earache Records to critical acclaim by fans and critics...

Anibal De Leon - Panamanian drummer

Paul Judge

Paul Judge

Sir Paul Judge is a British businessman and politician. He is Chairman of plc, a director of ENRC plc, of the United Kingdom Accreditation Service, of Standard Bank Group Ltd of Johannesburg and of Tempur-Pedic International Inc...

- Jazz Drummer

Christopher Saldarriaga - The Mellows


Elias Andra

Elias Andra

Elias "Bones" Andra is an American Musician who is mostly known as the drummer of bands Julien-K and Dead by Sunrise.-Biography:...

 = Julien-K

Julien-K

Julien-K is a music group that began as a side project for electronic music created by Amir Derakh and Ryan Shuck from Orgy, with the later addition of Elias Andra, and Anthony 'Fu' Valcic....

, Dead by Sunrise

Dead by Sunrise

Dead by Sunrise is an American rock band. It is the side project of Linkin Park's lead vocalist and songwriter, Chester Bennington. The band also features Amir Derakh, Ryan Shuck, Brandon Belsky, Elias Andra, and Anthony "Fu" Valcic from Julien-K and Orgy...

Chris Pennie

Chris Pennie

Chris Pennie is the former drummer for the progressive rock band Coheed and Cambria and former drummer and co-founder of mathcore band The Dillinger Escape Plan.-Background:...

 - Coheed and Cambria

Coheed and Cambria

Coheed and Cambria is an American progressive rock band from Nyack, New York. Formed in 1995, the group incorporates aspects of progressive rock, punk rock, metal and post-hardcore....

Timber Creek Independent
Dom Famularo

Dom Famularo

Dom Famularo , is a professional drummer, drum teacher, author, clinician and motivational speaker.-Biography:...

Past endorsers

Carmine Appice

Carmine Appice

Carmine Appice is an American rock drummer of Italian background and is the older brother of drummer Vinny Appice by 12 years. He received a classical music training and was influenced by the jazz drumming of Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa early on...

 early 1990s

Mike Portnoy

Mike Portnoy

Michael Stephen "Mike" Portnoy is an American drummer primarily known as the former drummer, backing vocalist, and a co-founder of the progressive metal band Dream Theater, as well as the temporary drummer for the hard rock band Avenged Sevenfold. Known for his drumming prowess and technical...

 - Dream Theater

Dream Theater

Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...

 early 1990s

Billy Cobham

Billy Cobham

William C. Cobham is a Panamanian American jazz drummer, composer and bandleader, who has called Switzerland home since the late 1970s....

 early 1990s

Igor Cavalera

Igor Cavalera

Igor Graziano Cavalera is a Brazilian musician. He is best known as the former drummer for Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura.-Biography:...

 - Sepultura

Sepultura

Sepultura is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte, formed in 1984. The band was a major force in the death metal, thrash metal and ultimately groove metal realms during the late 1980s and early 1990s, with their later experiments melding nu metal, hardcore punk and industrial.Sepultura...

Paul Geary

Paul Geary

Paul Geary is an American rock and roll drummer and manager. He was once the drummer for the Funk metal band, Extreme...

 - Extreme

Extreme (band)

Extreme is an American rock band, headed by frontmen Gary Cherone and Nuno Bettencourt, that reached the height of their popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s.Among some of Extreme's musical influences are Queen and Van Halen...

Terry Bozzio

Terry Bozzio

Terry John Bozzio is an American drummer best known for his work with Missing Persons and Frank Zappa.-Biography:Terry Bozzio was born December 27, 1950 in San Francisco, California. He started at age 6 playing makeshift drum sets. At the age of 13 he saw The Beatles premier performance on The Ed...

Shannon Larkin

Shannon Larkin

Shannon Larkin, born James Shannon Larkin on April 24, 1967 in Chicago, Illinois, is a musician best known for being the drummer of the heavy metal band Godsmack. He replaced the previous drummer Tommy Stewart in June 2002...

 - Ugly Kid Joe

Ugly Kid Joe

Ugly Kid Joe is an American hard rock band from Isla Vista, California. The band's name spoofs that of another band, Pretty Boy Floyd. Ugly Kid Joe's sound includes a range of styles, including rock, glam metal, hard rock and heavy metal....

, Godsmack

Godsmack

Godsmack is an American heavy metal band from Lawrence, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The band is composed of founder, frontman and songwriter Sully Erna, guitarist Tony Rombola, bassist Robbie Merrill, and drummer Shannon Larkin...

Mike Terrana

Mike Terrana

Mike Terrana is an American hard rock and heavy metal drummer. His first professional work was in 1984 with the MCA band Hanover Fist from Toronto, after which he recorded and toured with other bands, playing many styles of music in Western New York state...

 - Yngwie Malmsteen, Tony McAlpine, Axel Rudi Pell

Axel Rudi Pell

Axel Rudi Pell is a German guitar player, playing melodic heavy metal. He started off with the band Steeler before leaving to start his solo career in 1989 with the eponymous band Axel Rudi Pell...

, Rage

Rage (band)

Rage are a German heavy metal band, formed in 1984. They were part of the German heavy/speed/power metal scene to emerge in the early to mid 1980s, along with bands such as Helloween, Running Wild and Blind Guardian.-Background:...

, Masterplan

Eddie Bayers

Eddie Bayers

Eddie Bayers is an American session drummer who has played on 150 gold and platinum albums. He received the Academy of Country Music 'Drummer of the Year Award' for eight straight years, and has three times won the Nashville Music Awards 'Drummer of the Year'...

 - Garth Brooks

Garth Brooks

Troyal Garth Brooks , best known as Garth Brooks, is an American country music artist who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon. His eponymous first album was released in 1989 and peaked at number 2 in the US country album chart while climbing to number 13 on the Billboard 200 album chart...

Hal Blaine

Hal Blaine

Hal Blaine is an American drummer and session musician. He is most known for his work with the Wrecking Crew in California. Blaine played on numerous hits by popular groups, including Elvis Presley, John Denver, the Ronettes, Simon & Garfunkel, the Carpenters, the Beach Boys, Nancy Sinatra, and...

Jim Brock

Jim Brock

Jim Brock was the head coach of the Arizona State Sun Devils baseball team for 23 years.Arizona State's second varsity baseball coach was Jim Brock who coached at ASU for 23 years . During his first year as head coach, Brock managed his team to a 64-6 record. That record still holds the NCAA...

 - Joe Walsh

Joe Walsh

Joseph Fidler "Joe" Walsh is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He has been a member of three commercially successful bands, the James Gang, Barnstorm, and the Eagles, and has experienced notable success as a solo artist and prolific session musician, especially with B.B...

David Lauser

David Lauser

David Lauser is a drummer who is most famous for playing with Sammy Hagar.Sammy Hagar and David Lauser played together in a band called Justice Brothers before Sammy Hagar joined Montrose....

 - Sammy Hagar

Sammy Hagar

Sam Roy "Sammy" Hagar , also known as The Red Rocker, is an American rock singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Also sings Country Music....

Scott Mercado

Scott Mercado

Scott Mercado was the original drummer of Sky Cries Mary and co-founder of the Seattle rock group Candlebox, a band reunited in 2006 with a "Best of" CD, live DVD , and a latest CD called Into the Sun, released January 2008. With over 5 million CDs sold, Candlebox continues to tour and record...

 - Candlebox

Candlebox

Candlebox is an American alternative rock band from Seattle, Washington. Since their debut, the group has released four studio albums, which have achieved multi-platinum and gold certification, as well as numerous charting singles, a compilation, and a CD+DVD....

Bobby Schayer

Bobby Schayer

Bobby Schayer was born on December 23, 1966 in Los Angeles, California. He was the drummer for Bad Religion from 1991 to 2001. He was a resident of Encino, a suburb in the San Fernando Valley...

 - Bad Religion

Bad Religion

Bad Religion is a punk rock band that formed in Los Angeles in 1979. Their current line-up consists of Greg Graffin , Brett Gurewitz , Jay Bentley , Greg Hetson , Brian Baker and Brooks Wackerman . Gurewitz is also the founder of the label Epitaph Records, which has released almost all of the...

Danny Schuler - Biohazard

Biohazard (band)

Biohazard is a band originally based in Brooklyn, New York. They are acknowledged as one of the earliest bands to fuse hardcore punk and heavy metal with elements of hip hop. The original lineup consisted of Vocalist/Guitarist Billy Graziadei, bassist/vocalist Evan Seinfeld, guitarist Bobby Hambel,...

Grady Tate

Grady Tate

Grady Tate, , is a hard bop and soul-jazz drummer and singer.He has played with Lional Hampton, Jimmy Smith, Grant Green, Lena Horne, Astrud Gilberto, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Blossom Dearie, Chris Connor, Sarah Vaughan, Ray Charles, Cal Tjader, Peggy Lee, Bill Evans, Duke Ellington, Count...

Butch Trucks - Allman Brothers