Mapex V series Drum kit w/ hardware Reviews 
4 / 5 based on 1 reviewsI bought this kit in cash from The Trading Musician in Seattle, WA, USA, for around $490 plus tax.
What I like about these drums is their price and value. For about $500, I purchased a 5 piece drum set with bass pedal, throne, and double-braced hi-hat stand and ride cymbal stand. The toms are small and produce a good sound. They're not necessarily what a rock drummer would want, because they're designed to complement styles like fusion,jazz,pop, etc. They are versatile drums, but they won't give you deep, thundering low booms. The bass drum is of the smaller variety, so if you only know "We will Rock You" look elsewhere. If you play with technical ability and finesse, get a more expensive drumset - and congratulations. If you WANT to play with the aforementioned qualities, this is a great set for the beginner or intermediate drummer to learn on. I liked the drum heads mine came with, but I'm going to experiment with new ones when they wear out. Drum heads, after all, are very much responsible for the sound of a drum, and changing them will change a drum's sound substantively. But I liked the sound of this kit as soon as i heard it. I also like that the toms are fully adjustable and secure and come with memory locks, and the drum mounts are thoughtfully packed with a little bit of foam so they're quiet. Don't take the foam out thinking it's just packaging! The legs on the bass drum are very adjustable, and they won't rattle if you deploy them correctly. In fact, nothing rattles when I play my kit, and I've had it for a year now.
But my darned Mapex stool squeaks enough to potentially screw up a four track recording. The squeaking comes from where the seat connects to the base. I stuffed some tissue paper up into the seat's connector hole and that got rid of the squeaking, but when I shift my weight on the stool it still clicks and clacks too much. See if you can get 'em to throw in a better throne. And maybe a better bass drum pedal. I only like two pedals, and they're both called DW's, but I didn't learn on these pedals (or anything as nice as this kit, though I paid nearly as much). I upgraded after such time as when I could reasonably argue that the equipment was holding me back, not my sucking.
Oh, the drums finish is a cheap glued-on wrap that may start to come off if you move your drums a whole lot. Mine looks good a year after purchase, but I haven't moved my kit any further than to another room in my home. It looks good in the showroom, (except for the seams, which your audience cannot see because they face you, the drummer) but wear and tear will show more than if you had a better quality finish. My hi-hat stand broke the same week I bought the set, but I feel this was a fluke, and shouldn't have happened to what otherwise looked and felt and played like a nice stand.
I like my drums a good deal. My drums ARE a good deal, I feel. With a better finish, they'd be a steal. Derfinitely compare these drums with the other beginning kits, especially if you listen to and play genres other than boom-boom bap rock.
rated this unit
on
2005-02-11.
