A kit inspired by the Black Panther snare drums...
Black Panther snare drums have been around for a few years now and have gained a heady reputation in the drumming world (I have one myself). We shouldn’t have been surprised that on the back of the success of the snare drum range Mapex decided to create two Black Panther kits using the same DNA in two of their snare drums (the Blaster and the Velvetone). But surprised we were … surprised and excited. We have here the beautiful Blaster kit . Let’s take a closer look.
In Detail
We have here the five-piece shell pack: an undrilled 22x18” bass drum, and 10x8” and 12x9” toms with 14x14” and 16x16’ floor toms. A 22”, 10”, 12”, 16” FT shell pack is also available, and the 13x7” Blaster snare drum is sold separately. The kit follows the Blaster snare drum construction exactly: the all-American maple shell is 5.1mm thick, with 3.4mm walnut reinforcement rings. The bearing edge is 5:5 with rounded back cut. Essentially this is a 45-degree bearing edge, with a rounded back edge that helps to create a more traditional, warmer sound. The single lug is the same ‘shield’ design as with the original snare drum, and all hardware is finished in a hi-gloss black nickel chrome with brush effect. This kit uses the Mapex 2.3mm Sonic Saver hoop; this is midway between a triple-flanged and die-cast hoop and has an inward rounded top edge to prevent your sticks from chopping up. All toms are suspended by the Mapex isolation system, which attaches to two of the tension rods and lugs, with vibration-removing rubber grommets. The floor tom legs also feature the Mapex spring-loaded design, to help absorb vibration. The soundhole design is impressive even and is held in place with a nut on the inside of the shell. Remo heads are fitted as standard here: Remo Suede Ambassadors on the batter, with clear Ambassadors on the underside. A Suede Powerstroke 3 is used for the batter and resonant head on the bass drum, with the front head featuring a printed Black Panther logo. The kit is finished in a high-gloss tobacco burst colour and is just stunning to look at. The quality on offer with this kit is unsurpassed.
In Use
Straight off the bat, I was amazed at how punchy this kit is. The attack is very fast and each hit is incredibly pronounced. The tone is lovely and rich, full and warm. The overtone is controlled just enough by the 2.3mm hoops; there is just enough resonance to really carry the sound and let each drum project clearly, but without having too much ring. They feel perfectly balanced. The 16x16” floor tom really growls, with a deep, low rumble. The kick drum from the batter side sounds very punchy, but you can’t appreciate the low end from here. Listen to the kick out front, though, and the depth of the bass note can not only be heard, but it can be felt. These drums worked best in a mid or higher tuning. Tuning the toms low seemed to suck out the punch and some of the attack. Mapex have clearly found the right heads to use with this kit in the white Suede Ambassadors – they really complement the natural fast attack and warm tone of this kit.
Conclusion
There is no doubting that this is a very special set of drums. The whole kit has a feel about it – not in the musical sense, but it has a feel of luxury, of something special. The only thing I can liken it to is the same sensation you have when you see an exotic sports car up close … you’re kind of in awe of its presence. Mapex have done a superb job here at translating the excitement and unique properties of their snare drum into a whole kit. They’ve also gone for deeper sizes in the toms, which is a move away from the trend of late for shallower toms. Clearly they’ve done that because that is what is best for the kit, rather than going with a fashion. I love the fantastic punch, definition and warmth of this kit, and I’m pretty sure many a drummer out there will like it too. Well done, Mapex.
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