Members Teegardendrums Posted January 1, 2012 Members Share Posted January 1, 2012 Hey, guys. I already have a great Ludwig Classic Maple kit but I woul like a small, cheap, good bop kit for other gigs or for use in my new studio. I know the Yamaha are Birch and have an MSRP of around $500. The Mapex Meridian Maple Manhattan kit is around $700. I'm kinda leaning towards the Mapex for some reason. What do you guys think??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Carminemw Posted January 1, 2012 Members Share Posted January 1, 2012 The Mapex sound great...I've played them...the Yammies hardware is a better quality IMO. The Mapex sound is very very round and robust...lots of ring with the right heads. I played on the Maprx birch and the maple....very nice tones and I liked the Mapex birch better... Both are winners... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Shawn76 Posted January 2, 2012 Members Share Posted January 2, 2012 I have the Yamaha's. Can't go wrong with either kit,but with the difference in price,you could get new heads for the Yammies and with the right tuning,you can get a very good sound out of them. I use EC2s batter G1 reso but have been considering putting on Hydraulic batter heads. I've heard it really makes the Birch kits sound better.I haven't checked the prices yet but when it's time to change heads I will do more looking into it. When I bought my kit,GC had a demo kit set up and I sat behind it and within a few minutes knew it was the kit I wanted.Even with the stock heads on the toms,it sounded good.The BD and FT stock heads sounded bad.Hardware seems to be of high quality,which is what I expect out of Yamaha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Teegardendrums Posted January 2, 2012 Author Members Share Posted January 2, 2012 The Yamaha bop kit just seems kinda cheap with only 6 lugs on the B.D. and F.T. IMO. The bigger Stage Custom kits don't seem cheap though. That's why I was leaning towards the Mapexes, they have a lot of nice features. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Carminemw Posted January 2, 2012 Members Share Posted January 2, 2012 The Yamaha bop kit just seems kinda cheap with only 6 lugs on the B.D. and F.T. IMO. The bigger Stage Custom kits don't seem cheap though. That's why I was leaning towards the Mapexes, they have a lot of nice features. I agree...but the chrome seems..."funny". I know you can't expect the best...it just felt kind of...funny. Ya know how the lips of the rims on old Ludwig stuff feels solid? The Mapex seemed kinda thin...I mean it works...just kinda...um...thin. But the kits sound great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Teegardendrums Posted January 2, 2012 Author Members Share Posted January 2, 2012 I haven't even seen a Mapex Manhattan kit in person! I've only seen the Yammies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Teegardendrums Posted January 2, 2012 Author Members Share Posted January 2, 2012 Or What about Gretsch Catalina Jazz? Though I don't really like the finishes. I really like the finishes on the Mapexes and Yammies though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members twosticks Posted January 3, 2012 Members Share Posted January 3, 2012 Has been about a year since I've really looked at any drums. So my advice may be old, but I don't think you could go wrong with either set. A cheap but decent gig kit right? I play Yamaha Stage Custom and love them to death, but I have played a few Mapex and Gretch as well and as Carmine put it, they all sing and have great tone! Not sure how the other hardware does but Yamaha hardware is solid! The only problems I've had with Yamaha have been the ball tom mounts (but was me WAY overtightening) and that the high high stand on the lower end sets didn't go up as high as I liked. But I never had a problem with them working! I might push Yamaha just little more because they have great customer service and is easy to find a dealer, but all of them make great drums that I would love to play! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Shawn76 Posted January 3, 2012 Members Share Posted January 3, 2012 Looks like a lot of people are going with the Yammies. One thing I can say,parts will probably be easier to find for the Yammies then the Mapex,that is if you want OEM parts if needed. Plus if you decide to add on to your kit,the Yamaha's will probably be a bit easier to find add ons for. As you can see in my sig,I have added a lot of toms to mine and that was another selling point for me. Prices were very decent for what you get. There was one problem I failed to mention with my kit,it seemed to take forever to break the heads in to where they would stay in tune.Every now and then I still have a lug that gets very loose and I have to tune the tom again,can't just put it back and expect the same tuning. The mounted toms seem to be ok,but the floor toms gave me the most problems.Other then that,I am happy with what choice I made this time and won't be getting rid of this set for many years to come,unless I find a bigger set I do want to get a small kit,5 piece to put in the bedroom to play around on.Probably a used set from CL.I see a lot of them that are within driving distance to get and cheap. Really wanting to get another Tama kit like I had before. But if this set is still for sale when I get the cash I may pick it up. A 6pc Gretsch Catalina Birch kit. Kinda of like the color of it and it is Birch as well,which is a plus for me since I like Birch over everything else. http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/msg/2751181289.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cdawg Posted January 3, 2012 Members Share Posted January 3, 2012 my two cents on the gretsch: although i never played the jazz, i own a club mod. although inexpensive, the hardware is cool. i like the lugs and hoops. it's a light kit. but i really like the sound of them. typical "mahog." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Teegardendrums Posted January 3, 2012 Author Members Share Posted January 3, 2012 Ok. Here's the deal: My local music store just carries Gretsch and Yamaha. They can also cut about $100 off either kit! I still really like the Mapex though. I hate deciding!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cearleywine Posted January 3, 2012 Members Share Posted January 3, 2012 I used to own a Catalina jazz kit. Wish I still had it. Surprisingly great tone for the size, and solid hardware. The rounded bearing edges help capture that old school sound. Asian built, but those mahogany shells do well for the low-end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members drumsdb Posted January 4, 2012 Members Share Posted January 4, 2012 It sounds like your heart is leaning toward the Mapex. I'd say go with your gut your you may end up regretting things. All the options presented are good, so you've at least considered other options. DB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mildbill Posted May 22, 2012 Members Share Posted May 22, 2012 Old thread, I know. And it looks like Teegardendrums doesn't post here anymore, so there's not much sense asking what he got. But I thought I'd put in my 2 cents for others who are considering something similar.I looked at the Gretsch, Ludwig, Tama, Sonor, Mapex, and Yamaha bop kits, and ended up getting the Yamaha.With most of the others, you get a 4 piece - with the Yamaha, just the 3 pieces. I already have several snares, so that wasn't an issue.The Tama kit looked and sounded pretty good. The Gretsch kit just didn't call out to me. And the Sonor kit looked like it wasn't the best quality - but about what you'd expect at that price.While I had Ludwig in the past, and still like them, the bop kit they had just looked spindly and fragile to me. I've had Yamaha drums in the past, and currently have a couple Yamaha sets. I've got Stage Custom Birch with the 20" bass and wanted to get an 18" bass to go with it. The Yamaha Bop kit was $180 (USD) more than just buying the 18" bass drum just by itself ($319), so that part was kind of a no-brainer.The Bop has coated heads, which tune up good enough to use them till they wear out and need replacing. The drums are easier to tune than most others. I pulled them out of the boxes, put the hoops and heads on the bass, and had them tuned pretty good in about 15 minutes.They're cut down an inch from the ones on the regular SC kit, so they're a little more punchy. They tune well high and low. The finish is absolutely flawless, and is several shades darker than my Natural Wood SC kit. The chrome looks good, and the bearing edges are what you've come to expect from Yamaha. The tom mount is great - you can just loosen it and flip the drum over to tune it instead of taking it off, and the amount of adjustment is enough to suit almost any playing position.I was a little concerned about only 6 lugs on the bass drum, but needn't have been. It sounds just fine, and tunes up well. It takes up little space and puts out a nice lower pitch thump without being too boomy or ringy. I would have preferred 14" depth instead of 15" - but hey, howmuch difference can 1" make - ha ha.I've heard mostly good things about the Mapex Manhattan, and I'm sure it's a fine set, and worth the money. Like I said, the Tama is a fine looking and sounding kit, and if circumstances had been different, it would have been a tough decision between that and the Yamaha. I made my choice, put my money down, and am glad I went with the Yamahas. I like their quality, and it's a fine little kit that can be transported easily. I'm very satisfied with it.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members irnbru83 Posted May 22, 2012 Members Share Posted May 22, 2012 Good to hear it worked out for you. I went the Mapex birch route and dig it. I think there are many, many kits I'd love to own. I'm not picky lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Living Dead Drummer Posted May 25, 2012 Members Share Posted May 25, 2012 Can't go wrong with a Stage Custom, they may not be as nice as a Birch Custom, but they are solid! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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