Mapex Snare Drum, Natural (MPML4550CNL)

It is easy to tune. Since I have enjoyed my brass instruments for more than a decade, I haven't acquired a snare drum in nearly two decades I have played Yamaha and Ludwig shells for all this time. I saw this standard, standard-sized maple for $140, and I thought I would add a maple snare to my collection. My initial reaction was dissatisfaction with the Chinese Remo heads that came on it, but I decided to tune and stretch them for a couple of days before changing out for my standard coated Ambassador heads. My regret is that I didn't do that earlier. Those heads, which come on the drums, are coated tops that are a bit thinner than Ambassador heads. However, his build is more substantial than that of It is essentially a monophonic instrument with a top head fairly loose and a bottom head very tight. As it stretches out, it allows air to move freely between the heads and gets a very punchy sound. After a couple of minutes of finagling, it's possible to tune the ring out without muffling, and as the head stretches, the tone of this drum becomes deep, punchy and pure. I am impressed with the quality of the hardware, the smoothness of the motion and the flawless finish. I like the fact that this drum is very responsive when playing snare. With some minor adjustment, the snares can be adjusted from very resonant to very tight with no buzz. Prior to playing with it, I had to tighten the snare mounts a little bit since they were too loose to hold the snares securely. They have nylon washers attached to the lugs and rims which is a nice touch, while the screws are smooth as well as I guess I'm just older than other people. If this had been offered in 1985 for $300, it would have been a great I think it's a great deal at $140. I guess you could call it the reverse inflation of drumming.

Angie Herman

| Sep 04, 2020

It was just $99 bucks! I needed a maple snare, and this was just what I was looking for! I really like the sound of it when it's tuned to medium-harsh It sounds like my Tama Star Classic maple from years ago! It has a nice crack to it, almost like my old Tama! There are no limits to what we can achieve! A large portion of my money was saved by getting this snare so cheaply, now I must get a set of brass die-cast parts to complete the snare The set up I have planned with cast hoops, pure sound snare wires, and Reno controlled sound over ambassador should give me a $400+ sound. Do not hesitate to purchase this item, you will not.

Nola Faulkner

| Dec 28, 2020

I like this snare a lot. It sounds great not only when tuned for a drum set, but also when I use it as a concert snare. Despite being tuned like a concert snare, it gives a nice crack to the beat It was a big hit with my band director. The sound it makes when used for a set is also pleasing to me. Drums like this are highly recommended.

Trace Conrad

| Jul 16, 2021

The next one I will buy from Mapex will complete my sound palette for different songs in my studio.

Savannah Mercado

| Jun 02, 2021

However, after changing the bottom head to an Evans 300 and the top head to an Evans Hydraulic Black coated, there was a lot more snap to this snare. For the price, this is an awesome snare!.

Bronson Jefferson

| Jul 12, 2021

I wasn't sure about the purchase at this price, but after reading all the reviews, I decided to buy it. Those are the facts! Snare drums like this are great. Great idea - thanks for sharing! The snare is much better than mine.

Nayeli KAUR

| Aug 12, 2021

The drum is nice and small. The chess set comes with cheap Remo's (that’s a 20-dollar set). An update of 40 dollars). up, and it performed well on a folk/rock gig and with brushes as well as a light lounge performance. There are pockets on the bottom of the head lugs that will fill up with gunk if they are a little thin. It is cheap and precise to throw off.

Nikolai BYRNE

| Mar 26, 2021

I needed it for a specific purpose and it worked well.

Rhett Whitehead

| Apr 27, 2021