Mapex Pro M - Reasonable price, 8 ply maple only.

Tama Starclassic - Birch or Maple, maple costing an arm and a leg.

Most metal bands around here use Mapex, and I'm wondering if you guys approve, and if it is really as value for money as everyone pimps them to be. Is it worth it? Is getting the much more expencive Starclassic worth it? Any other sugestions? Be helpful or suck my cock!

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Well, i dont know much about Mapex and Tamas drums so i'll just give some advice. If your going to be gigging alot, you dont want to get the one worth all the $$$. If you gig alot with a really nice kit, it will turn out not so nice and the value will go way down when you try to sell it. I purposly got a Pearl Export kit because it doesnt cost too much and it will last for years to come playing alot of shows(if i do). Once i have some money saved in the future, im planning on buying a nice kit, maybe a Sonor designer kit, which will only be used for recording and just playing around on, while using my export kit for shows. Think about it...

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Well, this is for a friend of mine, I don't think he can afford to have two separate kits and he is in a band and they plan to both gig AND record, while they already have a kit with like 6 toms and 2 bass drums (don't know what series and brand it is, but I think it's a tama).

Mapex Pro M is the kit Lamb Of God use, it is actually 7 ply maple all around, 6.1 mm. Minimum contact on shells with everything, like non-penetrating tom arm plates and such. 2.3 mm stell power hoops on snare and toms.

Tama Starclassic is either birch or maple, the maple one has 6 ply shells on the toms, 5 mm, and 7 ply on the bass drum, 7 mm. Minnimum contact on everything aswell, and the toms are floating. Starclassic also have more choices in the drum depth department. The problem is, my friend is looking at this kit and hasn't yet given it a bash.

Any opinions on the Mapex M series? I know Otep use them and they're 9 ply, but not all maple (some birch). Any other kit recomendations? Forget about price, that's not really that important at the moment.

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I would go with the Tama Starclassic in maple. Chris Adler(Lamb of God) triggers now so thats not the sound you would most likely be getting. He didnt have the Mapex kit on New American Gospel or As the Palaces Burn. I dont know if he triggered on Ashes of the Wake. Well anyways, dont look at what bands use what as for buying drum sets. You dont know what really goes on in the studio...

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