A GRAND IMPROVEMENT
I had the pleasure of playing the Mapex Saturn MH Standard Edition 5-piece kit a couple of weeks back, and it was awesome. The kit was fitted with clear Remo Emperors. Huge win! These heads come standard and are a great choice for these drums. The maple and walnut hybrid shell of the Saturn V were so rewarding to play; I was taken by the tone of these drums and could have played them for hours. The toms were punchy, had a great note when hit hard or soft and the sustain was perfect. I think the Soniclear bearing edge is a great improvement, as I don’t remember the Saturn IV being as responsive as this kit. Very cool!
HIGH QUALITY BUILD
The Mapex Saturn V MH features 7ply 7.5mm bass drum shells, 7ply 6.15mm tom & snare shells, chrome settings, lacquered finishes, low-contact bass drum claws, memory-mark bass drum spurs and 2.3mm power hoops, as well as Soniclear tom suspension, floor tom feet and bearing edge. For those of you wanting that extra something special, the Mapex Saturn V is available as an Exotic edition, featuring black nickel settings and exotic maple burl outer. Depending on the configuration this will cost you an extra $200 to $300 per kit, but I think it worth it as the finishes are exceptional.
A DEFINITE WINNER
At $2699 the Mapex Saturn V is a no brainer. The kit is a sight to behold and to hear, and you could play these drums in any commercial or studio setting and get great results. The 5-piece configuration gives you all the tom sizes you’ll need for those melodic phrases and epic tom fills, but the 22×18 kick drum completes the package with great responsiveness and heaps of bottom-end. The Mapex Saturn V is a winner.
For more details on the range of Mapex products, head to elfa.com.au.
