Mapex Drums

Mapex produces a wide spectrum of percussion equipment ranging from beginner and student drum sets to professional-tier instruments. The brand's flagship product lines include the Black Panther Design Lab Series, the Design Lab Hardware series, and the **Quantum** series of marching snares, tenor quads, and bass drums used by marching bands and Drum Corps International (DCI) ensembles. Through its "Design Lab" product development concept, Mapex utilizes a "Concept Hybrid Formula" to combine custom shell formulations into its instrument making and sonic design. Mapex Drums was launched in 1989 by KHS Musical Instruments in Taipei, Taiwan, shifting the company's focus from original equipment manufacturing (OEM) for other percussion brands to creating its own proprietary drum line. In 1991, jazz drummer Ralph Peterson Jr. became the brand's first major endorser. In 1992, Mapex introduced its first high-end drum lines, the Orion Custom Maple and Orion Studio Birch series. The following year, Mapex released the Mars Pro series, utilizing automated manufacturing techniques to introduce lacquer finishes to mid-range drum sets. In 1996, the brand established its U.S. headquarters in La Vergne, Tennessee.