I'm an seasoned musician and concert sound engineer. I've mic'ed up drum sets for close to 20 yrs and have played many brands. I've always been partial to Gretch and had my heart set on picking up a set. The only other set that even came close to the sound I expect out of a kit was a Mapex and a D'Marzio custom ($10 K) drum kit. When I did my research, all the drummers I talked to that were in the business said that the new Gretch kits were only 5 ply maple / mahogany and not the 8 or 9 ply birch that they used to be. And that the new Gretch's were cheaply made in Taiwan. When asked about the new Mapex's they all agreed that these kits awesome in sound, construction & price. After picking up the "M" standard 5 Pc (with bonus 10" free tom) kit and played it, I have to agree. This set ROCKS. I do session work in many styles and this kit can accompany them all. The one thing to change is the tom heads unless you like (or want) that loud hollow ring of sustain out of the toms. I mean after hitting a tom with a good amount of force it would resonate 2 to 3 seconds. The floor tom for about 8 seconds. Concert applications would be great. Studio applications the heads could use dampening down a bit in the sustain department but the tones are great ! ! ! The Snare head is cool, the kick needs a change in heads or just dampening and it will punch a hole through the wall with it's hard projecting thud. I was expecting an better than OK kit when I ordered it, but got a greater than awesome kit. The color I got was the Transparent Sapphire, which looks like a cool transparent aqua ocean blue. Really cool. My last comment is to buy it before the set gets popular and the price goes up and it will.

The accessories are a bonus that I wasn't expecting to come with the deal. The hardware is top notch, all of the accessories are not their bottom of the line stuff but one notch under their best stuff that they offer on the higher priced deals. All quality in every piece. Really, I'm also a Quality Engineer for an Aerospace Company. I know quality when I see it.

I've already commented on the quality. Top notch !!!

Can't go wrong and can't beat the price. Catch it now before it goes up.

No worries yet.

If this were a car it would be a Porsche, Ferrari, or a Lotus. This kit performs. And it has the sex appeal to match. The eye candy is attractive and the sound is spell-binding. A real magnet.

Profesional Concert Engineer, Active Musician

All styles execpt opera

This is a great kit if you want loud reponsive drums. It has a great low tone and it is much warmer compared to other kits (such as Yamaha or Tama). This works good with rock, pop, metal, and jazz.

I felt that the components that came along with the set were good. The hardware has held up nicely over the last several years and the single bass pedal is superior to others I have tried.

Everything on my kit looks and sounds great. Nothing has busted or broken despite my crazy playing style and I find the kit to be very reliable.

This kit has features and a sound (most importantly) that other kits sell for 2,000 or above. Buy it you will be satisfied.

I havent' needed any repairs or upgrades..

Its a drum set.. I dont think it has any appeal other than that its a kit. It is rather large compared to other kits.

Active Musician and Hobbyist

Rock, Punk, Alternative

When I was looking for a set of drums, I played a birch set from Pearl. I knew I liked the sound that birch delivered, but the M-Birch from Mapex was the one that I decided upon. The extra free tom adds a lot of dimension to the sounds that you can get, whether playing loudly, island, jazz, or straight up rock.

The extra tom, the adjustable hi-hat tensioner, the multi-head mallet on the bass pedal were all pleasant surprises and work well. Once you set 'em, you forget 'em.

From the high quality birch to the reinforced stands, all of the parts of this set are top notch.

A great value at any experience level.

The only dealings that I had were when I was buying the set. I found the Mapex personel to be courteous and informative.

Got mine....get yours

hobbyist/semi-active musician

rock