Mapex Horizon Hzb

[JonPlaysFusion]

The Mapex Horizon Hzb
Specifications : 5 piece or 6 piece sets(both with free 8" Tom from the right seller ..)
Toms-8x7,10x8,12x9,13x10(bought separately or with the ltd.Rock set)
14x14,16x16,18x16(also special order) floor toms.
Bass Drum-22x18"
Snare Drum-14x5.5"



The Horizon defiantly gives you the bang for your buck, it consists of a mixed basswood/birch shell, allowing the set to sing as well as resonate nicely. The heads that come with the set(Remo UX) really hold the set back as far as tone goes, there was a lot of ringing, and tuning loose or high would not rid of it, so new heads were a MUST, although I have heard that they sound good if time is spent fine tuning. The set is made for any style, is very versitile, and is well made, I have gone from doing a nice jazzy beat to heavy metal, with little to no tuning.

The set is also very elegant to the eyes, as the wood grain is highly visible with the beautiful lacquer making it really stand out, with select finishes, you can select black or chrome trim for further personalization. The hardware that came with the kit is also very well made, despite a flaw in the isolated tom holder,if you prefer to have your toms low on the rods, the wingnuts that rotate the tom is angled just right to get stuck with the rods wingnut, making a very frustrating experience. The bass pedal(Mapex 500 series) comes in single and double versions, both are single chain driven , and are very responsive, they are also both very customizable, giving you the feel you want. Also be warned if you plan on using the cymbal addon on the mounted tom rack, CHECK YOUR MEASUREMENTS and go down a size if you do not want to take out the plastic insert, leaving a gaping hole that will not hold your new cymbal arm(a little tape on the end of the arm helps though ..)

Overall this kit was well worth the $990, if you have some rinky-dink drumset and you feel it's holding you back, or if you are tight on a budget and want a killer set, this is the set for you.

PROS: Very sturdy, all around well made kit with a few exceptions.
-Amazing sound for the price, although new heads are almost a necessity if you are experienced and know what kind of sound you want out of it(all 14 heads cost $240 and came with a free Aquarian Kick pad from our friends at Musiciansfriend.com)
-Absolutely STUNNING appearance
-Made for the drummer who plays it all, and wants it all for an awesome price

CONS: Faulty isolated tom rack
-Severe overtones that can't be fixed without head replacement
-Doesn't come with a tom holder for the 8", so that's another $30 out of the pocket

Rating: Overall 8/10
Hardware 7/10(the isolated holder will irritate the heck out of you haha)
Finish 10/10 it's beautiful, glossy, and classy.
Sound 9/10 after switching heads 7/10 with the stock heads


Thanks for taking the time to read this,
And remember, if it's Mapex, you know it's good!
Jon

[pastor_bob]

Nice review Jon. I played a Horizon kit when I was going to a music store to take lessons. I was pleasantly surprised by how good it sounded. Of course, it was tuned by a pro.

[JonPlaysFusion]

Nice review Jon. I played a Horizon kit when I was going to a music store to take lessons. I was pleasantly surprised by how good it sounded. Of course, it was tuned by a pro.

Thank you, that might have a lot to do with my ringing problem haha.
I could never really tune that well anyways until I got a drumdial to get me in the ballpark. Haha

[inthpktplayer]

Good review. Thanks for posting. I've found that you really can't go wrong with Mapex drums. Great value, outstanding sound and gorgeous finishes.

[itchie]

nice review ..thanks for your time on this

[Russ]

Great review, thanks for putting it up. Shame to hear about the troubles with those stock heads, that's a bummer. Those sizes though dang man, do they really give you a 10x9 and 18x18? I haven't heard of 10x9's being used in awhile, and according to site they use 10x8's and 18x16's with 14x5.5 snare. Is yours a special edition of the kit?

[JonPlaysFusion]

Great review, thanks for putting it up. Shame to hear about the troubles with those stock heads, that's a bummer. Those sizes though dang man, do they really give you a 10x9 and 18x18? I haven't heard of 10x9's being used in awhile, and according to site they use 10x8's and 18x16's with 14x5.5 snare. Is yours a special edition of the kit?

Oops! You are correct, I thought it looked funny having the 12x10 then a 13x10
Thanks for pointing it out. Changing it now haha