Saturn Plus Bass Rock 24
(Press Release | Posted 2007-10-10)
Call this drum set a paradox. While its four piece configuration initially hints at minimalism, a closer examination of this month’s featured kit shows that its individual pieces are about as extreme as it gets. Magnify that exponentially when you remember that this drum set is Mapex Saturn — the drum that boasts the most unique hybrid shell on the market.
Here are the details, a massive 24x20 bass drum, 12x9 up and a 16x16 down. The set is completed with an incredibly killer 14x7 snare drum. Of course, all components feature Mapex’s thinnest shell – a 6-ply combination of walnut and maple.
If you’ve never played a Saturn then it’s nearly impossible to realize the uniqueness of its sonics. Our resident acoustic expert, Scott Sasser explains what makes the Saturn unique:
Saturn was engineered to exploit the strength of walnut, and to explore how uninterrupted shell thinness can provide a more balanced sound character. It’s this sound quality, or timbre, that musician’s talk about whether they’re referring to a trumpet, a cymbal, or an acoustic guitar. The best analogy for Saturn is a premium acoustic guitar. The guitar luthier is trying to create the thinnest & strongest sound board (guitar top) possible because that’s what allows the instrument to sound broad. Almost EQd. It’s the strong but especially thin structure that allows the lows & mids to be revealed. Maple promotes higher register frequency due to its dense nature. By contrast, Birch is less dense, and creates a slightly mellower & attenuated blend of frequencies.
Using Walnut makes it possible to create a drum shell that’s about 1/3 thinner than most premium drums without having to brace the shell with reinforcing rings. Reinforcing rings would thicken the shell and promote higher frequencies- killing the potential of the shell.
The sound of Saturn can’t honestly be attributed to the Rockwell or Janka hardness of walnut. What our players & engineers are pleased with is the sound potential from the resulting structure of the shell. It’s thin enough to actually balance the attack of the heads without sacrificing volume. The drums take tension very well, so they’ll voice up into a higher register if that’s what you’re after. The magic is that the shells can perform with less head tension. This allows the kicks & floor toms to sound especially deep without getting sloppy. The toms have a little more breadth. Our top dealers tell us that one of the quickest ways to convince a player about Saturn is simply to hand the drummer a 12” and watch their eyes widen when they feel it in their chest. Think about running a nice mic or other instrument through a good tube pre-amp. You can tell the difference right away.
Don’t get me wrong — there are great maple drums out there. We make some tremendous Maple kits. Saturn, however, is sonically different enough that intermediate players can feel the difference. More critical ears of engineers, serious working musicians, and elite players experience the difference on a much more dramatic level.
Modern Drummer recently reviewed the Saturn Plus Bass Rock 24 and here’s what they said:
…the Saturn Plus Bass Rock 24 is the most impressive Mapex kit I’ve encountered, in terms of quality of construction and materials, innovative hardware and shell design, perfect drumhead selection for a well-balanced sound, and beautiful, hand-lacquered finish.
If you’re a four-piece guy – and there are a lot of you out there today – then the Plus Bass Rock 24 is worth looking at. Contact your nearest Destination Mapex Dealer and get behind perhaps the best drum set you’ll ever play.
www.mapexdrums.com
