The most common way of setting up your drums is to have your snare in the center between your legs with the bass drum slightly to right of center on the floor, and the hihat stand on your left. Toms are mounted above the bass drums on a bass mount or on tom stands, usually going left to right in order of size (and descending pitch), with the floor toms following same principle to the right of the bass drum. (Assuming you're right-handed: left-handed players sometimes reverse the positions, but a lot of lefty players also play on right-oriented setups. Feel free to experiment with what works for you). 

Common practice is to tune batter heads (the striking side) to a slightly higher pitch than the resonant head (the bottom side), which makes the pitch bend downwards as the sound decays after striking the drum. Tuning is mostly about getting the drumhead at an even tension at your desired pitch, which will be up to you: the higher the tension, the higher the pitch. To tune, seat the head properly, making sure that it sits perfectly flat and even on the edge of the drum and that the tension rods are finger-tight. Lightly tap the drumhead at each tension rod about an inch in from the counterhoop, and slowly tighten them with a drum key. It's common to move across the drum to the opposite tension rod from the one you started, then to an adjacent tension rod to the right or left, then across the drum again to its opposite, repeating as many times as necessary until all the tension rods have been tightened. What you want is for the pitch at every tension rod to be the same: go to every tension rod and fine tune it from one to the next. It's recommended that you tune the bottom head first before flipping the drum to use the same tuning pattern on the batter head. Note that bass drum heads are tuned much looser than toms or snare: just tight enough to get rid of wrinkles on the drumhead is usually enough. At the end of the day, it's about taste and getting the right sound for the gig: don't be afraid to experiment! 

Before cleaning, we recommend that you first strip all fittings and lugs from the shell, both to make it easier and faster to clean the shell and to avoid scratching the finish from grit that collects around the hardware. You can dust it with a feather, a "Swiffer"-type duster, or any smooth cloth; for a more thorough clean, wipe with a solution of water and mild detergent before drying with a soft clean cloth. For lacquered and covered drums, any high-quality, non-abrasive furniture/car/drum polish/wax should add a great shine: follow the manufacturer's directions, and apply sparingly using a soft clean cloth.

For stands, drum fittings (including lugs) and drum hoops, general household cleaners will be perfectly adequate. Avoid abrasives or products containing ammonia as these will damage the surface.

It takes a while for drumheads to stabilize and be broken in to the bearing edges. They'll get there just by being played but you can make the process faster by pressing the head with your hands (imagine that you're performing CPR on it) during tuning. The environment and temperature may also be factors: keep the drums away from damp or extreme temperatures, and keep them covered if they're set up for extended periods of time. 

The bearing edge of the drum is the part of the drum that the drumhead comes into contact with. The SONIClear™ Bearing Edge pioneered by Mapex features a flat cut where the drumhead touches the shell, allowing it to sit flatter and make better contact. The result is a stronger and deeper fundamental pitch, a significantly expanded tuning range to work with, and a very easy tuning experience.

If you wanted a different drive you don't need to change the whole pedal. The drive on the Falcon pedal is interchangeable: both the direct drive and a strap drive are available as standalone separate components, and changing the drive is a very simple process.

The natural sustain and full, warm tone balanced across all frequency ranges has cemented maple as the accepted industry standard for premium drum shells. The fundamental pitch of birch tends to be perceptably higher and its sustain naturally shorter: these qualities lend themselves to a bright sound and quick attack which allows for notes to "speak" articulately. Walnut is a dense wood, which results in a darker tone and excellent projection at the low-end. The Mapex Hybrid shell concept takes the tonal characteristics of these standard woods and blends them into chamber-specific designs insuring that each drum is optimized for an ideal sound.

You can only purchase Mapex products through an Authorized Mapex Dealer.

Click here to locate an authorized Mapex dealer near you.

We build individual toms in a selection of sizes for all drumsets currently in production. Please contact your local authorized Mapex dealer to place a new order.

After-service for discontinued models usually run for about three years from the end of production, so availability will depend on the model in question. Please contact your local authorized Mapex dealer for more information.

Please contact the authorized Mapex dealer where you purchased the product with all available details.

Your local Mapex authorized dealer will have most replacement parts in stock; in the event that they don't, they will contact Mapex for a special order.