What Does It Take... To Change The Way We All Think About Drum Design?

The finest drummers are musicians first and foremost: they express a distinct artistic identity through their drums. They place a very high value on excellent design and execution of manufacturing; sound, playability, appearance are of paramount importance.

On the strength of the NEW Mapex Black Panther Design Lab drums, drumming luminaries and undisputed masters of their craft Jeff Hamilton, Greg Hutchinson, and Kirk Covington have unanimously adopted the Black Panther Design Lab drums as the primary vehicle for their artistry.

MAPEX is proud to welcome these eminent statesmen of the art of drumming into our family, and recognize their trust in MAPEX as a foremost authority on modern drum design.

Hamilton, Hutchinson and Covington will be joining Chris Adler, Craig Blundell, Claus Hessler, Alex Landenburg, Lee Pearson, Russ Miller, Rashid Williams to compromise the inaugural Black Panther Design Lab artist roster. These renowned artists represent a wide of range of genres and styles, but they have one thing in common: they have chosen some of the finest instruments ever made to deliver their unique, individual voices.

Showcasing the highest level of MAPEX design and manufacturing capabilities, Black Panther Design Lab drums leverage 30 years of drum making experience and extensive knowledge of the science of sound to bring new sonic concepts to life. Through the Sound First methodology of the Concept Hybrid approach, these drums provide an unparalleled opportunity to create uniquely tailored instrument systems with additional innovative options allowing the artist to further adapt the sound to their personal style.