You are correct in assuming this is not vintage. It is an entry level kit made by Mapex from the Voyager line, which has since been discontinued. This drum was made within the past ten years. The reason it says "Made in China" is because Mapex is located in China. They are an excellent company making very good drums and hardware. Though this is an "entry" level drumkit, it is really a nice set of drums. The Voyager line is made from about nine plies of Basswood with either a nice lacquer finish or a wrap. The lacquer finish had the VX distinction while the wrap was just the V line. The hardware was a bit lighter in these two lines. I can speak from experience when I say these drums played very well. They liked clear Evans G2 heads and had a nice punch. I've owned three of these kits. They travel well, set up nicely, and really sound good in a live situation. You are fortunate to have it. The name of the color escapes me at present. Mapex used to name their drum lines after planets and words referencing space...hence, Mars, Saturn, Voyager, etc. The value on the drums is low. I would estimate it in the 200 range. I purchased my kits new for less than 400. You can find a NOS discontinued kit for about 350. I've given away three of these kits and the new owners still play them to this day. It was a really good design. Enjoy the drums and congratulations on the kit.

P.S. If you ever wish to part with that Jazz ride, let me know. I'm always in the market for that particular cymbal. Sabian did a nice job on those. They are thin washy light crash/rides and are right up my alley. Thanks.

Well thank you sir!! That's exactly what I was looking for. And yes, these drums are a step above the usual entry level stuff, which is why I was puzzled when looking them over.

I set them up late last night and haven't had a chance to tune them properly, but my initial tapping on the heads tells me they have huge potential. They still have the Remo/Mapex single ply clears on them and they are in nearly new condition, so I'll stick with those until they need replacing.

The hardware is nothing to write home about, but it's functional and will get the job done.

The cymbals are sweet! The ride in particular sounds very nice and the crash is growing on me. I don't think I'll be selling them off, but you get first dibs on them if I do.

Big Daddy,

I think the Voyagers would make a great kit for the school.

My first kit, which I still own, was a 1993 Mapex Venus series in white wrap. I love the sound of these drums except for the factory snare which was pretty cheap (I still own). I replaced it with a maple Mapex black panther which really sets the kit off. I paid $700.00 CDN for them in '93. I really enjoy the sound from them (Remo Pinstripe Clears on toms, Remo Ambassador on snare). I wouldn't part with them. I've had many offers. This line has been discontinued.

Some people compare Mapex to the entry level kits - CB, Basix, etc. I think that the Mapex are far better drums that will stand up to the punishment sometimes offered by today's drummer.

Again, congrats on attaining the Voyagers.

Cheers

Well this thread seems to have come back from the dead, but I might as well update it in case we have any other Mapex questions down the road.

We've used the kit for a couple of different shows here at school and it sounds nice. The hardware is great for setup/teardown and I particularly like the Mapex memory lock system. Best design I've seen yet. The snare which was included with the kit is a Mapex Tornado. A very basic chrome over steel import snare which I dismissed at first, but have since spent some time tuning. Turns out to be a reasonable sounding snare if tuned in it's upper range.

The plan for this kit is to keep it cased up and only use it for major shows at the school (Spring/Winter concert, etc...). I figure that the less it gets moved, the longer it will last. High school drummers are not terribly gentle when it comes to moving equipment around.

We have a show this Friday night and we'll be using the Mapex kit yet again.