Overview
Another "unicorn" snare that I've genuinely never seen come up for sale on the UK second-hand market, and only a handful on any marketplace anywhere. They'd last about five seconds before someone snapped them up if they did though - I mean, just look at it!
According to Mapex themselves, the spiritual successor to this is the 2010 Sledgehammer. Both are just about impossible to get hold of these days though...
With its unique hand-brushed finish and multi-faceted acoustic chamber, this drum promises to be one of the most sought-after snares ever produced. Each drum is hand-brushed with bronze by skilled artisans, producing a dramatically antiqued patina finish that is rich, sparkling and brilliant.
This incredible snare was limited to only 100 units worldwide and came with a certificate of authenticity.
It first appears on the newly launched Black Panther Snares website somewhere around the middle of 2004. I can't be more precise, as the Wayback Machine's first working snapshot of this new website is in late July 2004.
June 2022 Update
There aren't that many photos of this rarity around, so it took me quite a while to realise that the throw-off and butt-end are black chrome, rather than the brushed bronze I would have expected from the hoops and lugs. At least, they are in every example I've seen. Admittedly that's not many - there were only 100 made after all - but the original KHS timeline shot (below) does show a black throw-off. It's a bit of an aesthetic disconnect, given that the later Mayan has brushed bronze hoops, lugs and throw-off. Maybe matching throw-offs just didn't exist in 2004 when this model was released. As with many of these rare models though, if you have one and it offends you, I'm happy to help relieve you of your burden 😉.
Main photos courtesy of Zack Cruz and Drum Dojo- thanks a million Zack!
Other photos courtesy of Musicash.it, Chris Morley and Urs Rhyner. Cheers/Grazie mille everyone!!
