Overview
The only official Black Panther sparkle finish released in the west, and (as far as I can tell) the only one ever where it's not a wrap. Good luck if you are after one of these - they are rare as hen's teeth. I eventually managed to get my hands on one from Graham Russell Drums in March 2023 after trying to track one down for the best part of a decade.
From Mapex...
The same shell that was voted “Snare Drum of the Year” by the readers of DRUM! Magazine now finished in a brilliant Silver Sparkle lacquer.
The Black Panther Thick Maple Snare features a traditional deep snare bed and a rounded bearing edge for increased head-to-shell contact. The result is a warm, dark, full-bodied sound with incredibly soft feel.
This drum includes a Black Panther Deluxe Padded Carrying Bag.
Note: I originally had this listed as a 14"x5.5", since that's what it says in the 2009 USA Mapex Catalogue (at least, in the only digital version I can find). Moreover, the shot in that catalogue, in the 2009 UK Catalogue, and on several websites using a catalogue shot, shows a model with spacing between the rows of lugs indicative of a 5.5" deep shell. However, the catalogue reference is BPML4600TBIL, the 4600 indicating a 14"x6" shell, and the 2009 UK Catalogue states that it's 6". Every actual example in the wild is clearly 6" deep and the lug spacing doesn't match the catalogue shot. So, like the Kung Fu Special Edition, there's a definite disconnect between a widely circulated photo and the actual model that was released. It's only my speculation, but perhaps there was a 14"x5.5" prototype made and used for the catalogue; the shot certainly doesn't look like a computer mock-up. If there was, it would be a proper unicorn's unicorn!
Main photo and similar is in my personal collection.
Photos on the white background (and the one I bought from them 😻 ) courtesy of Graham Russell Drums. Cheers once again folks!
Other photos courtesy of Damian Ciupiński - Dziękuję Ci Damian, and one anonymous owner (used with permission).
