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  • Unique Models

    Unique Models

12 x 5.5 Deep Forest Walnut

12 x 5.5 Deep Forest Walnut

Unique

Unique
Here's a late entry into the "absolute unicorn" stable, spotted on a random eBay search in very late December 2022. Nearly set the keyboard on fire typing a message to the seller asking for the usual permission to use their photos, but more importantly to check the provenance. I know that comes ...
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12 x 7 Birds Eye Maple Natural Gloss

12 x 7 Birds Eye Maple Natural Gloss

Unique

Unique
Genuinely don't know what to make of this unique model. Sandro Bustíos Chávez from the Facebook group sent me photos of it from a 2014 eBay listing. He said that the seller didn't ship to his home country of Peru, so he had to let it go. But he saved the photos - nice one Sandro!   The...
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13 x 6.5 Yellow Zebrawood

13 x 6.5 Yellow Zebrawood

Unique

Unique
I have absolutely no information on this one, apart from it's obviously a sibling to the 14" x 5.5" Yellow Zebrawood. That one is fairly rare - this one is a unicorn. Spotted on a Pintrest post (of all things!) in April 2022 but there are absolutely no details supplied with it, just the phot...
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13 x 7 Rees Bridges Signature Snare

13 x 7 Rees Bridges Signature Snare

Unique

Unique
A true one-off this snare! Custom made by Mapex for international clinician Rees Bridges when there wasn't a 13"x7" in the Mapex line, and it's the only one ever made. It's an all-maple shell, finished in natural satin and black chrome hardware, and was Rees' main touring snare for a number of ...
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14 x 10 Billy Cobham Custom Build

14 x 10 Billy Cobham Custom Build

Unique

Unique
This is a proper rarity if ever there was one! Built specifically for Billy Cobham in the early 1990s, it was used by the master himself on tour with Peter Gabriel in 1994, and on the "Spaces Revisited" album with Larry Coryell (all confirmed by Billy himself).  Doug Fuller, the current own...
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14 x 3.5 Asato Tachibana Custom Piccolo Japan Only

14 x 3.5 Asato Tachibana Custom Piccolo Japan Only

Unique

Unique
Beautiful one-off custom build for Asato Tachibana (立花朝人) from the Mapex / Beyond Shimano collaboration.  Tachibana San sets his snare with the snare throw-off towards him rather than to the side, so the badge on this drum has been deliberately positioned in the segment immediately to ...
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14 x 5.5 Derico Watson Red Sparkle Burst

14 x 5.5 Derico Watson Red Sparkle Burst

Unique

Unique
Here's one I spotted in the wild a while back but I was waiting for permission to show it. It's a red sparkle Black Panther (owned by Derico Watson) and it showed up on an old Facebook post. Derico kindly gave me permission in October 2022 to add it to the site, I'm afraid to say I pushed my luc...
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14 x 5.5 Grand Funk Railroad Custom (One-Off)

14 x 5.5 Grand Funk Railroad Custom (One-Off)

Unique

Unique
Custom one-off made for the 60th birthday of Shimano Lefty's friend Rock Sugimoto. Steel shell wrapped in custom made Grand Funk Railroad inspired graphics. Note the unusual placement of the air vent behind the snare throw off.
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14 x 5.5 Limited Edition Bronzed Hammered Brass - Prototype

14 x 5.5 Limited Edition Bronzed Hammered Brass - Prototype

BPBZ455HLB

Unique

Unique
What's even harder to track down than the Limited Edition Bronzed Hammered Brass? How about this unique prototype, owned by Sami Kizilbash! Sami was the Mapex/Black Panther Product Manager and Artist Relations Director in Canada from 2005 to 2009 and I'll let him tell the story... The one I th...
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14 x 5.5 White Angel Tribal Stainless Steel

14 x 5.5 White Angel Tribal Stainless Steel

Unique

Unique
Belonging to Tom Holder (yes I checked; yes really; actually Thomas Holder - awesome bit of nominative determinism!), this is believed to be a one-of-a-kind "White Angel" Tribal Stainless Steel Black Panther that he won in a Mapex competition in 2006.  Spec wise, it's the same as the "stand...
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14 x 6.5 Brass Hammered - Brazil Exclusive

14 x 6.5 Brass Hammered - Brazil Exclusive

Unique

Unique
Here's one you don't see every day. Or in fact ever! This Brazil-only Hammered Brass model appeared on Facebook for sale on the Brazilian site Nando Batera Shop in early April 2023. After managing to stop hyperventilating long enough to send him a message, owner Fernando&...
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14 x 6.5 Phosphor Bronze Hammered - Brazil Exclusive

14 x 6.5 Phosphor Bronze Hammered - Brazil Exclusive

Unique

Unique
Just when you thought you'd see every variety of Phosphor Bronze, along comes this curve-ball, courtesy of long time contributer Zack Cruz.  Apparently this is an early Brazil-only hammered bronze model. Unfortunately, Zack doesn't own it himself, so I have no further information, although ...
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14 x 6.5 The Velvetone

14 x 6.5 The Velvetone

BPMW4650CNUB

Unique

Unique
This is a one-off big brother of the standard 14"x5.5" Velvetone. Like the Retrosonic's rare big brother, I didn't even know this existed until July 2022 - it's certainly not listed as an option in any catalogue. Morgan Deveney sent me screen shots of a conversation he'd had with its owner in 201...
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14 x 7 Hiroyuki Kawasaki Model Japan Only One-Off

14 x 7 Hiroyuki Kawasaki Model Japan Only One-Off

BSJ147OPBHW

Unique

Unique
One-Off 14"x7" Asian Hinoki Wood, created at the request of Mr. Kawasaki, the owner of Yotsuya DOPPO. Mapex / Beyond Shimano Collaboration.
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14 x 7 Psych-Octopus (Aquiles Priester Signature Snare) - Prototype

14 x 7 Psych-Octopus (Aquiles Priester Signature Snare) - Prototype

BPML4700CAO (Prototype)

Unique

Unique
Still trying to track down the specifics of this rarity, given that the only photos that seem to exist are from Aquiles Priester himself!  In June 2022 I spotted this during a late-night trawl around the net. It was shown on a November 2022 Facebook post from Aquiles Priester ...
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14 x 8 Aquiles Priester 10th Anniversary Celebration Snare

14 x 8 Aquiles Priester 10th Anniversary Celebration Snare

Unique

Unique
Another of Aquiles Preister's amazing custom snares! I don't have a huge amount of details about this model, with the exception of Aquilies' post on his own social media in July 2022. Gorgeous though eh?  Cards on the table - despite the fact that it doesn't officially have a Blac...
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14 x 8 Aquiles Priester Maple and Walnut Prototype

14 x 8 Aquiles Priester Maple and Walnut Prototype

Unique

Unique
This one-off was made for the great Brazilian drummer Aquiles Priester, and used by him on several recordings and videos. It's signed by Aquiles himself and is currently owned by Mazão Souza from São Paulo, who has quite a collection of Black Panthers. Mazão sent me the shots in March 2022 ...
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