Overview
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 saying that his signature snare had just come into the Brazilan Mapex distributer (Habro) and he would be rushing over to pick it up. What grabbed my attention was that a) I thought it was a Japan only model and b) the hardware didn't match any of the photos I'd ever seen before - it was black powder-coated rather than chrome!
I contacted Shimano Lefty and, after subjecting him to my execrable Japanese (すみませんでした！) and double checking in English, the clever money is on this being the initial model made by KHS for the Brazilan market. He said that the hardware configuration was signed off by Aquilies, but when he wanted to do drum clinics in Japan in 2013, Shimano San asked KHS if he could make a chrome hardware model, as he thought that would be preferred by the Japanese market. That was agreed and he made 20 units. It appears thereafter that the chrome model was made available in Brazil too, given that several have appeared on the second-hand market. You can see both in Aquiles' extensive collection, shown below.
According to Mazão Souza (who knows about these things, and also happens to be friends with Aquiles!), this black powder coated version was never actually released; it was just the initial prototype. Indeed, reading the initial post more carefully, Aquiles does say that he uses "the final proptype" in the tribute to Tony McAlpine video (shown below) and that clearly has chrome hardware.
So there you have it - definitive proof of a Capelobo!
Photos courtesy of Aquiles Priester / Habro Brazil used for reference under fair use (although I have contacted them for permission).
