Overview
Produced in the early 2000s, this maple shell in Gold Fade with gold hardware would very probably have been made to match an Orion kit in the same finish. Like all the kits with gold lugs featured in the 2000 Mapex catalogue, the snare has all gold hardware, whereas the kit has gold lugs but chrome hoops and bass drum claws. Not 100% sure if that was a purely aesthetic choice, or just that they weren't making the hardware in gold at the time.
Took me quite a while to track down some decent images of this model, but I eventually found a couple on an old Facebook post by Steve's Music in Montreal, and they were kind enough to let me use them here. Genuinely one of my favourite ever finishes by any drum company.
By the way, I've occasionally seen those kits referred to as the "Gregg Bissonette signature kit", but I'm almost certain that's a misinterpretation of a contemporary advert featuring Gregg with that kit (see below). It doesn't actually say it's his kit/finish though; just that his instrument of choice is the Orion Classic such as the kit shown. Also, I can't find any shots online of him playing a kit in that finish, he's in many other adverts around that time showing kits in different finishes, and there's another advert featuring Nick Virgilio with the same kit.
April 2022 Update!
I think I've solved the mystery! Going through back issues of Modern Drummer at some ungodly hour one night, I stumbled across this competition from June 2000 to win, as it says in the blurb, "a replica of the set Gregg used to create the music on this* fabulous CD"
The competition blurb calls the finish "Gold Ice" but it's called "Gold Fade" in the catalogue. Whatever- it's the same finish! And by the way, whoever won the competition WELL DONE! It's over $10000 of gear and I, and most of the world's drumming community, are "Well Jell"**
*"Submarine" - his solo album. I have a copy and it's well worth tracking down! If you've seen his 2005 DVD "Musical Drumming In Different Styles" you'll recognise some of the tracks. if you haven't seen that DVD, I thoroughly recommend it. For gigging drummers, it's honestly one of the most applicable tuition resources you will ever watch. The kit sounds awesome...although it's an Imperial Burst model rather than the Gold Fade/Gold Ice finish shown in this competition.
** "Very jealous" - it's from a UK series called The Only Way Is Essex. I never watched it as it's awful. But I work in a school in Essex and the students said it a lot. Welcome to my life!
Main shot and similar courtesy of Shayne from Steve's Music. Merci bien Shayne!
Other shots courtesy of Dave Raeburn, Ariel de Leon and Rob James - thanks a million guys!
