Sonor

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Drum-Set made by Sonor, cymbals by Meinl and Paiste.

Sonor (Pronounced: SO-noor) is a German percussion manufacturer. Founded in 1875 as a percussion manufacturer,[1] Sonor drum sets and hardware are historically known for being constructed in a very durable, and therefore, unusually heavy manner (older models). One of the oldest existing models of drums manufactured by Sonor is a 1942 Johannes Link Parade Snare, a very heavy snare drum with an aluminum shell and thick tension rods.[2] Sonor drums historically had a reputation for being very expensive, and were well respected by many studios and professional musicians; although their current models span the range from beginner to professional. In the 1980s, Sonor's tagline was "The Rolls of drums". This was an allusion to the perfectionist (and expensive) way they constructed their drum shells. They made very thick (13mm) and heavy shells that were beech wood, with an innermost and outermost ply of furniture-grade veneers, such as rosewood and bubinga. Nicko McBrain of Iron Maiden was one of the most prominent Sonor artists of the 80's, along with Steve Smith of Journey, Phil Rudd of AC/DC, Thomas Haake of Meshuggah and jazz legend Jack DeJohnette.

Sonor is the inventor of the modern screw thread drum-construction that laid the foundation for today's modern drum set, and the inventor of the metal snare drum. Both were invented in the early 20th century.[3] William F. Ludwig got this idea in his early years back in Germany from Sonor and began to use it later in Chicago.[3]

As the 1980s progressed, the market began to stray away from thick heavy shells and Sonor started slimming down its shells with a line called "Sonorlite" and "Hilite". This marked a shift in philosophy that dictated that a drum shell should resonate like a violin or guitar body. The thinner the shell, the lower the fundamental tone.

Sonor drums have several design features, including under-sized shells (a similar concept to a violin bridge - designed to enhance response), and tension rods which are round and feature a slot instead of the traditional square style (though recently Sonor made square heads standard, with slotted heads available as an option). Recently, Sonor re-introduced the designer X-Ray Acrylic drums, marking the first time in 20 years Sonor offered acrylic drums. These shells are made from seamless, extruded acrylic and feature acrylic hoops.

Sonor's exotic finishes and tonal quality are still coveted by amateurs and professionals alike. Some used Sonor drums are collectors items.

Current Sonor artists include Mikkey Dee of Motorhead, Danny Carey of Tool; Gavin Harrison of Porcupine Tree; Paul Bostaph, former drummer for Slayer, Exodus, and Forbidden;,long-time AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd;Ken Serio a New York session and touring drummer, Adam Nussbaum, great jazz drummer, jazz legend Jack DeJohnette,Steve Smith, Joe Winters of The Steepwater Band; Jojo Mayer, New York City session drummer, clinician, and drummer for drum-and-bass project NERVE; Rob Rivera of Nonpoint; ; James Knox of The Business and many more.

Contents

[edit] Drums

Sonor low and mid-level lines:

  • Ascent Series: made of beech wood shells.
  • Select Force Series: made of maple shells. Replaces the Force 3007 Series.
  • Essential Force Series: made of birch wood shells. Replaces the Force 2007 Series.
  • Smart Force Series: made of poplar wood shells. Replaces the Force 1007 Series.

Sonor German-made professional lines:

  • S Classix: made of thin Scandinavian birchwood shells, this line offers both vintage and veneer finishes.
  • Delite: made of extremely thin vintage maple shells, this line offers veneer and fade finishes.
  • SQ2: Sonor's top line of drums, this line is custom made according to the customer's specifications, including shell material, shell thickness, lug color and type, hoop color and type, and inside and outside finishes.

Signature Series snare drums:

  • SSD 11 1408 DC Signature Snare Drum Danny Carey: Bronze 1mm shell, 14" x 8", 2.3mm Power Hoops
  • SSD 11 1405 PR Signature Snare Drum Phil Rudd: Chrome over brass 1mm shell, 14" x 5", die-cast hoops
  • SSD 10 13x5.75 BG Signature Snare Drum Benny Greb: Beech 5mm shell, 13" x 5.75", 2.3mm Power Hoops
  • SSD 11 1455 STS Signature Snare Steve Smith: Cast steel 2.5mm shell with 2.5mm reinforcement rings, 14" x 5.5", die-cast hoops

Artist Series snare drums

  • AS 07 1205 AD Art Design: Birch 12-layer 7mm shell, 12" x 5", 2.3mm Power hoops
  • AS 07 1305 EA Earth Finish: Beech 27-layer 28mm shell, 13" x 5", triple-flange hoops
  • AS 07 1405 MB Scandinavian Birch: Vintage maple 6-layer 6mm shell (4mm shell + 2mm Dynamic Edge), 14" x 5", single-flange hoops
  • AS 07 1406 CM Cottonwood Maple: Maple 9-layer 6mm shell, 14" x 5", die-cast hoops
  • AS 07 1405 BG Brass Gold: Brass 1mm shell, 14" x 5", die-cast hoops
  • AS 07 1405 SB Steel Black: Steel 1mm shell, 14" x 5", triple-flange hoops
  • AS 07 1406 BRB Bronze Black: Bronze 3mm shell, 14" x 6", die-cast hoops
  • AS 07 1307 AM Amboina: Heavy maple 12-layer 8mm shell, 13" x 7", triple-flange hoops

Discontinued series:

  • Steve Smith 30th Anniversary Kit:

The drum kit is based on Steve’s setup that he has been using for over twenty years. Steve uses this setup in studio sessions and live on tour with his groups Vital Information and Jazz Legacy. All shells are hand-made by Sonor craftsman in Germany. The shells are made of beech wood with a birdseye amber outer veneer and are constructed to make the drum kit a versatile work of art. Whereas the 20" x 16" bass drum shell is made out of 6.1 mm, 9-ply beech wood, the 14" x 14" and 16" x 16" floor toms as well as the 8" x 8", 10" x 8" and 12" x 8" tom toms and the 12" x 5" snare drum are made out of 8.1 mm, 9-ply beech wood. The bass drum comes equipped with a removable felt strip on both the batter and resonant sides. Phonic style claw hooks with wing screws gives the kit a Vintage look. The specially engraved badges on all shells just give a hint what this beautiful kit is all about.

  • S-Class Pro: 9-ply maple in a cross lamination configuration.
  • S-Class Maple: 9-ply maple in a cross lamination configuration.
  • S-Class: 9-ply shells consisting of 6 outer plies of birch and 3 inner plies of maple in a cross lamination configuration.
  • Force 3000 Series (Initially Made in Germany until 3001 series introduced. Production was then moved to China): At inception, the Force 3000 series was developed and marketed as an upper-midline level, bringing Sonor build quality and tone capabilities to a more mainstream market. Features were Scandinavian birch shells with options of quality lacquer finishes. When production moved to the Far East, it fell into the "budget" lines.
  • Force 3007: The highest of Sonor's budget lines, with 9-ply maple shells
  • Force 2007: 9-ply birchwood shells.
  • Force 1007: 9-ply basswood shells.
  • Force 507: The Sonor's least expensive line, aimed at beginners. It has 9-ply basswood shells and lower-grade hardware than the rest of the Force series.

[edit] Drum hardware

  • Giant Step: Professional-level bass drum pedals; available in single pedal, double-bass pedal, and middle pedal where the beaters are placed symmetrically between the two pedal units.
  • 600 Series: Heavy-weight hardware for the professional.
  • 400 Series: Medium-weight hardware for the professional.
  • 200 Series: Medium-weight hardware for the beginner.
  • 100 Series: Light-weight hardware for the beginner.

[edit] Concert & Marching

  • B-Line: Beginner marching drums
  • Comfort Line: Intermediate marching drums
  • Professional Line: Professional marching drums
  • Field drums: Professional marching drums with offset lugs and rope decoration to give an authentic historic appearance
  • Concert line: Professional concert drums

[edit] Percussion

  • Congas & Bongos
- Latino wood/fiberglass: Thai oak or fiberglass shells. Professional level.
- Global wood/fiberglass: Thai oak or fiberglass shells. Beginner level.
- Street conga: Fiberglass shells. Cuban carnival drums
  • Champion Series: Hevea wood shells. Intermediate level congas, mini congas, bongos, and djembes.
  • African Drums: Hevea wood shells. Kpanlogo and djembe.
  • Frame Drums & Tambourins
- Frame drum natural and plastic skin
- Tambourine natural and plastic skin
- Headless Tambourine
  • Shakers & Effects: Guiro, shekere, shakers, maracas, cabasa catena, quijada, castanets, circle effect, and wood ratchet
  • Wood Percussion: Cajones, wood blocks, claves, and temple blocks
  • Metal Percussion: Cowbells, triangles, bells, bar chimes, timbales, and agogo bells

[edit] Orff

In 1953, the Orff instruments were officially included in Sonor’s production plan. This marked the beginning of a new era. In close collaboration with Prof. Hans Bergese, a student of Carl Orff, Sonor developed an innovative and advanced range of instruments. The basic idea was that the instruments should grow with the mental abilities and playing techniques of the child, thus encouraging active music making.[4]

[edit] Endorsers

Mark Panek, Chris Woodward, Fred Myers independent

[edit] Past Endorsers

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.sonor.com/pbas/Sonor_FE/sonor/english/imagetext.html?a-quicklink-n_katinfoid=&a-quicklink-n_cmsmenuid=5&button-quicklink-set_selected_imagetext_ql_engl=
  2. ^ http://www.sonormuseum.com/genesis/WWII.html
  3. ^ a b http://www.sonormuseum.com/genesis/genesis.html
  4. ^ http://sonor-orff.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=98&Itemid=103

[edit] External links

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