Sonor

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Sonor (Pronounced Suh-Nor) is a German percussion manufacturer. From early in the 20th century, Sonor drum sets and hardware are both revered and notorious for being constructed in a very durable, painstaking, and therefore, unusually heavy manner. They have a reputation for being very expensive but are the weapon of choice for many studios and professional musicians. In the 1980's 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. They also created a snare drum cast from solid metal that tipped the scales close to 40 lbs. Nicko McBrain of Iron Maiden was one of the most prominent Sonor artists of the 80's, along with Steve Smith of Journey and jazzman Jack DeJohnette.

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 unique design features, including under-sized shells (a similar concept to a violin bridge - designed to enhance response), a unique vertical/stave drumshell design, 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. Used Sonor drums are collectors items.

Current Sonor artists include Danny Carey of Tool; Thomas Lang, Austrian-born drum clinician; Gavin Harrison of Porcupine Tree; Paul Bostaph, former drummer for Slayer, Exodus, and Forbidden; long-time AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd; 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; and James Knox of The Business.

The Sonor drum lines:

Force Series (Made in China): Sonor's budget lines

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.

Force 1007: 9-ply basswood shells.

Force 2007: 9-ply birchwood shells.

Force 3007: The top of Sonor's budget lines, with 9-ply maple shells

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.

Sonor also makes African, Latin, Marching, and other percussion equipment.

[edit] External links

• SONOR
• http://www.sonormuseum.com An excellent unofficial website with a well documented history of Sonor, as well as technical specifications for past and present models of Sonor drums and an active message board for Sonor drum enthusiasts.