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Sonor Drums
Sonor are a
drum and percussion manufacturer based in Germany. They have been weel
known from the early 20th century for being constructed in a very
heavy, durable and solid manner. They also have a reputation for having
a high price, but the finest things in life cost some money and Sonor
drums are well worth the price. The shells of Sonor drums are made from
13mm thick beech wood, with an innermost and outermost plywood of
furniture grade veneers such as Rosewood. The snare drum casts are made
from solid metal and tip the scales at almost 40lbs. Nicko McBrain from
Iron Maiden was one of the first celebrity endorsements recieved by
Sonor along with Steve Smith of Journey and Jack DeJohnette. As
the 1980's progressed the market declined for Sonor style drums, people
were not in favour of the heavy construction and sales dipped as a
result. To combat this Sonor introduced a number of new styles such as
the Sonorlite and Hilite that utilised a new manufacturing technique
allowing the drum shell to resonate as the body of a violin or guitar
would. By varying the thickness of the shell Sonor were able to vary
the tone produced by the drum. Sonor use a number of unique features in
their craft such as under sized shells to produce a better tonal
response, tension rods that are round instead of square, and also
acrylic drums. The company also uses a number of exotic finishes and
paints, and many of the more expensive Sonor kids are considered
collectors items.
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