Premier is getting there

[steverok]

I love Premier, but I wish they would just stick with the P badges, and go back to their older style lugs. I'm sure Genistas are great, but I do not like those lugs at all. Also, am quite tired of the modern trend that only 22x18 kicks are available. They should revisit some of those amazing lacquer finishes they were putting out in the 90s, and keep them around forever ... oh, and go back to England !!

 

[Artstar]

The vast majority of Sonor's veneer finishes are 'fake', made for them by Alpi, an Italian company. This includes the bubinga now used, although it wasn't originally. They haven't used real veneers for some time.

LOL... That's not true. A small number of them are Engineered, not FAKE. Huge difference. Previous posters are referring to fake plastic image coverings. Alpi is real wood, just modified/engineered and alot of the time much more consistent grain.

 

[mpthomson]

As 'fake' means something that isn't what is described to be, then yes they are fake. Engineered is just another way of describing it. The bubinga isn't bubinga, the ebony isn't ebony and the figured maples aren't maple. They're sustainable, rapid growth, tropical hardwoods which are stained, then veneered and laminated into blocks, then cut at the correct angles to give the patterns needed.

All the madrone, tribals and striped finishes are also made this way, it's only the masserbirke, mahogany and one or two others that are the real wood veneers like thet used to use.

Sonor will happily (and correctly) tell you this, they're in no way dishonest about it, and that it's better for the environment, mostly cheaper, less wasteful and more consistent plus they can get any any colour/design they choose.

Premier and DW, to name but two, still use the real wood veneers.

 

[Artstar]

These person in the post you quoted/replied to was talking about digital/plastic fake wood look covering.. Butcher block is a good example, as are the new ones on Pearl low end Vision kits. A digital type veneer with lacquer over it.

And yes, I know all of this. My friend is the one who revealed the info over on Sonormuseum. The regular "natural" finish they offer on SQ is an Alpi, as are the ones they are labeling the original species name which they SHOULD STOP.

However, If you want to see the other common maple/birch/beech grains , non-engineered, that you can get... Look on the inside of any SQ, and the ones without optioned veneer, have the non-engineered beech, maple etc.. You have to ask for those as the outside finish, as they don't advertise them.

A good example is the Nussbaum finish , which is non-engineered as far as I know, like all the other plies in the drum. You can see all the irregularities in it.