Advice: Sonor or Pearl

KlarkKent

Senior Member
Just saw that post about Freitas playing a Pearl jazz kit, which coincides with kits I'm looking at. For a bebop set (18/14/12), which would you rather have?

1. Sonor SQ2 medium beech shells (i.e., recreate the Phonics)
2. Sonor Pro-Lite
3. Pearl Reference Pure

The Pearls are a good $1K less than the Sonors; the Pro-Lites and SQ2s are actually extremely close in price.

Any advice?
 
Manny, AKA AirborneSFC has owned the Prolites in bop sizes.
Bo has the Reference Pure (I think).

Hopefully these guys have their first hand knowledge to share.

I believe the SQ2 medium is 6mm which would not be the Phonic thickness. Phonics are 9mm, or in SQ terms -"heavy".
 
I believe the SQ2 medium is 6mm which would not be the Phonic thickness. Phonics are 9mm, or in SQ terms -"heavy".

Really? I looked up the Phonic kits via Sonormuseum on the Web, and the old brochures state that the Phonic shells are "9-ply German beech," with no clear reference to thickness. On the SQ2 site, the medium shells are 9-ply/6 mm and the heavy shells are 12-ply/8 mm.

According to a Modern Drummer article about Sonor from 1985 I just located, the Phonic shells "are 9ply beech and 9mm thick."

So, I guess it is technically impossible to recreate the Phonic shell. Alas.
 
Why for those sizes are you just limiting yourself to those two brands?
 
Why for those sizes are you just limiting yourself to those two brands?

Well, I have a Yamaha RC for use in 20/14/12/10 and a mis-matched, piece-togethered Tama kit. So, I'd kind of like to have nice bop kit one day.

Gretsch, I know, is nice and the standard, but Pearl and Sonor simply have hardware and mount systems I prefer. The Pearls seem really well built--the new lugs, etc. The Sonors seem like a pinnacle kit. I've heard the Pro-Lites and the resonance is wonderful, as is the tuning range. The Pearls are nice too in this respect, but the Sonors seem like a different alternative, what with their different way of making shells (and the added praise folks have for Sonor German beech kits).

The brand in between the Pearl and the Sonor that appears to be the best is Canopus. Super quality and sound, though the hardware is standard make-shift stuff like Gretsch's (but at least Canopus has the solid brass lugs and leather washer system).
 
Then I think you should look at Sonor's Vintage kits - I saw them at NAMM this year and they are exquisite, and it has that vintage vibe, but it's all new engineering.

In reality, any high-end kit will do, I think it's just the vibe you might want to look for. Gretsch is that standard of bop kits, but you're right, the hardware is a little generic. The ProLites and Reference Pures are very cool, but I think a little too modern for the vibe.

Have you looked at Ludwig's mahogany kits? They are also awesome.
 
Then I think you should look at Sonor's Vintage kits - I saw them at NAMM this year and they are exquisite, and it has that vintage vibe, but it's all new engineering.
...

There is a video on youtube with Steve Smith showcasing the Vintage series kit.
If you like that classic warm round tone (think Gretsch round badge, Rogers Holiday etc.) The Vintage series is looking and sounding pretty amazing!
https://youtu.be/2KTaVJYUekY
 
I have a heavy beech sq2 and have owned, medium maple, thin birch, vintage maple (prolite/delite ) and vintage beech. In my experience the heavier shells have a livelier response and more dynamic range. Less effort seems to be required to get the full tone out of the drum with the heavier shells. Medium shells in the sq2 line are anyone's safest bet in terms of being able to get a nice range of dynamics and response. All lines out of Germany sound fantastic in my experience but the differences I mentioned are worth considering in my opinion.
 
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Really? I looked up the Phonic kits via Sonormuseum on the Web, and the old brochures state that the Phonic shells are "9-ply German beech," with no clear reference to thickness. On the SQ2 site, the medium shells are 9-ply/6 mm and the heavy shells are 12-ply/8 mm.

According to a Modern Drummer article about Sonor from 1985 I just located, the Phonic shells "are 9ply beech and 9mm thick."

So, I guess it is technically impossible to recreate the Phonic shell. Alas.

I guess the closest shell would be the Newports, Beech Infinite or Sunset Beech at 9 ply 8mm.
 
If they're almost the same price you would go with the sq2 because it's higher spec (better resale).

Ask Bo if he'll sell you his reference.
 
So, I guess it is technically impossible to recreate the Phonic shell. Alas.
Sorry, I just had to respond to this. I played Phonics live extensively in the 80's, & I know their characteristics intimately. Our Tour series is inspired by Phonics, but delivery is on steroids by comparison. This solid zebrano example is 10", 14", 20".
 

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