Sonor Player Kit. I just Obtained one

bobdadruma

Platinum Member
I just picked up a Sonor Player kit.
I needed a light travel kit and I liked the 12x20 BD.
I decided to suspend the floor tom on a lightweight pdp boom stand.
I am really liking it so far.
They were introduced in 2014.
I paired it up with my 70's Gretsch COB snare.
I once owned a Sonor Safari kit in this same color.
I really liked that kit too. I regret selling it.
 

Attachments

  • 15032179_10207453559009410_2474132445014046928_n.jpg
    15032179_10207453559009410_2474132445014046928_n.jpg
    120.9 KB · Views: 2,642
  • 15056494_10207453558289392_1415592609726752291_n.jpg
    15056494_10207453558289392_1415592609726752291_n.jpg
    66 KB · Views: 2,318
  • 14440614_10207453558689402_8687653630753307194_n.jpg
    14440614_10207453558689402_8687653630753307194_n.jpg
    80.8 KB · Views: 2,347
  • 14925756_10207453558489397_2362640198164675586_n.jpg
    14925756_10207453558489397_2362640198164675586_n.jpg
    87.9 KB · Views: 2,700
That little kit really grew on me. I have the same thing Bob. What a great bop kit. An excellent value.

I suspension mounted my rack tom but kept the FT legs. Sonor leg feet isolate well IMO. I like the tune safe lugs. They do a great job of providing a non slip environment yet retaining tuning "feel" And they are on the "lowest" line of sets. The 20 x 12 is a great size. I feel very dominant on that set as it's so cute! Wonderful sound especially for the price point. Did I mention that the set really grew on me? I like her better every time I play her. I use mine at least once a month.
 
Nice Bob. Yes I almost sold my Safari but decided to keep it (glad I did), but man I wish it had that 20 in kick. Great little kits for easy travel.
 
Nice, Bob!
If those came out when the Bop set came out I probably would have gone with those instead.
I really like the tune-safe lugs. I don't mind the thin hoops at all, but I like to keep single ply heads on them because double ply are really muffled.
I wish my set had a 20.
I might just get one of those Player sets. I share the set with a lady in another band, so if I got another, she could keep the Bops. They're so cheap.
 
I agree with all of you guys on the lugs, they are awesome. This kit holds a tune like nothing that I have ever seen in this price range. That is why I missed my Safari.
Yeah Larry, the kit does grow on you.
The bass drum isn't as powerful as I would have liked though. It does have a strong presence but it can't hold candle to my vintage bass drums from Ludwig Gretsch, and Slingerland.
I may take a router to the edges and give the drum more warmth by rounding them a bit.. I am spoiled by my vintage kits I guess.
I was going for optimum lightness so I kept the shell mounts on the toms. I just flipped the floor tom over and I removed the mounts that i didn't need.
This kit is an easy load-in. No floor tom legs and only a few stands.
The 10 inch tom is unbelievable. So much punch and tone.
This kit is definitely a joy to play.
 
Congratulations Bob! I played Larry's kit & liked it, plus I've played others. If didn't have other options, I'd have one no problem.

True, the bass drum is slightly lacking in the "weight" (sound) department, & I think rounding the edges will help warm it up a touch. 12" deep bass drums rely even more on shell involvement than standard depths. The edge treatment will get you part way there, & played fully open, there's no reason why it can't satisfy in most situations that are appropriate for a kit of this size.

Enjoy!!!
 
I agree with all of you guys on the lugs, they are awesome.
Although those lugs keep the drums tuned pretty well, I started to hate those lugs on my (now sold) Sonor every time I had to change the heads. Really time-consuming then. And compared to other lugs I don't see a really whopping benefit in the tuning-department, either, to be honest.

Anyway, I like the concepts of those little Sonors. Really nice. But there are some little things that I do not like. Bearing edges are not always well cut on those little inexpensive Sonor sets (propably the reason why they are so cheap), and the shells have rough edges here and there due to a lack of quality-control. No protecting rubber below the lugs and a bit "quirky" to set up bassdrum-legs are the things that could have been improved imho.... That bassdrum would probably have been even better with 12 or 14 inch depth, just giving it a bit more "fatness", but basically that kick sounds really cool. I still wonder why they don't ship those sets with coated ambassadors or G1's. Does not cost that much more and it improves the sound dramatically.

Basically, it's a good drumset that just needs a little bit of polishing here and there, some parts of it can be done by anyone. If you smooth out the rough edges, the little Sonors are definitely capable drumsets that are a lot of fun to play.
 
Wave, a cordless drill with a drumkey attachment is a must have thing for changing heads.

I'm glad there's no rubber under the lugs, that seriously chokes a drum. I'd be removing them anyway, they just saved me a bunch of time.

I like the 20 x 12 bass drum just fine. For the rooms I need that kit in, it fills it up quite nicely with tone. But I don't bury the beater, that's the key on a small drum like that.
 
Hehe... a cordless drill. I never used/needed that on drums ever. But maybe Sonor should just add one to every drumset, when you buy them. ;-)

The rubber under the lugs does not choke drums if done well, I'd say. I have never experienced any noticeable difference between the drums that I had that came with rubber under the lugs and those without rubber. Imho this is where esoteric discussions begin. :)

As I said, the bassdrum sounds great. But a 20x14 kick could sound even better with this kit. More dynamics, more depth, more low end... And 20x14 ist still easy to transport.

Oh, I wonder if Sonor will add more finish-options to this little kit in the future. It must look pretty good in other sparkle-finishes, too. Silver or a wine-red sparkle e.g. would be cool.
 
Very cool Bob. Those Player kits are quite a deal for the money.
 
I keep the drill in the studio, that's where I change heads. I haven't had to change a head at a gig for about 6 years. I don't take the drill to gigs.

It's a real timesaver in the studio though, especially with an extra drum throne that acts like a Lazy Susan.
 
Congratulations Bob! I played Larry's kit & liked it, plus I've played others. If didn't have other options, I'd have one no problem.

True, the bass drum is slightly lacking in the "weight" (sound) department, & I think rounding the edges will help warm it up a touch. 12" deep bass drums rely even more on shell involvement than standard depths. The edge treatment will get you part way there, & played fully open, there's no reason why it can't satisfy in most situations that are appropriate for a kit of this size.

Enjoy!!!
Thanks Andy, I am glad that you back me up and agree on my solution. It isn't a depth issue, it is a bearing edge issue. I played the kit tonight with a Southern Rock band and the bass drum needed more warmth just as I felt when I soloed the kit at home after first setting it up. The floor tom could benefit from thicker hoops too. The rack tom is awesome! It is just as I predicted it would be when I first tuned and demo'd the drums.

The Tune Safe lugs are no challenge to an experienced tuner. Sorry :)

Thanks Bo, it was you who turned me on to the Safari :)
 
I went a similar route- first bought a Sonor Safari, which I still use for a practice kit. When the Player Kit came out at Sam Ash, I waited a while since only SA sold it and last March, bought a barely used Player kit for a good price.
Since then, I've pretty much used it for all gigs, except on a few occasions using my Ludwig Cavern Club Date (2012 model).

The Player kit is so easy to lug around and with the bass drum dimensions, it really helps on tight space and easily fits into the Camry. The sound is full enough and I found when the bass drum is miced, it carries enough depth to cut through like a deeper drum would. I have a PS3 clear batter and a PS3 Ebony resonant head. Of course I've changed out all the other drum heads to the Remo ones I usually use.

A real joy to have and play on, a great value.
 
Bob you OP states that you "obtained" this set. Begs a few questions. Like was it "obtained" through legal channels? And don't try snowing us lol.

I'm gigging my Players set tonight. You know, the one that I purchased?

:)
 
Hey wait a minute Larry you aren't giving away that kit away?
 
I went a similar route- first bought a Sonor Safari, which I still use for a practice kit. When the Player Kit came out at Sam Ash, I waited a while since only SA sold it and last March, bought a barely used Player kit for a good price.
Since then, I've pretty much used it for all gigs, except on a few occasions using my Ludwig Cavern Club Date (2012 model).

The Player kit is so easy to lug around and with the bass drum dimensions, it really helps on tight space and easily fits into the Camry. The sound is full enough and I found when the bass drum is miced, it carries enough depth to cut through like a deeper drum would. I have a PS3 clear batter and a PS3 Ebony resonant head. Of course I've changed out all the other drum heads to the Remo ones I usually use.

A real joy to have and play on, a great value.
I really like my 2012 Club Date kit too. It can play anything from Jazz to hard rock with just a few turns of the tension rods :) I'm really happy with my Sonor Player also. The 20" BD is perfect. That 12" depth makes a big difference when transporting. We think much alike.

Larry, The kit was a gift from The Clinton Foundation :)

I have a few more mods to make on the kit next week. I will post update pics.
 
Hey wait a minute Larry you aren't giving away that kit away?

Not my very first bop kit! I just got done gigging it. I love playing drums. So much.

Larry, The kit was a gift from The Clinton Foundation :)

I have a few more mods to make on the kit next week. I will post update pics.

The Clinton Foundation. Oh right....I hear they do outstanding research in the field of counter-anti-dissemination practices as it relates to radical religious movements.

Yea, good deal Bob, sweet score brother.

Looking forward to your mods. I always like your mods Bob.

I'm Uncle Larry, and as far as you know, I don't approve of anything at all in this message :)

None of it.
 
Today I completed the kit. The memory locks arrived for the floor tom and the bass drum spurs. I ditched the Sonor tom mount and I went with a Tama Fast Clamp for the rack tom just as I did with the floor tom.
I installed the Pearl table over the bass drum to hold other percussion instruments of destruction. :)
I'm loving it! I have it tuned really low right now. The toms have a lot of heart in the low end. Even the shallow floor tom can hit the lows with ease.
 

Attachments

  • 15036343_10207478281507457_1034679403092604522_n.jpg
    15036343_10207478281507457_1034679403092604522_n.jpg
    74.9 KB · Views: 2,065
  • 14991862_10207478281187449_4607630686108954750_n.jpg
    14991862_10207478281187449_4607630686108954750_n.jpg
    65 KB · Views: 2,056
That's a setup for all eventualities right there Bob!
I really like those 1 foot square tables Andy. I use one on every kit. There is always a place to keep your phone, tablet, Water bottle, or small mixer, etc. Pearl and Gibraltar make them. Sometimes I mount the table to my left crash stand or hat stand.
I also think the the Tama Fast Clamp is the best clamp mount on the market. They are strong, versatile, and nice looking. I have several of every type of Fast Clamp that Tama makes.

Oh, I figured out the bass drum. I had the front head too tight. I tune my round edge bass drum resonant heads tighter because they behave differently than the sharp edge drums. I am liking the bass drum much better now.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top