Any guesses as to what it will be like for vintage guru`s 50 years from now ?? You think it`s tough for us now....

Calf,...If you look at Sigs. Hilites, Lites, Performers,ect.ect. from the 80`s/90`s, you`ll see they are nothing more than a new shells with Phonic hardware, made in Germany !!

So, it sounds like around 1980 or so they started purchasing shell material , rather than making it? It is interesting that sometime around then(not exactly sure when), Tromsa made some marching drum shells for Sonor for a while. Perhaps this was in that period, when they were in shell transition, so to speak.

Tromsa made very different shells than Sonor---made from different material and more in the style of older(1950's) Sonor shells but most Tromsa bass drums were similar to older Sonor's, at least ----100% beech , thin with rerings. They were light and therefore somewhat more ideal for a marching bass drum, than a heavy 5 or 6 ply would be.Tromsa was unusual ,in that the small drums had a different shell construction than the bass drums.

I think it might have been earlier than that for the drums. Sonor was at that time selling more school things like recorders and tunning blocks and other percussion than kits. It`s funny now because they now sell more drums than musical arts school stuff and I think they are doing away with all the school stuff and concentrateing on kits.

Calf, Have you seen the thread in vintage drums titled Help me identify this kit, Some German co with a badge that reads ..since 1861 !! New one for me !!