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Vintage Teardrop Sonor Kit

Posts: 3 Threads: 2

Hello everyone- I'm new to the board and would like some help dating and identifying

this 3 piece teardrop kit that I've had for 12+ years.

I bought the kit (3-piece no hardware) in Sacramento at a Guitar Center for $99 back in

2001. From the information I can gather from the catalog archive it looks like a mid to

late sixties - early seventies era kit. No wrap- dark brown wood finish. It's been used

and abused and has been for a long time my rehearsal and gigging kit.

Will be attempting a restoration this summer and also need advice on how to best refinish

the shells.

Here is a description-

Bass Drum 20 x 14 -

Badge is 1-piece "Made in Germany" no rering, metal hoop, looks like 6 ply- about 3/8" thick,

theres is 2.5" strip with an eyelet/vent on the inside at bottom, straight cymbal holder, single

tom arm, slotted tom wing nut on tom mount, no muffler or felt mounts. and there is no date

stamp. It's been missing the front hoop, 8 claws and T-rods, and 1 ribbed/knurled stop screw

that goes on a drum leg.

Floor Tom 16 x 16

Badge is 2-piece "Made in Western Germany", with curved legs (might be replacement from later kit)

slotted wing screw on leg mounts. no muffler.

Rack Tom 13 x 9

Badge is 1-piece "Made in Germany"- slotted wing screw on mount. The tom arm looks like a z5501b-

but has a ribbed/knurled round knob instead of one with a wing. no muffler.

. . .

I have since added some pieces over the years:

throne z5801 (ball feet rubber but without the backrest, slotted wing screws)

2 snare stands that could be a 70's champion (non-ball feet, slotted wing screws)

bass drum pedal - looks a like a deluxe but the screw that holds the beater arm is slotted- and in

back facing the pedal board.

external clamp on muffler (might not be period correct- won't fit on the FT or RT, but does on snares

btw-the snare in the pic is a Premier HiFi Aluminum snare)

aslo have but not pictured:

hex rod hihat stand - missing rubber heel pad ( "Made in Wester Germany" on foot rubber ,

non-ball feet, slotted wing screws)

cymbal stand - (non-ball feet, slotted wing screws)

. . .

Here are some pics:

[img]http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y446/adeuxg2/kit4_zpse6a5d9af.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y446/adeuxg2/kit2_zps29b26c5e.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y446/adeuxg2/kit1_zpsbb1c8614.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y446/adeuxg2/ft1_zpsc986d05d.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y446/adeuxg2/kit5_zpsad60c985.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y446/adeuxg2/hw4_zps3c4b79ea.jpg[/img]

Any help will be greatly appreciated. Also looking to see if anyone here has:

1 20" BD hoop, metal

8 claws

8 T-rods

1 Ribbed/knurled stop screw for BD leg

1 straight cymbal stand BD mounted

1 cymbal stand slotted wing screw

1 heel pad for hihat pedal.

Thanks.

Posted on 11 years ago
#1
Posts: 3 Threads: 2

more pics of kit here.

[img]http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y446/adeuxg2/kit7_zps814fdca6.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y446/adeuxg2/hw3_zps3e68a342.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y446/adeuxg2/hw2_zps6f493089.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y446/adeuxg2/kit6_zps5a03d64d.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y446/adeuxg2/hw1_zps3edbb496.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i1275.photobucket.com/albums/y446/adeuxg2/bd3_zps604e2a2a.jpg[/img]

Posted on 11 years ago
#2
Posts: 536 Threads: 69

Nice score on the kit.

It appears to be a group of Sonor orphans. The "made in Western Germany" ones are earlier than the single badge, "made in Germany" ones.

The bd and ft may have been part on the same kit. The badge on the tom may not be the original. checck for tack marks in the shell below the single badge.

60's Sonor Teardrops & 70s Premier AMs
Sabian
Vic Firth
Remo/Evans

"unless it's vintage, it's just another wooden tube."
Posted on 11 years ago
#3
Posts: 1014 Threads: 14

Welcome to the forum.

A good friend of mine had a kit of that era,great sounding kit,his was also a natural finish,lighter than yours,but he believes his was a refinish,however I saw

a kit just like his on some old Black Sabbath footage from Germany.

I don't think I have ever seen a catalogued wood veneered from that era.

looks like the FT outside veneer looks like 2 peices,if so it would make me think the kit finish was after market.

Just my 2 cents.

Posted on 11 years ago
#4
Posts: 6524 Threads: 37

That`s a poplar exterior because the wrap has been removed. Sonor alway veneered with virtical grain. NEVER horizontal. Drops were available in Rosewood. Your tom and BD are from the same kit missing the 12". If you turn the 13 to the right, the badge will be two panels from the mount with the badge over the vent faceing the audience. The opposite 12 would be the same configuration. Are you sure it`s 13 x 9 ? That`s a Phonic size. Drops should be 13x8 !i (measured without hoops) Some drops are metric width too, it will help date it. The FT should not have a bend on the legs unless it`s a 70`s which would have that badge too like the Champions.

Let me pick at the pics. and get back to you !i

It`s a drum,.....Hit It !!

.....76/#XK9207 Phonic Sound Machine D454/D-505 snares !i
Posted on 11 years ago
#5
Posts: 6524 Threads: 37

In you first pic. the clabboard next to the tom is popping, address it or rain will go behind the one under it through that joint and contiue into the floor and frameing and that`s rot wait`n to happen .

It`s a drum,.....Hit It !!

.....76/#XK9207 Phonic Sound Machine D454/D-505 snares !i
Posted on 11 years ago
#6
Posts: 417 Threads: 22

From OddBall

That`s a poplar exterior because the wrap has been removed. ...

Poplar? You mean beech, right?

/Magnus

Posted on 11 years ago
#7
Posts: 6524 Threads: 37

Ooops !i yes beechwood !i

It`s a drum,.....Hit It !!

.....76/#XK9207 Phonic Sound Machine D454/D-505 snares !i
Posted on 11 years ago
#8
Posts: 536 Threads: 69

how do we know that outer ply is Beech.

We have already established that the original wrap was removed and that Sonor never used horizontal plies.

60's Sonor Teardrops & 70s Premier AMs
Sabian
Vic Firth
Remo/Evans

"unless it's vintage, it's just another wooden tube."
Posted on 11 years ago
#9
Posts: 1570 Threads: 66

It isn't necessarily. The German companies played around with wood combinations and there were a lot of surprises , that don't conform to the catalogues.

Oddball is correct. This kit has previously been a wrapped kit. As a 6 ply , the outer ply will be perpendicular to the inner ply. The way to tell, beech is by the tiny little dark brown flecks , usually around 3mm long but they can be anywhere from 1 -10mm. There are about 20 or so of these in a square cm. and the entire surface of the wood is peppered with them. Typically Beech doesn't express that much wave in the grain, as these have but Poplar could if it was stained ,as these have been. I have never put a walnut or dark stain on Beech, so I don't 100% know , how the grain would express. Beech is a considerably harder wood than Poplar, so it would not take a stain too deeply. This kit looks like the stain is really in there.

Posted on 11 years ago
#10
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