Sonor SQ2 Snare Drum review

[LeftAjarRuss]

Hi everyone, just a little review here of my Sonor SQ2 snare. There arent many reviews around so hopefully this is a good insight and shows a different configuration.
Enjoy!

http://leftajar.com/news/index.php/s...iew/2010/11/16

[Jazzy_Jefferson]

Not that many reviews out there because each SQ2 is built to the buyers spec! So its almost pointless doing a review in one sense, as the next person will order something compeltely different.

Lovely kits though, and nice snare Good work.

£700 for a snare though! Im not so sure.....I understand why it costs that much, but Im not sure its worth it frankly.

[LeftAjarRuss]

I see where your coming from, i tried to do my review just so people could gain an idea of the quality of the item and what level to expect from Sonor SQ2.
The reason i bought mine was due to some inheritence money from a relative and felt it was a fitting purchase and one that i would remember for a long time, otherswise id struggle to spend so much on a snare, mainly because i cant afford it!lol

[Jazzy_Jefferson]

oh yeah totally fair mate. I was merely remarking on your comment of how there aren't many reviews out there.
Good review though welcome to the forum, nice to finally get another drummer onboard. What else you got kit wise?

[LeftAjarRuss]

i see what you mean now, sorry total cross wires. glad you like it though.
At the moment im playing a Sonor Delite kit, possibly the most precise tuning drum kit ive ever had. also have a ludwig 402 original which is nice too.
What are you playing at the moment?

[Jazzy_Jefferson]

mmm.....Delite kit.... I'm not really a Sonor fan, but the Delites are lovely. And so are SQ2 kits.
I've had the pleasure of playing both.

However, not really my style, so didn't get one.

Instead, I play a Tama Starclassic Bubinga with Ludwig Black Magic snare.

[LeftAjarRuss]

I love the finish on Tama's, very dark and mysterious....i know that sounds daft but i always think it when i see them.
Has anyone had any experience of DW? iv heard a lot about there wraps not being completely around drums?
Sonor are certainly a particular style with the overengineering but i think most of the top kits are brilliantly made.

[Jazzy_Jefferson]

Played several DW kits and have examined their finishes carefully.

Frankly, they are shocking for the amount of cash they cost!
Wrapped finishes are very bad indeed! I've seen broken glass finishes, where, there isn't enough glass within the laquer so you can see the wrap sheet! And thats a good few thousand quid to buy!
No thanks.....

The satin oil and more exotic finishes are very good though,its just the wraps they seem to mess up and not do too well at.

Soundwise, they are very good. But not so amazing its worth the extra cost in my opinion. Its a keller shelled maple kit.....like so many others out there! Hell, I can buy a keller shell for £40 and make my own.......

They're hardware (lugs etc) feels cheap to me. Their stands though are very well made.

[LeftAjarRuss]

I was half hoping you were going to prove me wrong, kind of sad to hear that as they seem to get the best reviews possible in nearly every magazine, which is quite frankly a surprise.
Totally agree though the hardware is the best available. My 5000 series pedal keeps going and going without any problems

[Jazzy_Jefferson]

best reviews possible in nearly every magazine,

Brand awareness/snobbery & marketing Magazines are never that harsh with any review they do, because they got given the kit to review. So as they get a nice supply of kits regularly, its a fair assumption they wont say too many bad words about the kits.

As is always the way with any musical instrument, the only way to tell for sure is to go and try it yourself.

I used to sell drums for a living, so Ive had experience of most manufacturers kits. Mapex, Tama, Yamaha, DW, Gretsch, Ludwig, Pearl etc.


EDIT - Here is a cut and paste from a thread I started on here, it was a bit of a "I dislike DW" thread:

You're quite right, they are very over priced. I used to work in a drum shop and the quality of some DW kits is shocking. The mapex saturns/orions we had were finished better in some cases.
DW, much like Gibson, have managed to push themselves forward as a Brand, rather than a musical instrument manufacturer. Sadly, quality of kits has been sacrificed , much like Gibson guitars.

Sound wise, very hit or miss. Some kits, dont get me wrong sound good. Not enough to blow your mind (check out Spaun for that) but they sound good. 60% of their kits sold in the UK, sadly, sound shite. Really lacking in bottom end (ok its a maple kit) punch/attack is....virtually non existant, just a mix/match of tone that doesn't really seem to be aiming for any kind of sound in particular. And timbre matched shells....

A lot of people bang out about the finish, and hand made this and that. First, they aren't hand made. All done on a machine. second, the Finishes are crap at low level, spend a lot of cash, and the kits look good. Sadly, Tama, Yamaha, Spaun and Mapex (to name a few) will make you a kit that looks just as good, for half the price. Check out the Tama Starclassic Elite series, Yamaha Phoenix, Mapex Orion and anything by Spaun.
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