Sonor Beech Infinite

[percusski]

I have Designers and a set of Lites, both kits sound incredible and am constantly complimented on their sound. Designers are Heavy!

[DSOP]

I'm really digging Sonor lately. I may pick up one of those new ProLite kits.

[chrisdrums]

Those Infinites sound great!

I have never played or owned a German-made Sonor kit that I haven't liked: vintage, modern or otherwise. I don't know much about, or have much experience with, the Chinese made stuff.

There's a new limited-edition beech Sonor kit out in the form of the Newports.

The Prolites are basically rebranded Delites with upgraded TAR mounts.

Just for the record, Teardrops had both 3- (with re-rings) and 6-ply models.

Chris.

[DSOP]

The main limitation with the ProLites or the Newports is the limited sizes offered. If you want other sizes, you have to go the SQ2 route, which is costly and lengthy.

But man, those ProLites sound sweet in that promo video.

[StudioTan]

I took a chance on this Beech Infinite set sight-unseen and have had it for a couple of weeks. This is my first Sonor kit and am totally happy with my decision to get it. I've always lusted for a Sonor kit but never purchased until now.

Still digging the Sonors?

Yes, LOVE these. The snare is not too versatile, however it does work very well for certain styles. Before I got the Sonors, I knew I'd need at least one additional snare for more variety. I believe I could get the Sonor to work well for funk, for example, by swapping the flanged hoops for die cast, but I'd rather just have a dedicated snare for that. Not sure what to get. Any suggestions?

I need to work with the tuning on the 16" floor more too, as it sounds quite a bit different than the 14". Currently the 10", 12", and 14" blend well together. The kick is insane, and seems to be very versatile.

Can't remember if I mentioned it in my other post, but another thing I like about this set is the obvious quality and attention to detail put into it: top notch!

[DSOP]

What about that tune-safe stuff? Do you like it, or is it a hassle to adjust and tune the drums?

[StudioTan]

What about that tune-safe stuff? Do you like it, or is it a hassle to adjust and tune the drums?

I'm trying to figure out how it could be a hassle? The only thing I can think of is that you won't be able to hand-tighten much, if at all. There's more of a back pressure, yes but it's smooth, not "grindy" like metal on metal. I use a speed key, so perhaps that's why it's not an issue for me.

I will say they are not slip-proof, however I tend to tune low and sometimes play rimshots fairly hard on the toms.

[DSOP]

I'm trying to figure out how it could be a hassle?

I like to feel the resistance as I tension the drum. I'm sort of like a human torque wrench. If the tune-safe takes away that free sensation of resistance completely, it might be a deal-breaker for me. But if it's still smooth, as you say, that should be fine.

[Dave Goodman]

TuneSafe is very cool, DSOP - one of Sonor's most appealing features to me.

It may take a little while to get used to initially, but it's very cool for several excellent reasons. The current version of TuneSafe is far superior to any previous offerings.

Firstly, the drums do stay in tune more than they would if they were without TuneSafe.

Secondly, only a Sonor bass drum with TuneSafe can be played with extremely low (to no) tension on the heads and not flap around or rattle. There really is no substitute in that department. So many Yamaha 9000 rental sets, so much bass drum disappointment...I'm really spoilt by Sonor bass drums...

Thirdly, because I've developed a slightly different tuning "technique" to accommodate TuneSafe, I think my ears are now better at helping me tune a drum than they would be if I hadn't been using TuneSafe for the past 13 years or so.

Resistance is not minimised by TuneSafe. If anything, resistance is increased and you adjust your "touch" for tuning to accommodate this over time. I'd definitely recommend a speed key or two to change heads though.

In fact, I'm so used to it now that it feels kinda weird tuning drums without TuneSafe.

Hope this helps!

DG

[DSOP]

Thanks Dave. I'm looking forward to checking it out.