On drums...

… over what instrumments the Grateful Dead played, but I was surprised today to discover that both drummers used Sonor rosewood Phonics in the mid seventies. This was in a post by Dick Bartling on the museum (scroll way down!) : http://www.sonormuseum.com/forum/viewto ... 0&start=10

So I googled Sonor and Grateful Dead. First I ran into this auction site: https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/20158/lot/3064/

and then I found this in the middle of some book:

http://books.google.com/books?id=SiTGAQ ... ad&f=false

The fact itself is not surprising. And while it makes neither the Dead nor Sonor look better - or worse - I am shocked that, after having played Sonor for over 30 years, I was not made aware of it until today.

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Gregory

Interestingly, Billy Kreutzmann's GD kit has Rogers Memoriloc (sp?) tom holders installed and the kick looks virgin.

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Sig EB 14x14 t-s conv
Phonic+ 24, 18, 16 & 14(2)
Phonic 24, 22, 18 t-bd conv, 16, 16x12, 15, 14(2), 13, 12(3)
Snares: Phonic Roswd 10x14 & 14x14 t-s conv, D508 8x14, D518X, Performr & 3001
6 pc Performer kit
Sig/5000 II /Phonic hrdwr

The entire rationale for the Rogers hardware must have been the locks, for Sonor did not have those in '75. What a disappointing job that would have been, removing those lovely machinist clamps to make room for a hardware store grade fitting. I would have thought that with the money those guys must have had that they could have turned the project over to a machinist. Sonor's solution was not all that obscure!

The photographs up on the auction site include a square tom that is not included in the auction, but that I read was a an adapted 14x14 floor. One wonders how much influence the hardware transfer and the square rack had on Sonor.

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Gregory