On drums...

I have been bitching about an affordable German made beech kit with thick shells forever. After owning many Phonic kits and a few Sig kits, and a few Performer kits, I am a beech lover. These are coming to me next week:
http://www.sonormuseum.com/forum/viewto ... 3&start=20

I bought them from Shane at DCP and have the 10, 12, 14, 16, 22 and 6x14 snare coming to me for $3k.

I think a fair deal on a German made thick beech selled set. Yes I could have had a Designer for that price, but beech just has the mojo.
Now to sell everything I own...

Phew, that was quick! Never heard of those drums before you socked them away.

Pretty snappy looking kit, red badges and all.

Congratulations, Hale! If beech is what it takes, you'll have it. Looking forward to a report.

What is the name about, I wonder? Newport doesn't seem to ring any bells, outside of the obvious.

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Gregory

No idea either, maybe Karl went to see the lovely town of Newport Beach a few times while at the NAMM? It is very close by.

I'll get them dialed in, make a report, and then sell them immediately.

Well I'll be...

Congratulations Hale - that set looks wonderful, perfectly balanced between vintage and modern...

So, are these for the US market only?!? Are they a followup for the Beech Infinitive?

Please share some info Hale - and PLENTY of pictures!!!


Congratulations, once again - those certainly look and feel fantastic!!!

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Goki - short from Goran

Let the good drums roll!!!

Sweet looking kit... love that semi-gloss finish!

- D.

A play on words? What's next, Life'sa Beech?





Reading through that thread, I see Shane opened it, and Samiam rushed to get his foot in the door, too. Shane used to be low key about how he advertised, but Samiam has been using the museum as his personal advertising forum. He has a bricks and mortar operation, whereas good ol' Sam has a cell phone.

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Gregory

I does remind me of Dana Bentley back in like 1995...he bought all of Sonor's U.S. distributor's warehouse stuff, well all he could. He advertised in Modern Drummer (remember print ads?) that he carried HE parts, Sig parts, stray drums, etc. I bought an NOS HE kit off him in 2002.

Today Dana isn't exactly the go to Sonor guy in the country. I'm sure if Shane relied on only Sonor he'd come up empty, like someone else did a few years back trying to be "The Sonor" guy before Sam.

Sam is a cool guy, but Shane always beats his prices. I asked both for their best price and Sam's was higher. I didn't want to be a dick and get into a bidding war. The price is just a hair over $3k for all those drums either dealer. Shane and I have a relationship that goes back several years.

Because Sonor, and especially, HSS is so damn bad about communicating with its customers, Sam has rightly figured out that the museum provides a great tool for information, and therefore, sales.

It ain't my website, and not even one I participate on, so I have no horse in the race. But were it mine: Commercial advertising would be confined to For Sale ads, because it will, by its very nature, amplify incrementally in order to remain effective. It wouldn't really matter so much who's cool or who isn't but, rather, I would make an effort to avoid having my site become cluttered with warring advertising.

Sam has a weird market. According to him, he sells overseas, where prices are higher. I don't believe he has a business plan, but has sort of drifted into a way of making an income without stressing too much for it, and good on him. But, again were the website mine, I would discourage him from body-blocking a bricks and mortar business, by using my free webpages.

One might open a commercial corner and start accepting advertising funding to offset expenses. Membership could visit as much as they wished, but would not be surprised, as it were, into watching vested interests duke it out.

As to who's cool, I guess my sympathies lie with the guy trying to deal with the tensions of running a business, and not with the guy who has risked little and slipped into a comfortable niche. Nothing wrong with the latter, but I would not give him an assist in eliminating the former.

Anyway, you didn't spring for the Infinite. Any reason why you did for this and not that? Infinite did have strange sizes and, well, eccentric paint. This kit looks very attractive, and the sizes are almost normal.

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Gregory

Well said Gregory, and yes, I agree.

As to why I didn't spring for the Infinites, it was the paint and the bass drum. I can get into a 22x18, but for some reason the idea of a 22x20 just didn't do it for me. The more I read/hear about the matte finishes, it seems they don't hold up well to normal use. They show fingerprints, scratches, and wear very easily. I dig the Walnut finish, looks modern and "rock" enough, but still has a very cool retro Sonor vibe.

Plus I like thick shelled drums in general. The Old Designer Maple Lights are about as thin as I'd like. I used to own a very nice set of Yamaha Maple Customs (the early run) and those were thick shells. The 14x12 and 16x14 sounded awesome, but I do prefer floor toms, so really this set is almost made for me. Plus I'm a cheap ass. I've never bought a drum set new, ever. This will be the first one and at $3k I'm at the tipping point. Now I have to find a way to tell my wife.

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Cliff

River City Trio

What if we did all have the same opinions?