On drums...

Don't know if you guys have been paying attention to the What is the Truth of SQ Veneers? thread on the Sonormuseum forum, but being a wood guy I read it with considerable interest.

I am struck by correspondence (quoted below, formatting changed for clarity) that Scott Logsdon states he had with "a friend" at Sonor - no names so no specific accountability, but I believe this is accurate. Interested in your responses, but I find this quite troubling. Scott is the author:
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Gregory

I had been watching that topic with a degree of interest barely exceeding the drudgery of the ‘here we go again’ aspect of the discussion and its many precursors.

I guess that when there is a solid lump under the rug, no amount of squashing will prevent it from popping up again.

I am not sure that any amount of post-facto rationalization of an action that appears intended to deceive, nor acceptance by any portion of those that did not get what they believed they had gotten functions the same as being upfront about one is selling, and the reasons for doing so.

It ought to be interesting to see what divergence in valuation, if any, in the re-sale market opens up between (i) real and faux veneer products, and, (ii) periods of manufacture.

Some people like Miracle Whip, but they don’t get to call it mayonnaise, and rightly so.

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Cliff

River City Trio

What if we did all have the same opinions?

Well - it certainly makes the most sense. Why would SONOR offer a beautiful one-of-a-kind modern veneer for half the price of an ebony veneer?!?
The only solution would be to make EVERY veneer the same (artificial) way.

To me, veneer being just a decor - it makes no difference whether it would be original or man-made... My only wish is for the veneer to be continuous, and in perfect harmony with the drum look and hardware... That's ALL I ask...

Consistency is MOST important... I've seen a lot of "mismatched" Sonorlites (rosewood and scandi) and Signatures, and it's a real shame... A top of the line drumset with a visual flaw is a big disappointment...

The GRETSCH story is unbelievable, I must say...

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Goki - short from Goran

Let the good drums roll!!!

This is why wraps are great, totally consistent and at this point they barely alter the tone of your drums. screw wood.













I agree with the point that the engineered veneers help consistency and prevent further cutting down of endangered forests. I think alpi does an amazing job reproducing some grain patterns well, and some of the others are pretty funky ( I like the stratawood).

I think it is amazing that folks thought they were getting a genuine veneer in the first place. Personally I like glass glitter, then duco. I guess I am old school

Why is that, Tim? I was told specifically - once by the shop I bought them from and then by people at Hohner - that I was getting a genuine veneer and not an engineered veneer.

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Gregory

This is when I would be pretty hacked off. If I had thought I was getting the real deal and was told specifically that by the seller........ then that's not on! I had no illusions that my Walnut Burl kit was genuine but that is only because through my job I know how much that stuff costs and it's rarity. To average Joe the whole thing could seem a little misleading?

At the end of the day I adore my drums and they sound just incredible regardless of how they look. The fact they look so kickass is just an added bonus!

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Ron

Greg I guess I am pretty clued into the veneer market as well, so I know how much of it isn't real, which is a lot of it at this point. I agree that if you were told is was genuine, and the sales/marketing material pushed it as being genuine and it turned out it wasn't then there is a serious issue with the folks at Sonor, and major irritation for you the consumer.

I guess the major question here is who started the idea of these being genuine. Did it come straight from the top or did a sales guy at Hohner just always say yes when asked without verifying his own information.
So I can see where you would be pretty pissed if you were given bad information, they should really do something about this. i wasn't seeing that side of it in my original post, I was tired.

I still like duco

I prefer wood, but I like duco too. Even more today than I did two days ago.

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Gregory

I think that among regular drummers (who are not familiar with wood crafting) - any finish that looks "natural" and has a "wood" name in it, or resembles the furniture that we see in the house (kitchen, dining room, bedroom) MUST be genuine...

"It looks like wood, it's made of wood - so it must be wood."

To me - it's not a big deal, not at all... The important thing is the shell, right. For all I know, they'll sound the same even if the veneer was made of thousand little devils, or angels... Or that Yamaha anniversary kit with the samurai battle...

The veneer is all about looks.
I choose my drums when I close my eyes - and that's when SONOR wins!!!

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Goki - short from Goran

Let the good drums roll!!!

Hi Guys,
I bought my Bubinga Signature from Kelly back in '06 or '07 and a few years later, got a Bubinga (Boob-ingah?) Designer ML, and I knew there was a significant difference in appearance between the two drums, but I don't know wood.
I've been reading the thread over there, and it's pretty revealing. If I had an S Classix kit veneered with the Alpi material, I would not have an issue with the veneer at all. They are beautiful mass produced drums that I could own for a lifetime, just like my Ludwigs, only much prettier. I think it was Gregory who, in his posts, made me aware of just how nice they are. For a long time, I thought anything from Sonor that wasn't top-of-the-line, was entry level. Gregory's posts made me realize that I was mistaken in that belief. Goki's happiness with his new drums set this realization in stone (although I still think he needs to hunt down a 16" floor tom ).

On the other hand, If I had an SQ2 kit built to my specifications only to find out that the veneer I had chosen, not just for it's appearance, but for its physical and sonic properties, was in fact poplar disguised, I would be more than diappointed, especially if I were led to believe that the veneer was genuine. I actually considered selling all of my Lites to buy an SQ2 kit. Thank God I didn't!
The veiled lie as it were ("We didn't actually say it was genuine") is despicable, and then to justify the lie with bogus environmental concerns along with economic concerns, (after the truth comes out) is immoral.
Just My Opinion,
Brian

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Drums and No Money will get Me through Hard Times better than Money and No Drums!
-A Recovering Drum Addict