1969
By today's standards the Sonor of 1969 looks primitive, but comparing side by side with other makers of the time, they were well ahead of their competition. Hohner is featured prominently in the 1969 catalog. I believe they had the US distribution rights at that time.
Endorsers are: Paul Guerrero, Phil Stanger, Ben Riley, Buddy Lowell, Rich Hoening, Frank Gant, Phil Kelly, Tommy Marken, Fred Below, Buddy Charles, Buddy Rogers and Connie Kay...
Kits offered included the 5 piece New York with (pictured above), the 4 piece San Francisco both with D-444 metal snare, the 4 piece Chicago with D-471 wood snare, 3 piece New Orleans, 2 piece St. Louis and 2 piece Memphis.
Bass drums are 9/32" thick 6-ply laminate (wood unspecified, but probably beech) and came with a tom mount and either a retractable cymbal holder or a common "L" cymbal holder.
They had retractable spurs (note the center mounting position), internal tone control, and inlaid hoops.
All metal parts are "triple-plated in hard chrome".
Heads are "American Plastic" Evans.
Basses were built in 18, 20 & 22 inch diameter x 14 inches deep.
The famous "Staggered Teardrop" lugs on the mounted tom. Note the similarity in hoop design to Gretsch . Mounted toms built in 12 & 13 inch diameters only.
16x16 floor tom with straight legs. Check out the "rubber ball"
leg tips. Floor toms built in 14, 16 & 18 inch diameters.
1969 FINISHES
A - Wine Marble (code T)
B - Royal Blue Marble (code U)
C - Slate Pearl (code SL)
D - Glacier Pearl (code SD)
E - Ruby Pearl (code SK)
F - Turquoise Sparkle (code O)
G - Silver (code MS)
H - Emerald (code MF)
I - Gold (code MG)
J - Blue (code MB)
K - Fire Dance (code MH)
L - Onyx (code MZ)
1969 SNARE DRUMS
The King of Snares
D-426 14"x5"
two point muffler with instant action release switch...
parallel snare mechanism...
snare tension adjustable from either side...
seamless metal shell & counter hoops...
interchangeable snare strainers
Deluxe Chrome Snare
D-444 14"x5"
Seamless steel shell with resonance channel
seamless triple flanged counter hoops, floating head- American Plastic
two-point muffler, two-sided all-metal strainer with 22 snares. High gloss chrome.
Sonor Snare D-471
14"x5"
Wooden shell available in 12 finishes, Two-point contact muffler. Snares adjustable at both ends. Floating heads, triple chrome plated metal parts.
Seamless triple flanged counter hoops
CYMBALS -
Sonor also marketed a line of cymbals. Their Tyrko silver-bronxe alloy cymbals came in 12, 13 & 14 hi hats, 15 & 16 crash and 18, 20 & 22 ride.
