Sonor 150th Anniversary: Signature, Sonorlite, and Cast Bronze Snare!
1875—what a time that was. We didn’t even have TikTok! But famed German drum maker Sonor was already there, crafting superb drums. It’s 2025, and that means it’s the Sonor 150th Anniversary! To celebrate their birthday accordingly, Sonor releases special anniversary editions of their Signature and Sonorlite drum sets as well as a mighty 14″x08″ cast bronze snare.
Sonor 150th Anniversary: A Short History of the Drum Legend
Sonor was founded in Weißenfels an der Saale (about 40 minutes south-west of Leipzig) by Johannes Link. In its first years, the company mainly built drums for military purposes. Around 1900, they expanded their catalog by also building timpanis, xylophones, cymbals, triangles and smaller percussion instruments.
After World War 2, Sonor had to quickly re-locate to West Germany, as their factory had been expropriated. The Link family, still in charge of the company, narrowly escaped to West Germany and established their new headquarter in Bad Berleburg-Aue, around two hours north of Frankfurt am Main. In 1950, their first West German drum catalog spanning 13 pages was published.
By the 1950s, Sonor drum sets had grown in popularity among jazz drummers. By the 80s and 90s, metal and heavy rock drummers like Nicko McBrain of Iron Maiden as well as Mikkey Dee of Motörhead, Steve Smith of Journey, Phil Rudd of AC/DC were among the many drummers who swore by Sonor.
In recent decades Sonor has been a mainstay among prog drummers like Gavin Harrison (Procupine Tree) and Danny Carey (Tool) and many others. And to celebrate the Sonor 150th anniversary, they’re releasing some exciting drum gear!
150th Anniversary Sonorlite:
For the occasion, Sonor is bringing back a re-issue of their famed Sonorlite series, which they originally released in 1983. Both a normal Sonorlite and a Sonorlite Heritage edition will be available. The 150th Anniversary Sonorlite set consists of a 22‘ x 16″ bass drum, 10″ x 07″ and 12″x08″ toms, 14″ x 13″ and 16″ x 15″ floor toms, and a 14″ x 7,25″ snare. A DTH 675 MC G is included. 50 pieces are available worldwide.
And then there is the more truthful to the original version, the 150th Anniversary Sonorlite Heritage. Its shells have different measurements, which are less common today in drums. It consists of a 22″ x 18″ bass drum, 10″x09″ and 12″x10″ toms, 14 “x15″ and 16″x17″ floor toms and a 14″x7.25” snare. Only 25 pieces will ever be made.
Both shell sets are made of birch wood: 12-ply for the bass drum and snare and 9-ply for the toms. Each drum is equipped with TuneSafe lugs, ruthenium-coated hardware and a badge with model number. The snares on each drum set come with die-cast hoops and a dual glide system.
150th Signature Drum Set
For the Sonor 150th Anniversary, that is far from it! There is also the even more exclusive and legendary 150th Signature set. As with the Sonorlite sets, Sonor is also releasing a more limited Heritage edition with deeper shells. We’re looking at the same limited number of pieces, 50 pieces for the Signature, 25 for the Heritage edition.
The 150th Signature set consists of a 22″ x 16″ bass drum, 10″ x 07″ and 12″ x 08″ toms, 14″ x 13″ and 16″ x 15″ floor toms, and a 14″ x 08″ snare drum. In comparison, the 150th Signature Heritage set comes with a 22″ x 18″ bass drum with mount, 10″ x 10″ and 12″ x 12″ toms, 14″ x 16″ and 16″ x 18″ floor toms, and a 14″ x 08″ snare drum. And here’s the kicker: both signature sets include 24 carat gold-plated hardware!
Each drum comes with a 13-ply beechwood shell with real bubinga on the inner and outer veneers. Both drum sets are available at Thomann!
150th Snare: An Authentic HLD590 Replica!
While these four drum sets, as part of the Sonor 150th anniversary, are certainly among the finest drums ever, the real surprise is this: the 150th Signature Snare. Because according to Sonor, it is an exact replica of the holy grail of snare drums, the so-called “Horst Link” snare, model HDL590 from 1987!
It’s 15 kilograms of pure sonic might. Sized 14″ x 08″, it’s made of a three-mm cast bronze shell with 2.0 mm solid Sound Focus rings and 24-carat gold-plated hardware. The snare also comes with the usual premium hardware: lotted tension rods, die-cast hoops, a dual glide system and TuneSafe lugs. The supply is limited to 100 pieces worldwide.
More on the Sonor 150th Anniversary
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