Sonor made some big moves when they introduced the Kompressor Series of snare drums. There are several options within the line, and all of them are high-end snares capable of any professional gig success.
In this review, we’re specifically going to look at the 14” x 6” Beech snare drum. It’s an epic option with plenty of great qualities.
Here’s everything you need to know.
We mentioned it already, but one of the main features is the size, which is 14” x 6”. The shell is constructed from 12 plies of beech wood, which isn’t very common for snare drums. However, you’ll see a lot of drums like this from Sonor.
The snare also demonstrates Sonor’s 8mm CLTF construction, which is one of the big reasons for its great performance.
Inside the shell, you get 45-degree bearing edges, while the outside comes with Remo USA drumheads.
The last thing to mention is that the snare has 2.3mm triple-flanged hoops, which Sonor calls their Power Hoops.
The overall quality of this snare drum is fantastic. It has an incredibly tight and controlled sound that is also quite loud.
All of this is thanks to the 12 plies of beech wood. Typically, a snare drum would have anywhere from three to seven plies, so the larger number of plies definitely makes it stand out.
We mostly love how articulate the snare is. Every note that you play gets translated seriously well though the shell. This makes it a great choice for drummers who play a lot of ghost notes.
The Sonor Power Hoops are arguably the best feature when it comes to construction. These things are great, as they open the snare up nicely.
With the shell being so thick, there’s the potential to have a deadened sound. That would definitely be the case if the hoops were a die-cast design. But Sonor have placed triple-flanged hoops to allow more tone to come out.
We’re also big fans of the Double Lugs. They look pristine, giving you a visual taste of the high-quality performance this snare drum offers.
Lastly, we have to mention the included Remo USA heads. A single-ply batter head is included, but it honestly seems like the perfect head for this snare drum, as the drum sounds great as soon as you pull it out the box.
While this snare drum is highly versatile, we would argue that it’s best suited as a studio option. The articulation is the big reason for that.
Studio snares need to be as articulate as possible, and a microphone will pick up every small detail that you play on this snare drum.
Beech shells have also often been known to work well in recording environments.
That’s not to say that you shouldn’t use this snare for live gigs, though. It will sound just as good!
The Sonor Compressor Beech snare costs around $600, which is fairly standard for high-end snare drums like this.
For some drummers, it may seem very pricey. For others, it’s exactly what you expect. We’d say that the value is excellent for the quality you get.
We also love the fact that it has a 12-ply shell. It’s so unique compared to most other snare drums, and we’d happily pay the price to get something like this.
If you’re an experienced drummer looking for a new, unique snare drum, this may be the one for you. It’s especially good if you regularly do studio recordings, as it’s one of the most articulate snare drums that Sonor offers.
Just note that it’s very heavy. That’s another reason why we wouldn’t strongly recommend it as a gigging snare. It’s perfect for sitting in a home practice room or studio, though!
All of these Sonor Kompressor snares are great, but the Beech option is one of the standouts.
Drum Teacher
Brett Clur has a Drum Performance Diploma from Trinity College London has been playing drums for over 20 years. He is passionate about advanced concepts and uses his years of experience to teach his students about them. While he is a full-time drum teacher, he is also working on growing a YouTube channel where shares his insights. You can see him playing there, or on Instagram where he posts daily videos.
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