JulesWhen I became a dealer, the Artist series was still a pretty fresh release. There were pros and cons for me as a Sonor fan. And your take as an owner of personal gear vs that of being a dealer are two different things. Some of the things that old school died in the wool Sonor guys like about the older gear are also some of the very things that are hang up deals when you are trying to to sell to anyone who isn't an old school Sonor guy.
Key features of the Artist Series that jumped out at me when I first saw them:
Square rods on a high end German drum.
Mainstream weight die cast hoops (Sonor proprietary, but certainly not Hella) on select models (triple flange or single flange on other models)
Fine knurling on adjustment knob on butt and throw (much easier to grab and twist than the current ones)
New badge shape/style
Observations when I got them
The two I ordered for the shop were the brass and steel, both of which were far heavier than expected.
The Artist series originally sported a badge unique to the series.
Photo Credit: Steve Maxwell Drum Shop
Eventually, Sonor went to a grainy, bare sheetmetal badge as used on Phonic series and others in years past. This time, however, the badges were round punchings with raised areas and more ink used to create a black background in addition to the exposed base metal. A rubber insulator added as had been in use already was included. This badge design shared the overall shape of Sonor's biggest competitor and combined it with old and new(er) Sonor badge making practices. One more ornate drums, the badge was a sharp contrast to drum and plated hardware and was used on all catalog drums series (sic).
In time, the current iteration of badges came into play. These combined the sheet metal construction, but the bare metal is now painted (sic) black, rubber backing is still used, and premium Sonor catalog drums have affixed chrome mallets and nuts and bolts for attachment, while budget lines are screwed to the wooden shells. These pay homage to Sonor's classic rectangular badges and the black tends to set off rather than clash with the drums.