Why did I not get one of these sooner?!?!?

[Scott_M]

Memorial Day Weekend (2025) I stopped in at Mike's Drum Shop in Chicago, as I try to do anytime I'm in the area. Long story very short - I left with both the 14x6.5 aluminum Kompressor I was after, AND an Oak Phonic 4pc that wasn't on my original "shopping list". One of few drum gear "Impulse Buys" I've done, and I'm SO glad I did.

Finally managed the time to finish going through and doing cleanup/maintenance on the kit, refreshing the heads, etc. and got it fully setup and tuned up the way I like my kits tuned.

Kick's tuned a touch higher than I usually tune, and I dialed the 13" tom up to where I have my SQ2 and Performer 12" toms . The power, sound, and presence is all still there, just like it was in the 80's when I remember hearing them on the sales floor...

Just kicking myself for not realizing what I could have been playing in the late 80's and 90's instead of the Pearl and Ludwig stuff I had.

Setup as a 4pc with the Kompressor to mimic the current setup with the band I'm playing in...

[DaveInNZ]

I've never physically been in the same room as a set of Phonics or Signatures, you know the thick shell vintage stuff. My buddy here has just brought a set of Phonics in from the UK no less and I'm almost scared to hear them...

Oak finish is one of the best too. Very envious.

[drummermark]

That kit is a stunner! Always preferred the oak veneer. Congrats on the purchase! Would love to hear a sound sample if you’re ever so inclined. #blamegallus

[Jules]

I had an oak 14X10 and so am intimately familiar with the beauty of the veneer. I do want to point out that the Vintage Teak series is Sonor's modern finish that is an amazingly stunning veneer, as well. This isn't to devalue the Oak at all, but to point to anyone considering a Vintage Series kit, snare or whatever that there is a natural veneer available that will be another classic one day.

[Scott_M]

My buddy here has just brought a set of Phonics in from the UK no less and I'm almost scared to hear them...

Don't be. You'll go, hear/play them in person and (hopefully) understand what that "Thick shelled Sonor Sound" is all about. Worst case is you'll decide you'll like it enough to hold off on an SQ2/Momentum/Vintage set a while longer and try to find another Phonic kit...

[Scott_M]

That kit is a stunner! Always preferred the oak veneer. Congrats on the purchase! Would love to hear a sound sample if you’re ever so inclined. #blamegallus

Thanks. I have a feeling that finish is going to fit well on stage, regardless if it's indoors under stage lighting or an outdoor patio gig. Sonor's veneers are really the only wood finishes that I've actually wanted on a drum. While others do some really beautiful stuff, they just don't keep my interest that even Sonor's "plainest looking" veneers do.

And yes, absolutely #blamegallus

[Scott_M]

I had an oak 14X10 and so am intimately familiar with the beauty of the veneer. I do want to point out that the Vintage Teak series is Sonor's modern finish that is an amazingly stunning veneer, as well. This isn't to devalue the Oak at all, but to point to anyone considering a Vintage Series kit, snare or whatever that there is a natural veneer available that will be another classic one day.

The 14x10 for this kit (not pictured) is the shell from that very same tom.(Thank you very much BTW)

And I agree - if the Phonic Oak finish appeals to people but they want a more "modern" kit - the Teak from the Vintage series would be a great way to go, and the fact that they're awesome kits wouldn't hurt the argument any either...

[DaveInNZ]

Sonor's veneers are really the only wood finishes that I've actually wanted on a drum. While others do some really beautiful stuff, they just don't keep my interest that even Sonor's "plainest looking" veneers do.

It's an interesting comment. I'm not a fan of the more ornate veneers anyone does, they feel a little bit too 'showing my wealth via an ornate drawing desk, I have a marble toilet with a chandelier too, would you like to see?' to me. I much prefer minimalist tastes... mid century modern architecture, Japan/Scandinavian furniture, my Porsche 911 GT3 without the wing...

I don't have the money to make these choices real of course, but that's where my taste lies. Classy and restrained. Not that popular an opinion when it comes to veneers on kits it seems... The Oak Phonic might be the best of all the Phonic finishes for this.

[Jules]

My take on veneers, and part of the reason I have worked up my configurations with several finish options is this: Unless I am going to be somewhere that people are going to be in close proximity to the drums; or they are going to be closely videoed or photographed, the nuances of a detailed finish are lost in the mix, so to speak. And with places that I have played in the past, I don't really want people wanting to get a closer look, lol.

[Scott_M]

I much prefer minimalist tastes... mid century modern architecture, Japan/Scandinavian furniture, my Porsche 911 GT3 without the wing...

I don't have the money to make these choices real of course, but that's where my taste lies. Classy and restrained. Not that popular an opinion when it comes to veneers on kits it seems... The Oak Phonic might be the best of all the Phonic finishes for this.

Seems we have similar tastes for a few things. Most of the furniture in my house is Mid-Century Modern influenced ("function over form, with a little style to it"). And with that in mind, I would agree about the Oak finish - definitely fits the "Function over Form" while maintaining a little more interest than a plain solid color would.

My take on veneers, and part of the reason I have worked up my configurations with several finish options is this: Unless I am going to be somewhere that people are going to be in close proximity to the drums; or they are going to be closely videoed or photographed, the nuances of a detailed finish are lost in the mix, so to speak. And with places that I have played in the past, I don't really want people wanting to get a closer look, lol.

This is part of the reason why I've historically gone for solids or sparkle finishes (particularly whites) for gigging sets - look good on stage, don't lose much visually when the lighting changes, etc, and don't entice people to come up uninvited and touch while going "oooh!"...

I know that seems to conflict with my appreciation for the veneers, but I think what appeals to me about Sonor's veneers (in general) is the vertical grain vs horizontal that everyone else seems to use. Same finish side by side and the vertical grained one just stands out more. Even the oak, with as "plain" a grain as it has, still has a distinct look and visual interest to me because of the vertical grain.