Sonor by default, or only when it's practical?

[Jules]

Are you hardcore ride or die Sonor, or do you tend to be more pragmatic when it comes to certain things like hardware and especially pedals?

In the last several years I have found Yamaha hardware to be a very solid, no nonsense option. I have had a boatload of Crosstown (light weight aluminum) stuff and all the way up to the 800/900 series. It's nicely configurable the heavier duty stands offer three item mounting without the need for multi clamps. I personally loathe multi clamps. Sonor used to make nice chrome multi-clamps that didn't quite look as much of an unplanned purchase as the current stuff.

The Yamaha 800 series stands easily held two drums and a cymbal, a drum and two cymbals or three cymbals. So, for my purposes, two stands covered everything I could want to fly other than the hi hat. And with the memory locks readily available, it is easy to get everything where it goes quickly and easily. Nice, quick set up and tear down.

The Tama RoadPro hardware I had was more refined looking. Great plating very solidly built. The Iron Cobra and Speed Cobra hi hat stands (I had several of each even with the Yamaha hardware) are the smoothest and most solid hi hats stands you can ask for.

After all that, I opted to go with 600 series Sonor hardware this year for the Vintage and SQ1 rigs I had. But, short of Sonor releasing new hardware and pedals in the meantime, I am very likely to buy non-Sonor pedals and stands mid-year next year when I start putting together a new rig.

[SonorBart]

I got my Lites new in early '84 after a truck accident ruined my Tama Superstars. The double braced Titan hardware survived, so I used it, including Tama mounts on RIMS for my rack toms, for the next 20 years. I gradually began the transition to Sonor hardware starting with a 70's single braced Phonic hi hat and some of the cheap Chinese 1000 stands for Jazz gigs. The 1000 stands were replaced over time with more 70's single braced Phonic stands. I got a great deal on some like-new 2nd generation 5000 stands via the old Sonormuseum and phased out the Tama stuff completely. The 5000s were built like a tank and a work of art, but very impractical for gigging due to the lack of memory locks on the blocks of the double cymbal stands, so I kept the hi hat and sold the rest. Soon after, I got another good deal on some used 600 stands and they were much better for gigging. About 15 years ago, I got a large set of 3000 hardware at cost from my local music store that went unsold after a Steve Smith clinic. Sonor hardware works well for me, but I certainly understand that people have different hardware preferences, Here's what I currently use:

Gigging (Rock) - 3000 hi hat and cymbal stands (two double and one single), PH multi clamps (chrome w/ plastic lever), and a 600 snare stand.

Gigging (Jazz) - 70's Phonic hi hat, cymbal stands, and snare stand. PH multi clamps.

Home: 3000 cymbal stands with PH multi clamps and 600 boom arms, 5000 hi hat, and a 90's 2000 snare stand.

I've been a Tama BD pedal guy since the late 70's and used first generation Iron Cobras to build my first middle pedal about 20 years ago. I found a relatively cheap Giant Step Middle Pedal soon after that, but preferred the feel of the one I built. I now have two middle pedals (one for gigging and one for home) built from current generation Iron Cobras with round cams and nylon straps in place of the chains.

[Scott_M]

Are you hardcore ride or die Sonor, or do you tend to be more pragmatic when it comes to certain things like hardware and especially pedals?

For me - The drums are definitely Sonor, both kits and snares. There's a limited list of a few other snares I wouldn't mind adding to the collection, but those are completely secondary priority (N&C Maple SS Classic, etc). That said, I don't consider myself a "brand snob" and don't complain when I'm in a position where I'm playing another brand that someone else is providing.

Hardware is where I have more than just Sonor.

For stands, the 4000/600 series stuff is my main setup. Big reason is the interchangeability and the Basic Arm parts really opening up a lot of setup/configuration versatility as well as the "Backward compatibility" with the older tube style tom mounts. That's letting me use the same setup with my Phonic and Performer kits with negligible changes from my SQ2 setup (just swap out a tom arm or two...)

I also have a full set of the DW 6000 lightweight hardware for when I need/want a smaller and lighter hardware rig.

Pedals - I've been a DW guy (kick pedals and hihats) since the 80's, and just haven't found anything else that I like nearly as well as the 9000 kick pedals and the 5000 hihats.

Thrones - die-hard Roc-n-Soc guy. In my 50's and that backrest is a lifesaver
Just ordered another one so I don't have to keep moving one back and forth to the rehearsal space every session..