DRUMANDSTAGE FORUM

Sonor: Great Ideas Then… But Dated Now?

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Sonor has never been shy about doing things their own way, and a lot of their ideas were seriously forward-thinking when they came out. But the drum world keeps moving, and other companies have taken certain concepts further or refined them in ways Sonor hasn’t always followed.

What Sonor features do you think were great ideas in their time, but now feel a bit dated compared to what’s out there today?

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A few prompts to get the conversation rolling:

• Are there any hardware features that used to feel premium, but now feel behind modern designs?

• Any mounting / suspension ideas that were innovative then, but have been surpassed?

• Do you feel Sonor has any design choices that haven’t evolved with current player preferences?

• What’s something other brands are doing now that makes a Sonor feature feel “stuck” in a previous era?

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Helpful format for replies (optional):

• Feature:

• Why it was great back then:

• Why it feels dated now:

• Who’s doing it better today (and how):

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Let’s keep it constructive — this isn’t a Sonor bash thread. I’m genuinely curious what you’d “modernize” while keeping Sonor’s DNA intact.

One such innovation is the hex hi-hat clutch.
Pros

• []Does not loosen on the hi-hat stand
  []Allows you to tighten or loosen the top cymbal without removing the clutch from the pull rod

Cons

• []The bottom (male) end is fragile if dropped
  []Must be threaded in and out during setup and teardown

Other Notable Innovations
DW
Offers a one-handed clutch (once installed). Setup is difficult, but it provides one-handed fine adjustment of the top cymbal and remains secure during play.
Tama (and others)
Use a quick-release mechanism on the bottom of the clutch, making setup and teardown nearly instantaneous.
Proposed Solution (Improved Sonor Clutch Design)
Redesign the clutch with:

• []A hexagonal inner top section that locks into a fixed position on the pull rod of the hi-hat stand
  []A one-handed adjustment nut above the top cymbal for quick tightening/loosening
  []The threaded shaft integrated into the top section
  []A quick-release lower mechanism that caps onto that threaded section and locks securely onto the pull rod

This design would combine:

• []Anti-slip stability
  []One-handed adjustability
  []Fast setup and teardown
  []Improved durability

Real-World Failure Evidence
I have personally dropped and broken a clutch on a gig, and this area is clearly a structural weak point. Toward the end of 2023, I purchased a large quantity of touring hardware for resale and found multiple top clutch sections separated from their lower halves. In one case, the threaded shaft from the bottom section had sheared off and remained stuck inside the upper section. This indicates the issue is not isolated and suggests a broader durability concern with current clutch designs.

Jules wrote: Tue Feb 03, 2026 8:49 am

One such innovation is the hex hi-hat clutch.
Pros

• []Does not loosen on the hi-hat stand
  []Allows you to tighten or loosen the top cymbal without removing the clutch from the pull rod

Cons

• []The bottom (male) end is fragile if dropped
  []Must be threaded in and out during setup and teardown

I would add that the Sonor clutch design doesn't allow for use of a Drop-Lock mechanism, making it a bit less ideal for double-bass players that would like to use that and not rely on a separate Aux hat setup.