DRUMANDSTAGE FORUM

From the video comments:

“The SONOR Phonic, Signature & Designer Series along with the original Ludwig Black Beauty were made that way. SONOR quit making seamless metal snares about 2000...It's a very costly & time consuming process.

This level of quality was reserved only for the top shelf lines. In ~2000 SONOR discontinued production of deep-drawn metal shell snares. They still make high quality metal shelled snares, but none are seamless. The Designer was the end of the seamless shells.“

“The only reason these seamless ferro-manganese snare drums aren't being produced today is because Sonor lost it's supplier of raw material once Mercedes-Benz stopped using it in mass quantities in their cars. Sonor had an agreement worked out that allowed them to buy a percentage of Mercedes' order, thus keeping the drumming world supplied with D-series snares for many years. Alas, those days are long gone“


https://youtu.be/Tsb1yBtaImc

I'd like to tag that with an observation: I had a conversation with someone (not a Sonor/KHS America employee) and they brought up the fact that seamless shells were discontinued because the ferro=manganese was not longer available, as stated. Other companies make seamless shells from other types of steel, brass, aluminum and so on. Sonor stills makes high end snare drums from these metals, as well and they could be seamless, too. Instead, the machine is in China making brass wind instrument bells. I wonder at what point they decided to cut a corner with the shells and what reason was. Were seamless shells just not selling?

"what is so special about ferro manganese are why are some snares non-magnetic?"

I don't know if most folks are aware that some steel formulas are non-magnetic. Some FM shells have been made with low carbon ferromanganese steel alloy and others were not.

"Manganese steel, also called Hadfield steel or mangalloy, is a steel alloy containing 12-14% manganese. Renowned for its high impact strength and resistance to abrasion in its hardened state, the steel is often described as the ultimate work hardening steel.

Because of its self hardening properties, manganese steel has been used in the mining industry for many years – cement mixers, rock crushers, crawler treads for tractors, elevator and shovel buckets – as well as in the rail industry (switches and crossings) and other high impact environments."

A snare would be considered a high impact environment IMHO.

"While manganese steel guarantees wear and work hardening properties, it is non magnetic, making it ideal for use in electrical transformer assemblies and for industrial lifting magnets."

The ferro mag alloy was required to be cold worked on the machine that also made the triple flange hoops and bass drum hoops.

What snares are ferro manganese and which are non-magnetic?


Model, bearing edge rolled or 45, seamless or welded, magnetic or non, FM or metal. This list does not include every model and was done by an international group. Sonor had a habit of changing things under the hood but still using the same model number. So some users had a different variant of a snare and if you have one and its different then whats listed, thats fine; its just old Sonor.

you forgot the Signature Series Ferros - those were really sweet snares

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Florian wrote: Mon Jun 16, 2025 3:27 pm

you forgot the Signature Series Ferros - those were really sweet snares

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Helsmoet did the list and it was not fully exhaustive as he only listed the snares he had.