Sonor Drums

Few names in drumming carry the weight that Sonor does. Founded in Germany in 1875, Sonor has spent 150 years building some of the finest drums in the world, with a reputation for craftsmanship that has earned them the nickname "the Rolls-Royce of drums." We are proud to be a Sonor dealer, and we carry the range from the first beginner kit right up to a fully custom, hand-built SQ2.

Whether you are buying your very first kit, stepping up to a professional one, or hunting for a snare drum to fall in love with, this is the place to start. We are a team of professional working drummers, and helping people choose the right Sonor is something we do every day, in the showroom and over the phone.

150 years of German craftsmanship

Sonor was founded by Johannes Link in Bad Berleburg, Germany, and the Sonor trademark was registered in Berlin in 1907. More than a century on, the company still builds its professional drums in Germany, and that long history runs right through the range. The legendary Phonic drums of the 1970s and 80s, the vertical veneers Sonor pioneered and made a trademark, the deep, woody beech sound the company is known for: all of it still informs the kits and snares Sonor makes today.

2025 marked Sonor's 150th anniversary, celebrated with the launch of the brand-new Momentum series and a run of limited 150th Anniversary kits. Old and new sit happily side by side, which is exactly how Sonor likes it.

The Sonor range explained

Sonor's kits climb a clear ladder, and the main thing separating them is the shell. Here is how the range breaks down.

Sonor beginner and intermediate kits: AQX, AQ1 and AQ2

A brilliant place to start, and far better built than the prices suggest, because they share lug and tom-mounting designs with Sonor's high-end kits.

• Sonor AQX: the entry point, with warm, forgiving poplar shells. The AQX Complete kits include hardware and cymbals, so they are ready to play out of the box, like the AQX 22 inch Stage in Black Sparkle, and there are compact versions for smaller spaces such as the AQX 14 inch Micro.

• Sonor AQ1: a step up to 100% birch shells for a brighter, punchier tone, supplied with a full hardware pack, like the AQ1 22 inch in Caribbean Blue.

• Sonor AQ2: all-maple shells for warmth and musicality, in five configurations such as the AQ2 20 inch Studio in White Pearl, including the compact AQ2 Safari.

New to all this? Our Sonor beginner drum kits guide walks through the whole range, and you can browse the beginner drum kits here.

Sonor professional kits: Vintage Series, Momentum and SQ2

This is where Sonor's German craftsmanship really shows, and the choice is less about quality, since they are all superb, and more about character and how you want to buy.

• Sonor Vintage Series: a modern kit with the sound and look of the classic German Sonors, built on 9-ply beech shells with vintage bearing edges and teardrop lugs. Warm, woody and full of character, like the Vintage Series 20 inch in Vintage Pearl.

• Sonor Momentum: brand new for 2025 and the successor to the SQ1 and ProLite lines. Available in maple, birch or beech, with the freedom to choose the wood for each drum, or even mix all three in one kit, like the Momentum 20 inch in California Burl.

• Sonor SQ2: the flagship. A fully custom drum system, hand-built in Germany to your exact specification through the SQ2 configurator, with four shell materials, four shell thicknesses, around 160 sizes and more than 260 finishes. Have a look at an example SQ2 build to get a feel for what is possible.

Stepping up? Our Sonor professional drum kits guide explains the differences, and there is a closer look at the new range in our Sonor Momentum feature. Browse the professional drum kits and the vintage drum kits.

Sonor 150th Anniversary kits

To mark 150 years, Sonor released a small run of limited 150th Anniversary kits, including the Signature 150th in beech with a Bubinga finish and gold fittings, and the Lite 150th in birch with a Scandinavian Birch finish. Limited editions and well worth a look while they last. 

Sonor snare drums

Sonor's snares are legendary in their own right, and we stock the full spread:

• Sonor Artist Series: premium, Made in Germany character snares in maple, beech and cast bronze, with exotic veneers like Cottonwood, Amboina, Scandinavian Birch and Tineo, plus the powerful cast Bronze.

• Sonor Kompressor: the acclaimed metal and beech snare range, in steel, brass, aluminium and beech across several sizes.

• Sonor signature snares: models designed with Gavin Harrison, Benny Greb and Jost Nickel.

• Sonor Phonic Re-Issue: a faithful nod to the iconic Phonic snares, in beech with Rosewood and Mahogany veneers.

There is a full rundown in our Sonor Artist Series snares guide, and you can browse all snare drums here.

Sonor hardware and pedals

Sonor also makes superb hardware and the much-loved Perfect Balance pedals developed with Jojo Mayer, along with robust 600, 2000 and 4000 series stands. 

What makes a Sonor a Sonor

A few details turn up again and again across the range, and they are a big part of why these drums sound and feel the way they do:

• TuneSafe lugs that hold their tuning through the hardest playing.

• The dual-glide snare strainer with a licensed Dunnett quick release on the snares.

• 45 degree bearing edges for a clean, articulate response.

• SmartMount tom suspension and, on the pro kits, the Sound Sustainer floor tom system and T.A.R. tom mountsthat let the shells ring freely.

• A heritage of vertical veneers, hand-selected and matched so no two drums are quite alike.

Played by the best

Sonor has long been the choice of some of the most respected drummers in the world, among them Gavin Harrison, Benny Greb, Jost Nickel, Steve Smith and Danny Carey. We are lucky enough to have hosted some of them in store: Jost Nickel, Benny Greb and Gavin Harrison. 

Why choose Sonor drums?

• German craftsmanship. The professional lines are Made in Germany to a standard most kits never reach.

• A kit for every stage. From a first AQX to a custom SQ2, the range grows with you.

• That Sonor sound. Warm, woody and articulate, with the beech voice the company is famous for.

• Built to last. Sonor drums are made to be played for a lifetime, and they hold their value.

• Choice and customisation. No other maker offers anything quite like the made-to-order SQ2.

Shop Sonor at Graham Russell Drums

We proudly stock the full Sonor range, including:

• Sonor AQX, AQ1 and AQ2 beginner kits, including the compact AQ2 Safari

• Sonor Vintage Series

• Sonor Momentum

• Sonor SQ2 custom kits

• Sonor 150th Anniversary kits

• Sonor Artist Series, Kompressor, signature and Phonic Re-Issue snare drums

• Sonor hardware and Perfect Balance pedals

• A regularly changing range of used Sonor kits and snares

Browse the full Sonor range, or come and play it in our Fareham showroom.

Not sure where to start? Our Sonor beginner drum kits guide, Sonor professional drum kits guide and Sonor Artist Series snares guide all offer clear, practical advice.

Frequently asked questions

Where are Sonor drums made? Sonor's professional kits, the Vintage Series, Momentum and SQ2, are Made in Germany at the company's home in Bad Berleburg. The AQX, AQ1 and AQ2 beginner ranges are designed by Sonor and built in the Far East to keep them affordable, while still using a lot of Sonor's design features.

Which Sonor kit is best for beginners? For most first-time drummers, the AQX Complete is the easy answer, since it comes with hardware and cymbals. The AQ1 and AQ2 step up the shell quality if your budget stretches. Our beginner guide covers all of them.

What is the Sonor SQ2? The SQ2 is Sonor's flagship custom drum system. Rather than buying it off the shelf, you design it yourself through Sonor's SQ2 configurator, choosing the shell material, sizes, finishes and hardware, and Sonor hand-build it for you in Germany. We can guide you through the whole process.

What is the difference between the Vintage Series, Momentum and SQ2? All three are Made in Germany and sound superb. The Vintage Series is a beech kit with a classic, warm voice. The Momentum is a modern production kit available in maple, birch or beech, which you can buy and play today. The SQ2 is fully custom and built to order. Our professional kits guide explains it in detail.

Is the Momentum replacing the SQ1? Yes. The Momentum officially replaces both the SQ1 and the ProLite lines, bringing the choice of maple, birch or beech together in one series, where the SQ1 was birch only and the ProLite maple only.

Are Sonor drums good? Very. Sonor's reputation for German craftsmanship, sound quality and longevity is among the best in the industry, which is exactly why they are so often called the Rolls-Royce of drums.

Does Sonor make snare drums? Sonor makes some of the most sought-after snares around, including the premium Artist Series, the metal and beech Kompressor range, signature models with Gavin Harrison, Benny Greb and Jost Nickel, and the Phonic Re-Issues. See our Artist Series snares guide for more.

Why buy your Sonor from Graham Russell Drums?

We are the UK's largest drum store, and we are a team of professional working drummers, so the person you speak to actually plays. Our 5000 square foot showroom in Fareham spreads across two floors and has been called drum heaven by the drummers who visit, and it is home to The Cymbal Loft, the largest cymbal showroom in the country. You can see, hear and play the Sonor range before you commit, and for an SQ2 we will guide you through the configurator so your dream build is exactly right. We offer next day delivery on in-stock orders placed before 2pm, an easy returns policy, and finance so you can spread the cost.