Sonor SQ1 "Cruiser Blue" Birch Snare

The Sonor SQ1 100% Birch snare drums "have that really big sound, with great versatility and full tone - even at a lower tension... these drums roar!" -Chris Coleman 

SQ1 drum shells are made of 100% European Birch. Because of its sound characteristics - balanced in low, mid, and high - the Birch drum sound is very popular for studio recordings as well as live performances. When developing SQ1, Sonor tested several combinations of Birch-based shell materials. Sonor's conclusion was that pure Birch provided the most versatile sounding drum.

Sonor's unique CLTF "Cross Lamination Tension Free" and OSM "Optimum Shell Measurement" process (slightly narrowed outside shell measurement) provide excellent sustain and easy tuning.

As a next step, Sonor wanted to find a drum mounting solution that would affect the resonance and sustain of a drum as little as possible while having a small footprint and great stability. Inspiration came from the automotive industry where vibration-control technology is used for engine mounting systems among others. What they developed was a unique concept of mounting toms and floor toms that ­integrates rubber insulation within the mount to avoid any shell-to-mount contact. Scientific re­search shows the considerable ­improvement in extended sustain compared to traditional mounting methods.