In early 2017 I snapped up a Sonor Vintage Series with Red Ripple Delmar wrap. A few months later a similarly wrapped Beverley snare popped up on eBay UK that seemed to be begging to be united with my Sonor kit.
The snare looked a bit rough, but the seller claimed that the wrap was intact and that the drum seemed to have no major issues. Fortunately the seller was totally correct. The drum arrived quite dirty, but everything was in working order. Within an afternoon I had it cleaned and polished.
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| Before and After - Same light conditions |
I was particularly impressed by the ultra-smooth birch shell, with the usual Premier-style beech rings. Also worth noting is the extra deep snare bed. I'm not enough of an expert to tell you the measurements, so I posted a shot below. Most of the little "star" washers broke apart when I removed the lugs. Not the end of the world.
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| Lovely birch shell with deep snare bed (top-right), before clean-up |
Fortunately the snare matches the much newer Sonor kit almost exactly. The Sonor's Delmar Red Ripple wrap has a bit of a brighter overall tone, but the Beverley wrap has held up incredibly well and has plenty of shine.
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| Sonor Vintage Series with Beverley Super De Luxe Snare |
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| Click for higher resolution - Notice some chrome pitting |
As you can see in this 1964 catalog, this model is indeed "Super De Luxe" despite the badge that says "New Standard."
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| 1964 Beverley catalog |
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| Sunset Pearl listed in a 1964 catalog (BE = British Edition?) |
And the sound? Superb. Fat and woody at medium/low tuning. The snare has high rims, so I have to focus on hitting the center lest I hit too many rim shots. Also, the high triple-flange rims don't work with a Sonor slotted key. I have to tune it with a screw driver.
A little video...
