Sonor LTA 20 Tambourine

Sonor may not be a name widely known when it comes to musical instruments, so I will give a small insight into the origins on the company. In 1875 in Weissenfels on the Saale in East Germany, a man called Johannes Link opened a small workshop making drums and drum heads for the military. By the turn of the century the business was growing and already offered a wide range of percussion instruments. In 1097 the Sonor brand was born and by 1925 Sonor had 145 employees and was one of the largest businesses of its kind. Due to this, Sonor is not such a familiar brand on these shores, but is still very well respected for high quality percussion instruments.

The Sonor LTA 20 I own was purchased online through a retailer in Germany at a cost of around £80 including all shipping and handling charges. Most will see a tambourine as something cheap and will generally remember them from music lessons at school, where tambourines are usually plastic and inexpensive due to the vigorous use they get. it is understandable if you believe £80 to be expensive for such a product, but I don't as I use it with care and quality is key.

The Sonor LTA 20 is 10" in diameter, with a flawless white finish on the tunable head. There are six tension rods to allow for the tuning of the tambourine, each of which are easy to adjust for superb accuracy. The beechwood frame is a subtle base for such an understated percussion instrument, proudly carrying the Sonor branding. The 'jingles' are paired up uniformly and give a pleasing, crisp sound. It can be said that the entire construction and attention to detail on the Sonor LTA 20 tambourine is quite superb.

Although looks are often deceiving when it comes to such products, the Sonor LTA 20 continues pleasing me once played also. With a 10" diameter it is of a reasonable size, and gives a warm and clear sound. I believe that the results (sound) given from instruments is largely dependant on the operator, but it is also very important that you have a playable instrument to hand.

The price will most certainly put most people off, but overall the Sonor LTA 20 is of a very high quality. For the professional or very keen musician this is a must. I am a dab hand at playing the drums, playing alongside equipment of this quality just gives you more confidence in your ability.