Mica-Sonic Snare Info needed

[Kraig]

while on holidays in new york i picked up a Mica sonic snare drum off a friend who had got it off a friend for practice.
I know very little of the brand and searches on the web proved fruitless
I know its lates 60's early 70's
pre-tama brand.

any other info anyone knows would be helpful.
http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/2633/p4300221jd9.jpg

[GRUNTERSDAD]

Mica-Sonic was one of the more obscure stencils in the late 60's. The drums were made by Hoshino (Tama) and these were obviously trying to copy Sonor. The same drums were also sold as Majestic Deluxe, which are slightly more common. Yes, these are still Japanese drums, but the Deluxe line wasn't exactly budget, more like a semi-pro line. Note 8 lugs on both bass & floor tom, heavy duty shells, substantial build quality, Sonor-style offset lugs with decent chrome, and the upscale flashy satin flame finish. They are very well made for a 60's Japanese set. And I love that "mod 60's" look.

[Kraig]

Mica-Sonic was one of the more obscure stencils in the late 60's. The drums were made by Hoshino (Tama) and these were obviously trying to copy Sonor. The same drums were also sold as Majestic Deluxe, which are slightly more common. Yes, these are still Japanese drums, but the Deluxe line wasn't exactly budget, more like a semi-pro line. Note 8 lugs on both bass & floor tom, heavy duty shells, substantial build quality, Sonor-style offset lugs with decent chrome, and the upscale flashy satin flame finish. They are very well made for a 60's Japanese set. And I love that "mod 60's" look.


thanks, internet searches proved fruitless.

[WebSessionDrummer]

Cool little snare drum...

My first kit was a Mica-Sonic 4-piece kit w/ a strange textured white wrap on it. It consisted of a 20 X 14 bass, 14 X 5.5 wood shell snare, 12 X 8 rack tom, and a 16 X 16 floor tom. All of the drums were 9-ply shells. Surprisingly it came stock w/ all Remo heads. It had the same exact brand badges as what's pictured in your snare pic.

My parents paid $150 for it in 1979 for my 9th birthday. It's kind of funny if they were made by Hoshino, the parent company of Tama...since I replaced this kit w/ a Tama in 1985 which was my drea set at the time. Soemtimes I wish I still had my first kit...

You can see the kit here... http://www.vintagedrummuseum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=162&t=412

[Mick]

I recently picked up a "Mica-Sonic 14x22 kick" in with miss-matched kit of WMP "name" drums. I have no idea how they were married, other than I think they are all WMP from about the late 60s - or earlier.

Tempro 5x14 steel snare (currentlymin pieces)
Gretsch 16x16 floor tom (sold)
Ludwig 9x13 tom (for sale - read details below)
Mica-Sonic 14x22 kick (for sale - read details below)

THE MICA-SONIC KICK build quality is quite impressive. The heart of the quality is a heavy, non-nonsense, 9-ply mahogany shell (no reinforcement rings) with a gretch-like gray-silver sealer paint inside. Failntly yellowed WMP wrap has help up nicely. Lug casting are ok and the outside chrome is quite good - AND - there are 10 & 10 per side, for greater tuning articulation than on the Gretsch& Ludwigs of the day!!! The chrome and WMP inlay hoops are straight, with slight rust inside the grooved runway inside the hoop, for what, God knows. Claws and T-lugs are right. Spurs and mounted tom rail consollette, and badge all good.

THE LUDWIG TOM dates from 1948-52 (according to the keystone badge)
The WMP wraps match strangely well. As you would expect, this tom has reinforcement rings, inside the mahogany ply shell. No tone controls. A "slot-type" tom mount was put in place of the the stock tom mount, so there are 4 very small slightly noticable holes from that set up that can be seen with the heads off only. From the outside - NO extra holes are visable. It was a very professional job - and yes, this slot mount mates with the rail consolette on the about mentioned Mica-Sonic.


If interested, I'm selling them as is (no heads) for $650
or I would set them up with new 2 new Evans on the kick, and 2 new Remo Ambassadors on the Tom for $825 and they would be a very cool and compact rock/jazz duo.

(shipping $50-60 to the 50 states only - or - pick up in Fairfield County, CT)

[nicholasmarshall]

Mica-Sonic was one of the more obscure stencils in the late 60's. The drums were made by Hoshino (Tama) and these were obviously trying to copy Sonor. The same drums were also sold as Majestic Deluxe, which are slightly more common. Yes, these are still Japanese drums, but the Deluxe line wasn't exactly budget, more like a semi-pro line. Note 8 lugs on both bass & floor tom, heavy duty shells, substantial build quality, Sonor-style offset lugs with decent chrome, and the upscale flashy satin flame finish. They are very well made for a 60's Japanese set. And I love that "mod 60's" look.

Yes, its absolutely right i agree with your threads and Mica (http://www.manekgroup.net/8_42_Mica-(-Natural---Calcined-).aspx) is really a whole host of minerals, muscovite, biotite and chlorite being the most common. Mica is soft and can be distinghed by it perfect cleavage, which means the mineral breaks into very thin sheets. It is easily eroded to form clay minerals. Mica (http://www.manekgroup.net/8_42_Mica-(-Natural---Calcined-).aspx) is abundant in silicic igneous rocks and is the main component of many metamorphic rocks (add enough heat and pressure to clay and it becomes mica). Schist is a metamorphic rock composed almost entirely of mica.

[nicholasmarshall]

I recently picked up a "Mica-Sonic 14x22 kick" in with miss-matched kit of WMP "name" drums. I have no idea how they were married, other than I think they are all WMP from about the late 60s - or earlier.

Tempro 5x14 steel snare (currentlymin pieces)
Gretsch 16x16 floor tom (sold)
Ludwig 9x13 tom (for sale - read details below)
Mica-Sonic 14x22 kick (for sale - read details below)

THE MICA-SONIC KICK build quality is quite impressive. The heart of the quality is a heavy, non-nonsense, 9-ply mahogany shell (no reinforcement rings) with a gretch-like gray-silver sealer paint inside. Failntly yellowed WMP wrap has help up nicely. Lug casting are ok and the outside chrome is quite good - AND - there are 10 & 10 per side, for greater tuning articulation than on the Gretsch& Ludwigs of the day!!! The chrome and WMP inlay hoops are straight, with slight rust inside the grooved runway inside the hoop, for what, God knows. Claws and T-lugs are right. Spurs and mounted tom rail consollette, and badge all good.

THE LUDWIG TOM dates from 1948-52 (according to the keystone badge)
The WMP wraps match strangely well. As you would expect, this tom has reinforcement rings, inside the mahogany ply shell. No tone controls. A "slot-type" tom mount was put in place of the the stock tom mount, so there are 4 very small slightly noticable holes from that set up that can be seen with the heads off only. From the outside - NO extra holes are visable. It was a very professional job - and yes, this slot mount mates with the rail consolette on the about mentioned Mica-Sonic.


If interested, I'm selling them as is (no heads) for $650
or I would set them up with new 2 new Evans on the kick, and 2 new Remo Ambassadors on the Tom for $825 and they would be a very cool and compact rock/jazz duo.

(shipping $50-60 to the 50 states only - or - pick up in Fairfield County, CT)

Very Informative and nice post,,, Thanks