The set was eventually bought by British drummer Robin Melville, who lives in Cumbria. Got a couple of drum resources (videos / books), don't know - Reddit Youll love your sound, and all it takes is following a few basic steps. If you want to try with heads, one configuration he used was Ambassador reso heads tuned high and Emperor batter heads tuned lower. As far as the bass drum goes, Jeff Ocheltree, one of Bonhams drum techs, has revealed that to achieve his famous thump, both heads were tuned much higher than one might expect. Can somebody who really knows the gear of John Bonham please help me with the following infomation Year - Model - Shell Type - Thanks Phil . Amusingly, he introduces this massive statement with its own shorter, introductory fill. Bonham used a rented Slingerland kit on the band's first European tour in the late 60's. var device = "desktop"; Resonant heads dont need to be replaced as often as batter heads; you can usually change them every second or third time you change your batter heads. The right hand, normally playing the hi-hat on a downbeat, occupies the first of the three notes, followed by two swift right feet, fulfilling the triplet, and then followed by a release with both hands in unison on the hi-hat and snare. Ludwig Supraphonic Snare Drum - 6.5 x 14 inch - Sweetwater This had been the standard rock drum kit in Britian, for those who could afford one, since Ringo Starr had swapped to Ludwig from the British brand Premier in 1963. They are worthless, and will drive you mad. Read on, and we'll show you how to get that thick snare goodness from behind the kit in your home studio! I'm curious about his full setup, and the sticks he used Bonham had 4 main Ludwig kits that he used live. Anybody selling a B/O Badge LM402 14x6.5 Supraphonic Aluminum??? adUnits.push({ Snare Drum Ludwig Supraphonic 14" - JohnBonham.co.uk Snare Drum Throughout Bonham's career it seems he consistently played on the Ludwig Supraphonic 14inch x 6 402 snare drum on stage. Wood & Weather Drum Shop | Reverb Bonham used Primoco sticks, custom made for him. After extensive use, the drum heads will need to be replaced. Never lifting the stick very high off the head, and keeping his hand level with the rims, he would snap his wrist, quickly whacking the drum with incredible force. If you move your drum set frequently, make sure to check the tuning often. All Rights Reserved. You cant go wrong with a versatile workhorse like the Shure SM57. 1a (taken from the live performance of Kashmir, featured on the eponymous Led Zeppelin DVD). Match this with a 15-inch hi-hat, a ching ring for that groovy late-Zeppelin vibe and, of course, no Bonham kit would be complete without a cowbell. 1e, also taken from How The West Was Won, Bonham playfully takes an idea, plays it in triplet mode (x), waits a phrase, and then reinterprets it by straightening it out (y). After choosing the best drum set for you, and tuning your drums, the next most important thing for a beginner is learning how to play! When tuning your drum heads, youll use a drum key to tighten the tension rods. He was commanding, precise, and efficient. If and when those Bonham disciples do find what theyre looking for, they end up paying a premium for it. Most of us can recite it in our sleep by now: Ludwig drums 14 x 10 rack tom, 16 x 16 and 18 x 16 floor toms, 26 x 14 kick, and the legendary LM402 14 x 6.5 Supraphonic snare drum; Paiste cymbals, Giant Beat and 2002 combined 15 Sound Edge hi-hats, 16, 18, 20 crashes and crash/rides, 24 ride, and a 38 symphonic gong; all topped off with a squeaky Speed King pedal and a ching-ring tambourine mounted on his hi-hat stand. John Bonham's drum setup? - Led Zeppelin Official Forum Ditch the porthole on the kick. Bonham preferred his coated heads to be pretty well worn for the ideal sound; notice, in any footage of him with a maple kit, that beautiful brown-gray patina in the center of his coated heads. Its only healthy for us to admit that no matter what kit we buy, and no matter how we tune it, we will never quite be able to achieve the same exact sound as our heroes. device: ['mobile'], // display only on device 4a, each worth one beat, can be thought of as the building blocks for a number of Bonhams most well-known grooves, including those in Examples 4b, 4c, 4d, and 4e, all of which speak mightily for themselves. In fact, he did his signature triplets on a standard bass drum pedal. This is also dependent on the number of toms; drum kits with several toms may need to be tuned to closer intervals to allow all the drums to sound their best and not be tuned beyond their comfortable frequency range. Then you can use tune-bot to tune your set to those specific values. Main takeaway for the 'Bonham' sound is everything is tuned tighter than you'd think. Theres a common misconception that Bonham played with a double pedal how else could he play so fast? Just make sure you dont fit it too tight youll lose all that lovely resonance if you do. device: ['desktop','tablet'], // display only on device Then, recording .. Eddie Kramer refers to using Shure SM57s, Neumann U67s and U87s, AKG C12s and ElectroVoice RE20s .. are you using any of those mics? Press firmly but not too hard. network: dfpNetwork, Andrew Anderson is a freelance writer for Shure. This gives them a louder and brighter tone. South Hadley Falls, MA, United States. While drums generally arent tuned to specific pitches, they do need to be tuned to produce clear, full tones. As you might guess, the tension rods provide tension on the drum heads. if(adUnits[i].device.indexOf(device) === -1) {adUnits[i].display = false; continue;} Tight coated ambs on bottom, kind of tight coated emperors on top. One thing to remember about John's sound was the type of drums and heads he was using. adunit: 'drumforum_rosatf_728x90', adUnits[i].display = true; This feel, often referred to as behind the beat, can be thought of as existing halfway between the modes of straight and fully swung. pageType: ['mainpage','post'], // display only on page type 1c, taken fromHow The West Was Won), only reversing the sticking to accommodate the slow 6/8 groove. assignToVariableName: false // false if not in use The main groove from When The Levee Breaks, as seen in Ex. in this months Modern Drummer magazine (december2008)someone asked the same JB tuning question which was answerd by Mr Ochletree himself. network: dfpNetwork, In a sense, this idea further manifests itself in another of Bonhams signature moves from Moby Dick. If we open up the two notes left foot and kick they reach a point where they occupy the first and third notes of a triplet. Elite Floor Tom Legs and Brackets. Ahead Snare Drum revisin | radarmusical. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. The elegantly crafted fill in the second bar is unique to even view on paper, mixing crisp singles with gently executed doubles, telling a story with its accents and ghost notes. Snare/Bass Drum Tuning Question (John Bonham) : r/drums The demo of his green sparkle kit and the methods of tuning the 26" kick. Oh, I have a drum dial too. But they sound massive and round out to the audience or room mic's. Its going to sound wrong at first when youre sitting in front of your kit. This drum is usually found chrome plated over a 'Ludalloy' shell. He played both Keystone and B/O badges. Most kick drums are 22 inches in diameter, but smaller kicks are sometimes used for jazz or quieter gigs. googletag.enableServices(); The more you play, the more your drums will need to be tuned. From a physical standpoint, Ex. Touch - John Bonham was fucking good dude. Thats was i was thinking but i thought someone had a trick lol what about the snare and tuning and such? snare drum tuning with a tune bot (John Bonham sound) mike evangelista 567 subscribers Subscribe 276 Share 85K views 9 years ago a guide to help you tune your snare drum to that. 3d, a number of stickings can be applied, resulting in virtually endless possibilities for orchestrating this around the kit. For 13/16/18/24. Change your heads when needed, and try to strike the center of the drum head so that you dont dent the edges. So how to replicate that big, fat, funky Bonzo sound yourself? Medium high on the batter. Players on a quest to mimic his signature sound often end up scouring the internet for ultrarare, Bonhamsized kits from the 70s. Use 30 or 40 strand snare wires for increased sensitivity, but make sure theyre not too tight so they dont choke the drum. His huge sound has been immortalized on classic tracks like When the Levee Breaks, Moby Dick and Immigrant Song. Smashing his kit with such incredible power, he came to define what a rock drummer should be. // Init DFP I think I'm going to get one of these too. i also have a port hole in the resonant bass drum head. pageType: ['mainpage','post'], // display only on page type adunit: 'drumforum_desktop_sticky_728x90', // AdVelved His TOUCH was what made the tone happen, he had his own way of playing that some can emulate, but no one can really duplicate as they are not HIM!!! Thread the tension rods and tighten them until finger tight. You can apply lubricant to the tension rods to keep them from stripping out the lugs. userType: ['guest','loggedin'], // display only on user type any muffling for either drums? July 14, 2014 in Musician's Corner. if(adUnits[i].assignToVariableName && (adUnits[i].assignToVariableName !== null)) window[adUnits[i].assignToVariableName] = dfpSlots[i]; The kit was a Super Classic: 22in x14in bass drum, 13x9 and 16x16 tom toms, with a 14x5 Supraphonic 400 metal-shell snare drum. adunit: 'drumforum_mobile_footer_300x250', adUnits.push({ network: dfpNetwork, pageType: ['mainpage','post'], // display only on page type Most drum sets have two or three toms, but some drummers, such as the late Neil Peart of Rush, had eight or more toms (including the floor toms). code: 'div-gpt-ad-drumforum_tablet_midcontent_728x90', Startup tune $200+ HPT credits (This is only for a start-up tune. Obviously there is a crucial element in how they were tuned but, if you don't have the right drums you are not going to get that sound. }); There are little pieces of soft plastic called gels that can be stuck to drum heads, or sometimes small strips of gaff tape are used. If your kick drum lacks definition, pitching the resonant kick drum head slightly higher than the batter head will tighten up the tone. Kick - John tuned like a lot (not all) of the jazz players. Bonham provides similar subtleties in the stately grooves on Ten Years Gone, one album later (Ex. The kick drum (also called the bass drum) provides the bottom end of your kit. In the context of anyone elses music these phrases might even be thought of almost along the lines of a literal quote. There are many reasons for that: to help keep time, to give the piece more feel, to utilize a single stroke roll with one hand, ( such as in Since I've Been Loving You) . This is a giant rabbit hole, fyi. Vents may be easily overlooked, but theyre actually very important when thinking about how drums work. One end of the tension rod is threaded; the other end has a square head. Use a doubleply coated batter head and a standard snareside reso head. Bonhams drum kit tuning.interesting info! - DRUMMERWORLD As a result, he was able to conserve a lot of energy that other players waste flailing their arms about. Their sound is produced when a drum head is struck either by hand or with a stick or mallet. Send Message. This was pretty normal in a lot of records in the 60s to mid 70s. His kick sound is very open lots with of ring and resonation without much dampening. device: ['mobile'], // display only on device adunit: 'drumforum_300x250_3', Very "old school". Youll now need to fine-tune the drum. You certainly wont want any muffling inside Bonhams kits were always alive, and he embraced overtones. Most drums are four- or five-piece kits with two or three toms. John Bonham's drumming was as large as the lifestyle he led. }); I recommend Paiste 2002 if your budget allows. Me too. While some of the early footage of Moby Dick does not exactly reflect this technique, he refined it over the course of his career and was in absolute top shape by the end of his life, as evidenced by the footage of the Knebworth performance from the final 79 tour. Bass guitarist Dave Pegg says that when he played with John in the group A Way of Life. When its time to change heads, the old heads will need to be removed by loosening the tension rods and removing the hoops. He said Bonham was to have a Black Sparkle kit for the American tour that never happened. Snare - Lots of people swear by just cranking the living bejeezes out of the resonant head. adUnits.push({ Applies especially to vintage emperor Tune the bottom head to top head in proportion approx 3turns bottom to 1 turn top Muffle slightly the ring Look for the sweet spot: between 6-7 o clock, 2-3" from the hoop. When it comes to toms, Bonham used two and threetom configurations, usually with a 14 rack and a 16 and/or 18 floor toms. all paiste 2002 series. size: [[300, 250]], return window.screen.width || window.innerWidth || window.document.documentElement.clientWidth || Math.min(window.innerWidth, window.document.documentElement.clientWidth) || window.innerWidth || window.document.documentElement.clientWidth || window.document.getElementsByTagName('body')[0].clientWidth; Its quite common to hear a line of sixteenth-notes and notice the bass drum playing in unison with the right hand on the downbeats (think Keith Moon). network: dfpNetwork, Go with a double-ply batter head. size: [[728, 90]], size: [[320, 50]], }); Some other things. function detectPage(loc) Then, mixing singles and doubles, he ends the phrase by emphasizing the last note of each triplet on the kick, an orchestration that Bonham made frequent use of throughout his career. }); We also see it serve a similar purpose on Misty Mountain Hop and Four Sticks (Exs. Go for 14-inch and 16-inch rack toms married to an 18-inch floor tom. Smaller drums have higher resonant frequencies, and larger drums have lower resonant frequencies. googletag.defineSlot('/143039214/drumforum_Midcontent_VideoAD', [1, 1], 'div-gpt-ad-drumforum_Midcontent_VideoAD').addService(googletag.pubads()); You can't get these, but I believe the sticks matched a 5B hickory pair. That being said: Head choice- Remo Emperors on the batter side of both kick and snare. Seriously, listen to footage of Elvin Jones, Tony Williams, Max Roach, and the likes of those types. Try it in one quick motion, making sure that your right foot isnt too early, lest it occurs at the same time as the floor tom, closing up the triplet and ruining the effect. http://www.ledzeppelin.com/photos/led-zeppelin/1968-1969?page=16. Bonham used 42 strand snares on his snare drums. As with the toms and the bass drum, tune the resonant head up to a mediumhigh pitch and the batter to medium. Only time Bonham ever used a snare that wasn't a 6.5" aluminum LM402 was for the recording of LZI, which was a 5" aluminum LM400, like . When tuning drum heads, youll need to adjust this tension evenly across all the tension rods. Most memorably, Bonham employed this trick during many an evenings performance of the legendary drum solo Moby Dick, where it was used as a metronomic current for the flurry of notes happening above (Ex. He never REALLY reveals Bonhams "secret". (Black or Green Sparkle). var mainpage = [ '/', 'index.html', 'index.htm', 'index.php', 'main.html', 'main.htm', 'homepage.html', 'index2.htm', '/forums/', '/board/index.php' ]; Here are some methods and tips that will help you achieve your perfect drum sound: Drum dampening is done by adding something to the batter head to minimize the unwanted ring of a drum. How To Add A Questlove Feel With The Drag Beats Precise Sloppiness, Quick Hits: Unlock The Magic Of The Paradiddle With These 5 Lessons, Heavier Than Hell: How to Play Black Dog and 5 Other John Bonham Beats, Tiger Bill: Developing Hand Speed & Control. How To Do It. Find out what the new Shure GLX-D+ Dual Band Wireless can do for vocalists and guitarists when MPNG and MARTINA BLAZESKA put the new How to Choose the Right Wireless Microphone System. GLX-D+ Wireless First Look with MPNG and Martina Blazeska. Do not add any additional muffling to the inside of the drum. Bonzoleumon Youtube is a very interesting guy and I think very knowledgable about Bonham in both playing and equipment. var advelvetTargeting = []; SO I had a LM402 Supraphonic many years ago and I sold it like a idiot not thinking clearly and I've wanted another one ever since Bonham had multiple LM402s. I have Ocheltree's DVD. googletag.cmd.push(function () { if(detectWidth() < 768) device = "mobile"; The '70 came with his first green sparkle kit which he received in June of that year. Any snare resonant head will work. userType: ['guest','loggedin'], // display only on user type the drummer already has a Ludwig kit. network: dfpNetwork, code: 'div-gpt-ad-drumforum_mobile_1stguestpost_300x250', Bonham used 42 strand snares on his snare drums. To be able to tune like John first you have to have the same identical drum kit and heads that he used and from there it is tweeting around till you find that John Bonham sound. Or did he just let it all ring out? code: 'div-gpt-ad-drumforum_atf_300x250', if(adUnits){ There was a lot of engineering done on the LZ albums. John knew how to tune proficiently and also had a magnificent touch on the instrument. Bonham particularly relied on sixtuplets at the sixteenth note level six notes in the place of four to provide a basis for most fill material. Ultimately, our best hope for attaining a bit of Bonhams sound is to take a look at the physical elements of his style. Bang It Like Bonzo: How to Get John Bonham's Sound device: ['desktop'], // display only on device Next image. That being said: Head choice- Remo Emperors on the batter side of both kick and snare. Carmine Appice's rare Ludwig kit is for sale on Reverb for $25,000. As with the bass drums, tune the reso heads up to a mediumhigh pitch and the batters to medium. 2023 School of Rock LLC. Instead, he achieved his powerful stroke with the use of his wrists. A lot of it comes down to personal preference and the style of music that you play. userType: ['guest','loggedin'], // display only on user type He offered that he thought Bonham's tom resonants were tuned about 1/4 to 1/2 a turn tighter than his batters and his snare was tuned high with loose snares, but that was about all he went into tuning wise, besides citing it as a perpetual mystery that even Ochletree doesn't really address. 6b). By coming off the head as quickly as he laid into it, he allowed the drum to resonate to its fullest. For the resonant side, use a single-ply head with an inner plastic muffling ring if you want to save money you can cut up an old bass drum head for this, which is exactly what the great man himself did. This could also explain Bonhams preference for an unported front bass drumhead. Bonham preferred his coated heads to be pretty well worn for the ideal sound; notice, in any footage of him with a maple kit, that beautiful brown-gray patina in the center of his coated heads. Andreas Schwarz iGroove - Das XXXL Groove Buch Bass Drum Secrets Benny Greb The Art and Science of Groove Benny Greb The Language of Drumming A System for Musical Expression Bob Gatzen Drum Tuning_ Sound and Design Gary Chester The New Breed George Kollias Intense Metal . return 'post'; STUDIO RSR - 126 Photos & 104 Reviews - 1041 S Leslie St, La Habra, CA How to get my snare drum to sound like John Bonham's? Is it tuning or The first choice of Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham Chrome-plated aluminum shell delivers cavernous tone with crisp attack Imperial lugs provide an elegant appearance Inject killer attack into your drum sound with the Ludwig Supraphonic LM402 snare! A Reproduction of Bonham's Iconic Kit. Tuning: Bonham tuned the batter head medium-tight while the resonant was cranked much higher, although this will require some experimentation. He knew that by moving back and forth between these two modes sometimes within a single phrase, as in Ex. John Bonham tuning | Page 3 | Drummerworld Forum These acrylic shells and LM402 Supraphonic snare give you those same looks and sounds. Rock drums (especially heavy metal drums) generally have larger toms than kits designed for jazz. } 7a illustrates the rhythmic counterpoint between these two entities, then the change of groove that Bonham issues in the bridge (notice during this part his use of the figure from Ex. No matter if youre addressing an important shareholder meeting, spreading the How to Choose the Best Mics for the Guitar. assignToVariableName: false // false if not in use To start with, Bonham was known to use very little arm when he played, keeping them at a rather low position. Massachusetts-based shop specializing in vintage drums, cymbals and accessories. }); head higher than the batter. adunit: 'drumforum_tablet_midcontent_728x90', network: dfpNetwork, The fact of the matter is that the gear and how its tuned means next to nothing when taking into consideration the individual sitting behind it. I dont remember when possibly also for the 1980 tour. I absolutely love those tones in those songs, Only time Bonham ever used a snare that wasn't a 6.5" aluminum LM402 was for the recording of LZI, which was a 5" aluminum LM400, like TheElectricCompany said above. Bonham preferred his coated heads to be pretty well worn for the ideal sound; notice, in any footage of him with a maple kit, that beautiful brown-gray patina in the center of his coated heads. Words: Andrew AndersonImage: Jeffrey Mayer. -- John Bonham A Thunder of Drums by Chris Welsh and Geoff Nicholls, Given Bonzo's affinity towards Ludwig kits, odds are Bonzo was using a Ludwig kit to record Led Zeppelin 1. size: [[300, 250]], Tuning below this range sounds muddy and dull, while tuning your drum above this range will make the sound thin and choked. userType: ['guest','loggedin'], // display only on user type Learning how to tune your drum set will make you sound better and encourage you to play more often. When it comes to toms, Bonham used two and three-tom configurations, usually with a 14" rack and a 16" and/or 18" floor toms. This tuning is neither original or secret, but has been used by jazz drummers for decades. This tuning is neither original or secret, but has been used by jazz drummers for decades. Each drum usually has a top and a bottom hoop, one for each of the drum heads. pageType: ['mainpage','post'], // display only on page type If you find a recording of a snare that you want to emulate, try to match that pitch. header.nohb.html function detectWidth() { adUnits.push({ and he added the 42 snare wire thing towards the end of zeppelins career. network: dfpNetwork, The old heads wont hold tune as well, and eventually theyll wear out and break. Not very technical. Kick drums are usually tuned lower than the low E on a bass guitar. Bonham brilliantly used this phrase to construct one of his mightiest fills of all (Ex. assignToVariableName: false // false if not in use code: 'div-gpt-ad-drumforum_mobile_footer_300x250', Oops, looks like you forgot something. Not sure about the tuning, but also a big help with the "sound" of Bonzo was how the drums were recorded. code: 'div-gpt-ad-drumforum_mobile_sticky_320x50', Superior Automotive is located in Southern California having relocated in the 1990's from New York where Joe Jill had established Speedwin Engineering in 1960.