A Look at John Bonham's Gear with George Fludas and Terry Keating - EP 179
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ก.ย. 2024
- This episode is an in-depth look at John Bonham's drum kits, cymbals, heads, and sticks through his prolific career with Led Zeppelin. Terry Keating (Bonzoleum) and George Fludas (Bonhamology) are experts on all things Bonzo and made this episode a ton of fun and very informative. We start with his rusty old Premier kit, then go through his Trixon and Slingerland sets, then go into extreme detail about his iconic Ludwig drum sets and Paiste cymbals. John Bonham lived a very short 32 year life but has a HUGE impact on musicians still to this day - enjoy this deep dive into his gear!
Here are the links -
Terry Keating / Bonzoleum: / @bonzoleum
George Fludas / Bonhamology: / @bonhamology
Peoples Front of Zeppelin: / channel
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I think Bonham chose the Amber Vistalite because he really dug the film A Clockwork Orange, so orange drums. The bowler hat he wore was all part of his nod towards the movie. Great video.
Source?
Wow that is a great thought, it makes a lot of sense!
No.
@@SopranoPizzaJMFNJ my a pizza nevera hurt a nobady!
I concur. Bonzo was a massive Clockwork Orange fan (1972 release) Vistalite introduced in 1972.
Just a thought. 🤔
Thanks Bart, this was really fun!!
My favorite moment is 55:13...classic Terry!! 😂
Haha yeah that is gold. Thanks George!
George your the man.keep.crankong stuff out.podcasts,collabs,gear talk etc. It's all great. though I really want to hear your jazz drumming,takes on the style and talks about the history and knowledge you have.we live in a very recorded world,..now. people from your era, are the last to exist where you were adults when the internet rolled around.and you hold a key, to a treasure trove of stuff. The next generation above you where pioneers. Just killing it when it mattered. Such cool times. Those stories,and thoughts that got passed onto people such as yourself, through gigs and studio and just being in the scene in general is really special. In 30 years when today's bands are being combed through(can you even imagine?) They'll be able reference everything about stories and studios and gigs and gear used etc. People like you and Terry are the last kind of folks on that transition line,if you get what I'm trying to convey here. The more stuff you put out and the more you talk,the more this stuff gets recorded for history.just hope you've got your vids backed up,and two step verification. A lot of ppl are getting hacked and when that happens,they delete and mess up all of your shit and it's never the same after. I particularly worry about terry being that his channels older and has quite a bit of subs. Could.happen to him at anytime, I hope you'll pass that forward at some point when chatting with him.can never be too safe..anyway, I always enjoy your knowledge and conversations. We all do. Don't ever think that people don't really care that much about what you do,cuz that's not the case. Keep rocking George
Great to hear this full exchange & get more data points. Thanks again @bonhamology! 💯
🤧
Ritchie Ringman
Good interview/hosting style. Letting the guests talk is always appreciated.
I swear more than half of my Bonham knowledge comes from Terry and George.
They are the best!
@@DrumHistoryPodcast an Alex Van Halen history would be amazing, talk about all types of unique kits!
that's sad
how so?@@ochocabra1542
Hi Carmine Appice here … guys you got your dates wrong. Bonzo did not play the big Ludwig’s in Jan 69. It was later than that .
The first tour he did with the maple which was a copy of my maple kit had double bass drums. Which he used on bonzo Montreux (spelling?) we toured in summer of 69 together …He used that kit. Then page and plant thought he was too busy and asked to get rid of the 2nd bass drum. Thats when the iconic kit was born Not Jan 69. Food for thought !! Thx
Hey Carmine. Love your drumming.
There are pictures of him playing the blond maple Ludwigs in late Jan. 69. Zeppelin opened for VF on their first 5 US shows in Dec. 1968 as well as a few shows in Feb. 1969.
Still trying to get a piece of Bonzo.
Coat tail rider ..
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Thanks, Bart, Terry and George for another great one! I appreciate the factual and folklore information on the John Bonham equipment mystic.
Thank you for listening!
Nobody admits they started on John Greys', although 1st kit I played in anger was Gretch.! Love these Vlogs❤😊
This was incredible guys. Thanks T+G for sharing your vast knowledge, and thanks Bart for being a fantastic host and giving them the platform to take such a deep dive!
Kit, Kit, Kit - not a single minute without this word...
Great video! Always great to see Terry and George talk about Bonham’s history! Great stuff!
Awesome stuff! Love listening to this conversation about Bonzo and his equipment. So many great memories of the past.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Bonzo played a four piece Slingerland drum outfit ! Yes -- finally someone who knows that. Bonzo probably rented in late December 1968 a Ludwig when he came to the states through January 1969. Their first show was Denver Dec 26th, 1968. Bonzo most likely played a Slingerland on their first album.
Slingerland Drums rock! Their chrome over brass snare drums are sonic.
My money's on Slingerland for the first album too
He also had a green sparkle Ludwig that his parents had purchased for him. It had a 5" deep snare and a 22" kick.
Love these guys! What a cool hang 🤘😎
I never thought i could be 1:40 hrs listening about LZ without hearing one note from them!!!!. I had a great time. You made it interesting and fun. congrats.
Thanks for watching! Unfortunately if we include any music it immediately gets dinged with a copyright claim
True professors of music production!
George , you are a Fantastic Drummer, and a Gentleman.
Great episode! My dad is actually good friends with Jason and he confirmed a few things speculated about in this video. He said that Bonzo’s Montreux was recorded with the stainless steel kit with a single pedal and the band hated the black and white vistalite so it seems nothing was actually recorded on that kit. Also a fun little bit of trivia he shared was that In Through the Out Door was recorded with the stainless steel kit with the reso head off. I’ve always thought the bass drum on that album had a more “clicky” quality than other records and now I know why.
Jason is a great guy and has his dad`s genes for sure.
Can you ask Jason a question for me please? Did his dad play on any Bad Company tracks? It sounds so much like him.
That is really interesting. I would love to know if he used more than just the standard 5 piece or if he added another tom or two, because I hear at least 4 pitches of the toms on Bonzo's Montreux. I would love to talk to Jason someday about his dad.
I would have bet he would pick the Green Vistalites. But, the Amber must have reminded him of a beer bottle. Lol.
The stainless steel Ludwigs are my favorite set.!
R I.P John. 😢
I love these two.about time it's a video podcast.i hoped for this year's ago
I still play my 78 Ludwig SS 12, 13, 14, 15 concert toms, 18 floor tom, 24 kick, 5x14 SS snare. People love it. It's loud. Like cannons. I try to behave but.....usually several outbursts occur.
That was a blast. George and Terry are super entertaining and the knowledge of Bonham minutia wow.
Love James Gang -- had this on 8-track, too. So many good songs came from them. Funk # 48, Funk # 49, Walk Away, Woman, and Stop are some of the best out there. You can just hear the roots of where Joe Walsh cut his teeth before he put out Rocky Mountain Way...takes me back to some really good music !!
Bonham was the vistalite, he made them iconic so much they are still popular. I bet if he hadn't played them they probably would have stopped making them years ago
The KIT has also a fantastic sound I reckon mostly because the way Bonham attacks the KIT.......
He is such a unique one of a kind player......."the Song remains the same" is one of my favorite all time LIVE albums...... the Sound is Amazing!
Bonham was the kind of musician that doesn't come along often. I've not heard another drummer who has the full package of technique, time and a perfect sense of what was appropriate to play at all times. He could have been been in a funk band , a jazz band a heavy metal band or a pop band and he would have fit right in like he did in Led Zeppelin. They were pretty damned versatile with styles and he could do them all
Bonham only had one style Led Zeppelin
What a warm and educational conversation, thanks!.
Thanks for watching!
Great show guys! I saw a video of Jason talking about his dad, think it was the videos he was doing during the lock downs. he said it was a common misconception his father was a heavy hitter and mentioned in pictures you can see him choked up on the stick. I think George is on to something with how he refined his technique over time. He was bombastic for sure!
The whole idea of banging drums or hitting them "hard" is ridiculous. If you play properly (relaxed) you'll never break a stick and get a huge sound if you have that attitude. If that's in your soul and what you want. How "hard" you hit is irrelevant. There's a difference between intensity and power and banging/thrashing. That's my speech on that - thank you. 😜
@@Twotontessie there is no doubt hitting harder changes the sound of the drum. for me there's something about hearing a drum at full volume but it's all personal preference. if that's your style cool. there's some heavy hitters out there i really enjoy their playing but it needs to fit the style of music. your not going to bash away to some jazz tune or a Beatles tune lol but for hard rock, perfectly acceptable imo. i try not to judge other drummers even if i don't care for their style.not like i'm snapping sticks right and left or putting dents in heads but i hit hard, don't have the greatest technique but hey i pay for my sticks and enjoy playing haha who's it hurting? 🤣
I didn't know Bonham used Slingerlands at the beginning of Zeppelin. My first drum set is my 1940s early 1950s Slingerland Radio Kings my dad bought used in 1952. I don't gig with them any more but they're still in fairly good shape.
Thanks guys, enjoyed this video , Ludwig’s are the best
Haha thats great
Thank you! That was great. I will come back to this many times.
Been watching your show and George for years, and Terry even longer. Great chemistry from these two and perfect for your show.
Thank you for watching - they are great!
Thanks Bart!!
Bonzo was one of the main reasons I chose a Ludwig set as my first ever brand new drum kit. Incidentally my very first kit I ever had which was used, was a 4 piece light blue pearl design also made by ludwig.
Absolutely - Not exactly my first drum set but my first real-deal kit was a Ludwig and it was because of Bonzo and Ringo
Ludwig has a thunderous sound and tone but I had some old 50s or 60s toms in the early 80s with very thin shells with bracing that had a very musical tone. I gave away all my drums to kids who wanted to play over the years and would buy cheap sets on the road while gigging to give away. I wish I would have known better and kept some of the better individual drums for recording. One of my very best sets burnt up in a fire. It had some incredible cymbals including a set of Paiste 2002 and several Zilgian rides and a very odd but great silver one with a strange diamond pattern on it. I mastered that set. Never found anything that came close for live shows.
Just seen a doco about Robert Plants early career , one of the photos shows a colour shot of Robert on stage with Bonzo on a Slingerland kit the Bass and floor tom are green the rack tom is purple but are matching era Slingerlands , sort explains a few queries .
There are very few color pics of his kit from that era, and none show the color clearly. There are pics from Sept 68 in Scandinavia that were black and white and someone colorized them.
Regarding the question, of Bonzo's choice of color: 'why GREEN (sparkle), ?' I've always believed he was showing/associating his love of cars with his drums. British Racing Green is/was the color used by British racing teams for the various makes of cars raced (red for Italian Ferraris, Maseratis... Blue for French cars, White for German cars). Just my personal theory...I could be wrong.
That is an interesting Theory. Doesn't seem like much of a stretch at all, he certainly loved his cars
I don't see from the photos what George was talking about regarding the bent or twisted floor tom leg. I looked closely and the picture of the riot aftermath is too unclear to see anything and the photo of the kit from behind looks perfect. The only legs on an angle I think are the tripod cymbals stands
I love Bart; he's both a great researcher and presenter - and a lovely man to boot.
You couldn't have chosen two better dudes.
There's something super cool about thinking that he used a very basic conventional sized Slingerland on the first album. That set sounds so bad ass. I Can't Quit You, How Many More Times etc. That "clang" in the high tom sounds so rad. Those big roundhouse triplets before D&C slows back down into the verse. Off the charts. Feels like your head is like right up against the drums.
As I think about it, Moon and Clive Bunker were getting similar killer rack tom sounds. Cranking them up. Moon with four 8 x 14 toms all tuned differently. LOL!!!! I love this stuff!
Yeah that is really cool to think of those monster songs being on a basic kit. I love it too, thank you for listening!
I think the only kit left is one of the green sparkle sets it’s in the pool (game) room at John Bonham’s farm in North England.
Bonzo gave a black and white vistalite kit to journalist Chris Welch after an interview. It appears to be the kit Mick Fleetwood sold.
That’s right, forgot about Welch getting the kit
@@BONHAMOLOGY Any idea whatever happened to the black and white vistalite?
When George smiles he looks like Jay Leno!
I love all 3 of you guys!!! I hope to meet you all at the next Chicago Drum Show!!!
Regarding Bonzo's use of 2 bass drums live in concert, I think those gigs were ones with VFudge. So, for logistics' sake, Bonzo, in effect, was using Carmine's set. Just my theory...I could be wrong.
Fascinating as always. I've been a Bonham fan since as far back as I can remember (I'm 57) and still play Ludwig and Paiste gear.
Thanks for watching!
Also they would take a foam layer and lay it along the parameter of the inner shell.
Thats a good idea 👍
Interesting aside,,, I saw Zeppy four times!!! All in Chicago!! I saw the maple drums the green drums and the vistalights! I can,t remember the fourth show.
Wow I am jealous!
OK the Bass drum muffling is fascinating ,but surely those who now own one of Bonzo's kits will have the original front head still with the kit ... or an old drum head of his that someone kept ??? that we could see and solve the mystery ?.
I wish!
I’ve the same 67’ Slingerland kit I’ve had since 11 yrs old in Marine pearl. My son pulled it down from the attic and rebuilt it when he was working at a Drumshop in Mi. At JC’s Drum Academy. Bonham was my favorite drummers at time countered only by Mitch Mitchell’s light musical style.
JC’s Drum Academy. He beveled the rounded rims and set it up the floor Tom on a spring suspension for full resonance. He presented it to me the Xmas morning of 93’. I’ve gigged for the last 30 years w/ it. Rather than the Pearl purchased in late eighties.
Fun fact - the black and white swirl Vistalite kit DID have a 20" floor tom, confirmed by the owner Phil Harris who used to rent it out. The drums he ended up with were 10x14", 16x16", 18x20", 14x26"
If you guys go to the drumarchive. They have Ludwig catalogs online. They offered RUFF KOTE spray in both the 1964 catalog and in the 1973 catalog.
Great suggestion. I have an episode with Andy from the Drum Archive you should check out
Not a drummer, bass player by trade, this was really informative, no matter what Bonzo was unique
Great show! Love these guys.
Neil Who, oh yeah the guy that plays a lot of stuff fast. Bonzo was the GOAT, and will always be! Neil didn’t have his soul! 🤷🏻♂️
Bonham was more raw and just loud and awesome. Way before his time! Neil Peart was more of a technically sound player. Both were the best in their own ways, but completely different.
Love you guys this is awesome info happy thanks giving thankyou gentlemen
Thanks for listening!
Great video guys
That was a good discussion of the difference in Ludwig green sparkle shades: the earlier kelly green and the later more bluish green shade. Also notable that Ludwig's shade of blue sparkle was different than Slingerland's blue sparkle. Slingerland's blue sparkle was much darker and not readily available for Ludwig drums. Bonham liked Ludwig drums and chose green sparkle, even though he had already had success with Slingerland blue sparkle. Could Bonham have pressed the issue and pressured Ludwig to mimic Slingerland's blue sparkle shade so that he could have had a 26" dark blue sparkle Ludwig set? Yes, but he was clearly satisfied with Ludwig's green sparkle.
Man… Geeking on Bonham with you guys is freakin’ awesome!
Thanks for geeking out with us!
Thank you Bart these 2 Gentlemen were Bonham fanatics. If you happen to be a Drum nerd like myself, every word you want to file into your memory banks. Some very interesting stuff, and I learned a lot that I didn't know about Bonzo. Who is still technically one of the best Drummers ever. T Y S.R.PURDY 🥁 GOD BLESS
Thank you Steven! I am very glad you enjoyed it, Terry and George are great
Hey! First time here to be honest. I follow George and Terry around the interwebs like little (chubby), cute (ugly) teenybopper (old) Lori Maddox (travisd). I am glad they LED me to you. Excellent job, btw. Keep it up!
👍👍
Haha thats hysterical - welcome and thank you for watching my friend!
Bonham was really into Alphonse Mouzon from the 11th House with Larry Coryell. Killer drummer. He loved those guys like Billy Cobham, Lenny White (Return to Forever - Hymn of 7th Galaxy) and Clyde from James Brown. Great taste!
No he wasn’t. He didn’t care for black drummers, sorry.
@@bomkfort9428 You're taking the piss right? 😂
Excellent show! Really enjoyed this... Thanks much!
Thanks for listening!
Hey guys!! John used funnel TOM TOMS during the recording of FOOL IN THE RAIN.. GREEN SPARKLE
Very awesome video. I was glued to every word from start to end. 🤘🤘🤘
Thank you!
This is great. Thanks fellas!
I wonder if some of the many changes to his kit were at the direction of Ludwig marketing managers to showcase new products.
I learn english only for listen this george and bonzoleum terry they help me a lot for tunning my drums like John
I had a Vistalite kit with 15", 18", & 20" toms in Smoke. The 20" diameter was 16" deep, not 18" deep.
GREAT JOB , GUYS !! 🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁 I read on the auction that one guy claims he used the auction set on Led Zep 1 , but he played the green sparkle on Levee . Don't know if he's absolutely correct , but ...
Just a thought, could the mystery ring on the bass drum head have something to to with the 3 circle Bonham symbol? Maybe it was some kind of clear plastic or vinyl sticker that was put on those heads?
Is the same ring in the 69-70 kit and stainless kit that don’t use the symbol? Maybe it’s that simple??
Not sure about the 2 bass drum story from the Boston Tea Party in Jan '69. I saw them a week later when they opened for Iron Butterfly at the Fillmore East and he had 1BD.
I was at one of those shows and he definitely played 2 bass drums the night I was there. Also you can hear that show on TH-cam and especially during Bonhams solo there is no doubt about the 2 bass drums. I was on the Swan Song label in the seventies and Jimmy Page remembered John Bonham playing two bass drums at the Boston Tea Party show....
@@TheDumballa I stand corrected as I just heard this. th-cam.com/video/F2rYecyr6Xo/w-d-xo.html The Boston shows were probably the only time he used 2 kicks.
THE Joe Franco!!!
Super Cool Man!
@@JoeFranco He used two kicks at San Bernardino Aug 1969. There are pictures from the show. Sadly no bootleg.
About every three years I get the Bonham bug and these streams are fascinating 👍🏻
Eddie Ryan is the guy who made Bonzo’s Promuco sticks. He even made drum kits including Martin Chambers Black and White kit. Eddie passed away so the new Promuco is different.
Thank you Tony, I couldn’t recall his name. Yeah the new Promuco are not like Bonzo’s really
absolutely fascinating
Thanks for watching!
I saw him August 17th 1969. He was playing 1 base drum that night.
Sammy Hagar interviewed Jason Bonham, Sheila E. and Kenny Aranoff and Jason said he was playing Dr. John in TSRTS.
it's about time!!
One final comment - where I first learned all this stuff was a Modern Drummer article in 1984. They had just about all of it. And some great comments from Carmine Appice and some other players who knew Bonham. One guy I think it was Dave Mattacks (?) who had a go on the stainless steel at a sound check. Good stuff worth looking up.
Ohhhh, some of those pictures show John using Slingerland cymbal stands!!!! With the swervomatic tilters!
Good catch!
Vistas have to be 72, because last year they started w/ the 50th Anniversary Vista kits, yes?
Incredibly interesting history here. Strips of newspaper or crumpled newspaper were standard affair from the 60's in drums. Toms too! Questioning the bass drum heads breaking periodically...was it through the beater spot or was it the beater breaking off and the rod going through the head? I've had the latter happen to me, but that was through crappy bass drum beaters that were screwed onto the rod. Don't forget Fibes Crystalite drums were years ahead of Vistalite. Fibes made Clear, Black Smoke and Frosted. Vistas came around in '72.
Why haven't you Done Anything on Bill Ward of Black Sabbath yet?
Cool to see this - didn't know there were videos. Just listening to this on a run yesterday. You know, I'm convinced the Vistalite is on Physical Graffiti. That stuff recorded in '74 - those sessions. Those fills in "In the Light" ..."In My Time of Dying" "Sick Again" and all that. That sounds like the acrylic to me. Bass drum is bright and loud - doesn't have the same character as the previous albums. Anybody else hear it?
By the way, cool perspective about the Vistalites having kind of a homogenous sound. Kind of a blend when he was doing the rolls and call and response riffs with Page. Yes I totally get what you're saying.
I agree, I don't recall if we mentioned that but I think some or all of the tracks recorded in 74 for PG may have been the Amber kit
Rarely mentioned is the pre zeppelin record bonham did with Lord Sutch which was a great album and you can really hear that zeppelin feel.
I specifically have “Flashing Lights” from that album. Right away you know it’s Bonham and it sounds great!
Great chat, AND nobody shaved Ringo's head👍
I don’t think it was mentioned here but I’m pretty sure the blue sparkle Slingerlands were Jim McCarty’s kit that remained with the Yardbirds (and therefore The New Yardbirds, and therefore Bonzo) during the “changing of the guard” as Page and Grant finished out the contract.
To that end I’ve also often speculated that Bonham’s black pearl Ludwig and blue sparkle Slingerland kits might’ve traded snare drums for the Led Zep I era.
Yes I’ve heard that mentioned before, I can’t recall where I read it but a couple different places although it seems possible, there is no proof that I could find in photos of the Yardbirds with that Slingerland kit
Does anyone happen to know what Bonham had on his Vistalite Tom Tom in-front of the Snare Drum? I’ve noticed in some pictures and videos what looks like a white piece of tape or something. I’m assuming to prevent Snare Rash. I’ve never seen a close up though so I’m not sure if it’s an actual drum guard or just tape.
I think it's white tape and it could possibly be holding a felt or piece of something that would act as a buffer to prevent snare rash. Oh my
@@BONHAMOLOGY Thanks man, that’s what I was thinking would be more likely. Though I hadn’t considered there may be a piece of felt, I might do that for my Pig Lites. I was actually recently replying to a comment on one of my videos about the Bonham style Paradiddle and several of us were saying how much we enjoy your channel as well as Terry from Bonzoleum. I would love to just talk drums with yous somehow. I’m quite the drum nerd who looks at every little detail on a drum kit, so yous are awsome to listen to. Hope you have a wonderful day.
How did drummers (especially drummers like Bonham with a heavy foot) keep their bass drums in place? They had spurs that only balanced with no teeth, and in the rare pic where a rug was used, it was basically a floor mat! Some actually nailed the wooden front rim into the stage, but that's a rare occurance with venues frowning on large holes in their stage. I've seen countless pics of the drums on raw wood floors (ringo), try that without every drum bouncing feet away within 30 seconds of even light jazz tapping!!! (I lugged a masonry brick around for years until I got smart and bolted a small wood block into the front of a 4'x4'square of my old shag living room carpet as a diy drum rug). It's a mystery wrapped in an enigma that keeps me awake late into the night for years on end!
Bonzo's drums were set up on a wooden platform that was specially made that could fold into three sections to pack up. When it was opened it had holes drilled where the Spurs snare stand high hat stand and I believe floor tom legs all set in place. Therefore, it wouldn't move at all. You can see the platform in many photos
Wonderful, thank you.... but what about the Midnight Blue Hayman kit, supposedly given to Bev Beven? 26 x 15 Bass drum...
I have heard about that but no evidence , sorry we forgot to bring that up
great info ! Thanks!🔥🥁🔥
Can someone ask Jason Bonham a question for me please? Did his dad play on any Bad Company tracks? It sounds so much like him a few times. I was supposed to meet him in Monroe, Louisiana at a show in the 90s (a female fronted the band he was in...lost my ticket...show was Feb. 12 I believe in 97/98?) and my girlfriend started a bunch of BS and I couldn`t go. This question was the first thing I had planned to ask.
Keep in mind too that by the ‘73 U.S. tour, Hinton was setting a hot Shure mic up on every piece of his kit. I’ve noticed this from studying all the pictures and Zeppelin posters through the years. That said, he didn’t have to hit as hard to project the sound as much as in the earlier days. By now every piece of percussion was coming through a huge, finely tuned SHOWCO PA system. If you listen to some of the ‘77 boots (audience tapes) and during Kashmir the kick drum sounds like a cannon firing off each time (28.4.77 in particular.) It’s just incredible to hear and was more powerful than the ‘75 versions to my ears. As if steel shells aren’t already loud enough, they still were heavily mic-ed by Hinton. Listen to other live tapes from various rock acts of the day. None ever have the drums as high up in the mix as Zeppelin did. It was just about 3/4’s of their overall sound. Zeppelin relied HEAVILY on drums. John’s brut hammer n nails approach coupled with a full on mic-ed up kit resulted in something very unique. No other drummer could ever sound like him.
Very true
@@BONHAMOLOGY ...one more thing that dawned on me concerning the green sparkle kit. There’s such a color called British Racing Green and I have a gut feeling that Bonzo was partial to this color. After all, he was a real deal speed freak. That GS Ludwig kit does resemble BRG.
@@luvbasses5487 I love British racing green. I build amps and always use British racing green tolex to replicate the look of early Marshall amps that sort of turn green with time
@@lauratanner8475 ...something tells me Bonzo was well aware of and liked this color...which leads me to believe it’s the reason he may have chosen it when browsing the Ludwig catalog.
I thought the stainless steel sounded like shit. Just didn't do it for me.
I thought I saw a 45 picture sleeve that shows him behind silver sparkle kit,no drum riser?
I have a 16 and 20 on one set and there is a monstrous difference, no wa you can mistake it no matter the camera angle.
Bonham, was a wicked drummer. Awesome beats he had. Never forgotten.
Didnt Bonzo use a chrome over wood snare? i have 3 or 4 of them mostly Ludwigs but they always have that snappy sound that makes me hear Zepplin in my head when I'm playing one.
No, he used a Supraphonic lm 402
For me Zep 4 is such a magical album. The way the instruments blend with each other is really special and bonzos drum sound is a big part of it. That would have been by most accounts the green sparkle kit.
I started with that album when I was 7. It always felt like I was in the presence of something supernatural like the Loch Ness monster. Still feel like that. Not of this Earth....
Did i miss something or did you not cover Bonzo's conga drums what maker, color and size's ? Did he actually play them or were they just stage props?
Misty mountain hop also shares a similar sound with down by the seaside
Greatest drummer of all time.
There is no better drummer to ever live in my opinion than Bonzo. He had perfect timing and tone. His fills were tasteful and with purpose. He knew how, and when to serve the song and when to show out. His drums sounded so big. There will never ever again be anyone like him.
Tony Williams or Billy Cobham. bonham 😂
Very interesting information and perspectives on Bonham's gear. I played in a Zep tribute show for a number of years and actually put together an information website (johnbonhamdrums) a few years ago about Bonham's gear throughout the years and gathered as much accurate and reliable information that I could find. One gentleman from England wrote to me saying he saw Bonham play in the summer of 1968 with Tim Rose at a festival and he was using the Slingerland kit but it was green sparkle instead of blue. He also said he saw Zeppelin twice later that year at the Marquee in October and December and again he was using the Slingerland green sparkle kit. There are some colour photos of one of those shows in 1968 and although the drum kit is not really visible, you can make out the kit looks like a green sparkle. I also think he used 'Ritchie Rings' (in conjunction with felt strips) cut out from clear heads on some of his kits on the resonant bass drum head.
Yes, although Jason said that the kit was blue sparkle. I often thought based on those couple color photos from the marquee that it was green sparkle as well.
He actually did use a blue sparkle kit that was apparently rented along with other gear for a show in Kansas City USA on November 5, 1969. There is a photo of it on my website, but I cannot post the link here.
I got the CD where they're doing Immigrant Song live outside he's playing a green drum set not sure if it was a sparkle but it was from the CD How the West Was Won I believe where you see a car driving onto the field and then it pans through the crowd and then the song starts the Immigrant Song John Bonham's playing a green drum set but I couldn't tell if it was Sparkle