How do you get the John Bonham snare drum sound?
Daniel Martin
Updated on May 24, 2026
For the skins, put on a double-ply coated batter head and a standard snare-side head. Tune the batter head to medium and the resonant head to medium-high. The snare itself should be a 30 or 40-strand model. Just make sure you don't fit it too tight – you'll lose all that lovely resonance if you do.
What snare did Bonham use?
The Legendary Bonham Snare
The performance-proven Ludwig Supraphonic LM402 snare drum was the first choice of legendary drummer John Bonham and can be heard on most of Led Zeppelin's classic recordings.
How do you drum like Bonham?
10 Ways To Sound Like John Bonham
- THE GEAR REMAINS THE SAME. ...
- CRANK THE BOTTOM HEADS. ...
- YOUR NEW RELIGION: TRIPLETS. ...
- GET BEHIND THE BEAT. ...
- LEFT ON THE DOWNBEAT, RIGHT ON THE UP. ...
- TRAMPLED UNDER RIGHT FOOT. ...
- KNOW THESE FIGURES. ...
- TRY A LITTLE SENSITIVITY.
What size drums did John Bonham?
Bonham returned to using the green sparkle kit (used in his early days - see above) in 1970: 14x10inch (later 15x12) Mounted Tom. 16x16 and 18x16inch Floor Toms. 26x14inch Bass Drum.
What snare did Ringo use?
Ringo played a 1960 Mahogany Duroplastic Premier kit with a 4”x14” Royal Ace snare drum. That kit was replaced on May 12, 1963 with a Ludwig Oyster Black Pearl (OBP) Downbeat drum kit.
35 related questions foundWhat bass drum did John Bonham use?
Throughout Bonham's career, he used Ludwig's SpeedKing bass drum pedal with tight spring tension. Bonham used a felt beater, switching to a wooden beater towards the end of his career. This pedal has been nicknamed the "Squeak King" because of the large amounts of squeaking it produces!
What snare did Buddy Rich use?
Slingerland Snare Drum, used by Buddy Rich.
What snare drum does Questlove use?
Questlove uses a Yamaha Maple Custom Absolute set with the following sizes: 22" X 18" Bass Drum, 14" X 3.5" Brass Snare, 14" X 5.5" Snare, 10" X 8" Tom, 12" X 9" Tom, 16" X 16" Floor Tom, 18" X 16" Floor Tom (original source article: ...
What size snare did Bonham use?
Throughout Bonham's career it seems he consistently played on the Ludwig Supraphonic 14inch x 6½ 402 snare drum on stage. This drum is usually found chrome plated over a 'Ludalloy' shell. He decided against using the more expensive brass-shelled drums.
Was John Bonham a good drummer?
Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham has topped Rolling Stone's Top 100 Drummers list. The late sticksman beat Cream's Ginger Baker, Keith Moon from The Who and Neal Peart from Rush to the No. 1 spot in Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Drummers Of All Time.
How did Bonham learn drums?
He began learning to play drums at age five, making a kit of containers and coffee tins, imitating his idols Max Roach, Gene Krupa, and Buddy Rich. His mother gave him a snare drum when he was 10.
Did Bonzo use double kick?
Jimmy Page insisted John Bonham did it with 1 kick drum
“The most stunning thing about the track, of course, is Bonzo's amazing kick drum,” Page said. “It's superhuman when you realize he was not playing with double kick. That's one kick drum! That's when people started understanding what he was all about.”
Who is the best drummers in the world?
Best Drummers Of All Time: 20 Iconic Musicians Who Can't Be Beat
- 8: Stewart Copeland. ...
- 7: Clyde Stubblefield. ...
- 6: Phil Collins. ...
- 5: Buddy Rich. ...
- 4: Neil Peart. ...
- 3: Ginger Baker. ...
- 2: Keith Moon. ...
- 1: John Bonham.
Who used double bass first?
It started with jazz legend Louie Bellson, a gifted musical school kid of 15 in 1939, who sketched out a double bass drum kit for an art class. The sketch earned him an “A” grade, and served as a vision of what he would become: The most famous, and arguably the first, double bass drummer.
What drum heads does Ringo use?
Ringo Starr has been using Remo drumheads ever since that first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show.
What drums did the Beatles use?
Ludwig Oyster Black Pearl "Super Classic" drum kit. This kit was used most widely by Ringo during tours and recording sessions since May 1964. It also shows up in countless photo opp's and promotional movies such as: Hello, Goodbye, I am the Walrus, Hey Jude Revolution and many more.
What is the most famous drum set?
7 Drum Sets that Changed Music Forever
- Ludwig's “Ringo Kit” ...
- Moon and Bonham's Acrylics. ...
- Yamaha's Recording Custom. ...
- Gretsch's USA Custom. ...
- TAMA's Superstar.
What size Gong did Bonham use?
Bonham often sat with a 36inch or 38inch Paiste symphonic gong placed behind him on stage. Jeff Ocheltree remembers: "There were three gongs I definitely know about. The first Paiste gongs had Chinese caricature letters on them.
What size cymbal did John Bonham use?
The Paiste 2002 Bonham 4-piece cymbal set re-creates John Bonham's most popular cymbal setup. Included are a 24" ride, 16" and 18" crashes, a pair of 15" hi-hats, and a 24" cymbal bag. These cymbals are members of Paiste's 2002 series, known for their aggressive attack and massive volume.