A Look At Neil Peart's Gear with Paul Wells (Part 1: Childhood to 1982) - EP 196

Paul Wells is a Professor of Jazz Drums at Juilliard and he is also a fanatical fan of Neil Peart and his drum sets. This is part 1 of a 3 part series that covers all of the drums, cymbals, hardware, heads, and percussion that helped Neil Peart be one of the best drummers in history. This episode covers Neil's very first drum set as a child, up through his iconic Candy Apple Red Tama kit that became famous as a banner hanging on drummers walls around the world.
I hope you guys like this mega deep dive into Neil Peart's drums!
Here is Paul's KZbin channel: ‪@paulwells2227‬
and find him on social media at @paulwellsdrums
WATCH PART 2 HERE: • A Look At Neil Peart's...
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[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

Thanks to Cymbal Swap for sponsoring this episode - use Promo Code DRUMHISTORY for 10% off your order at www.cymbalswap.com

[@jonathanrichard6881]

The High light of my 40 years on the Drums was when Neil Peart took the time to write me back in 2013. We asked him if he would go back to Double-Bass and Analog percussion equipmemt. Also if he would grow his hair long. He sent a picture of him with long hair form the 70's. To my surprise he told me he loves a challenge. I tripped out when the R40 Tour contained Double Bass DW Drums with analog percussion. I truly feel i have influenced the Greatest Drummer in the World for his final Tour. GOD Bless you Neil RIP

[@cymbalswap]

We're so honored to sponsor this amazing episode! As always, great content Bart!

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

Thanks guys, I am very glad to be working with you on this!

[@HesTNTonPMS]

All I want in life is a set of Sabian Paragons just like Neil Peart ! He really put those cymbals through the ringer ! no pun intended :) But man, watch the way Neil plays his drums and his cymbals. . . He plays through them What I mean is he tries to push through the material , striking so so hard each and every single time. Another drummer that I have seen/heard play the same exact way is the Old drummer from Queensryche Scott Rockenfield. Both of those guys have the same attack !

[@jimbeggs768]

I'm no drummer but a huge Rush fan and any detailed insight into their musicianship is fascinating. This goes beyond anything I expected. Absolutely delighted, and to think it's only part 1. Thanks for taking the time to put this together.

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

Thank you Jim, I really appreciate that. I am currently editing part 2 at 1am and that is a very nice boost to keep focused and maintain the attention to detail. Thank you for watching!

[@DrummerKen85]

Growing up as a NP fan I was always trying to find out what he was playing on . Then the internet changed that I found out he at least played tama so I went and got a superstar ! This is a great podcast. Thank you for all the info

[@DDandrums]

No one will ever fully understand the psyche of the drum nerd (except another drum nerd like me).

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

Yes, we are a special breed :)

[@kevinkiso4579]

Absolutely. You two are uniquely nuanced, exclusive, and set slightly apart from the rest of us.

[@danlc95]

For me it was being obsessed with wanting to play a real drum set. I used to check out books from the library to read up on them when I started playing in 1986 (I was 9). I'd draw pictures of them, pour over my The Beatles book pics all the time. Then I got into drum heads, shells, cymbals, etc, etc. By the time I was 14 I was helping customers figure out what they wanted while I was waiting for my drum lessons to start. I'd spen my lesson picking my teacher's brain about gear more than playing! It's still something I obsess over and have so much fun with. I've been actively playing but "off" from 2012 until last year or so. I didn't realize how much I missed it.

[@terrystowers6085]

“I’m a nerd, and, uh, I’m pretty proud of it.” Gilbert Lowell

[@VegasAlien1]

I went to see Bruford's lecture in Wisconsin some years back, and before he spoke, the shop was playing Rush songs back to back. I promise you everyone in that room knew all the parts, the differences in fills and patterns between studio and live albums and such. Most of the crowd were playing air or lap drums, all note for note.

[@motonorcal9938]

Very cool- What's amazing is I have been studying Neil's kits for 30 years and I am still learning new things. The man was simply a genius.

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

I feel that way all the time with drums in general, so much to learn! Thanks for watching

[@dirtharris]

I don't think we can underestimate the impact that the room at Le Studio has on the Permanent Waves drum sound either. There is a lot of wood and glass which would give a lot of brightness to the tone of the recorded drum sound... you can hear in the drums a woody, bright, brittle openness... it's not a warm recording... it's a curtains open, cold outside, sunlight streaming in kind of sound on the entirety of that album that is very unique to Permanent Waves.

[@mr.145]

Ive sat behind that Keith Moon kit in Clifford Della Portas workshop at Blaby rd,at the same time he was getting a kit ready for Brian Bennet of the Shadows for the Eurovisio song contest in 74 or 75.

[@Assimilator702]

Those thicker 6 ply Birch shells are considered THE BEST shells made by Tama according to certain Tama collectors and enthusiasts. I have a late 80’s snare with the same shell and it’s legendary. Volume, articulation, sensitivity and no weird overtones with most head combos. Because of this snare my expectations for a snare are EXTREMELY high!

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

That is awesome. Tama was definitely one of the kings of the 80's

[@garylagstrom3864]

This is my essay to people who may not know RUSH or who Neil was professionally and his contributions to the art of drumming and lyrical writing! Enjoy! RUSH is THE PERFECT EXAMPLE of the fluidity of MASTERING TIME SIGNATURES! I play drums and there are a few things that you need to know about Neil Peart’s ( pronounced PEER-T) character: First he writes the lyrics so he knows in advance what TYPE of song it’s meant to be ie ballad, driver, etc. Second he COMPOSES on the drums… like a carpenter who looks at a set of blueprints before building the object. Neil lays out a SKETCH in his mind of the VOICES of the drumset and builds the song from there. He is also a great LISTENER knowing when NOT to step over Geddy’s singing or Alex’s solos! Finally, he had perfect timing and fluidity of time changes. He said himself that it’s not about COUNTING the time signatures as much as fluid motion to change the tempo without counting: in other words it should FLOW! He hates repeating the same drum patterns in the same song meaning if he plays a fill one way the first time around he will play it differently the second time around. IE. Rolls down the toms the first time around and triplets or quads (all four limbs) the second time around. In short there will NEVER be another like him on planet earth 🌍 🌏 🌎! REST IN PEACE PROFESSOR! With heart felt admiration and sincerity! Gary

[@timothycharlesellis5940]

That Tama Superstar kit was unparalleled in Rush's history. The focused tonality of those drums was insane.....particularly apparent on the 1980 St. Louis bootleg. I loved the look of the red Artstar prototype, but the Superstar is near and dear to my fanaticism.

[@michaelzilkowsky2936]

The rosewood Superstars were his best looking and sounding kit.

[@Twotontessie]

His first Tama was his best sounding set hands down for me.

[@petenestor1]

I also have those 1980 and 1984 Modern Drummer Neil editions-great info in the day. I always wanted more data on Neil every edition. I too was infatuated with Neil's drum gear. The man never stopped evolving. Your analysis of this topic is incredible. Beyond thorough. I can't wait for part 2.......the addition of the red Simmons pads! Lol. Superb work here guys.

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

Thank You Pete! Neil was a fascinating guy. Part 2 will be a good one!

[@tparker2095]

Great series! I would've loved more of a discussion on what happened to Neil's drums and equipment over the years, some were given away or donated to museums, but much of it remains a mystery. Thanks for such an in-depth look at Neil's equipment!

[@raythackston1960]

Star Drum Company was in Japan and changed their name to Tama in 1974. Early 70's Star were the best Japanese drum makers of all the repo companies. Their badges actually said "Worlds Supreme Quality Drums".

[@bobbyjones2112]

I can’t wait for part and 2! This was just ridiculously amazing. Thank you so much for doing this. I am so happy! 🥁

[@vp9946]

I won and owned the black slingerland kit in the modern drummer drum solo contest in 1986/7

[@RockinExperience]

I helped take the overhead photos of the '74 Slingerland kit ("Chromey"). It was the owners idea to do that project. Those were taken inside a Rosati's pizza restaurant after hours. Mainly because of the space and lighting. Of the 800-plus photos we took, that image was among our favorites.

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

Wow that is awesome! That must have been a very fun experience

[@RockinExperience]

@Drum History Podcast It was. Every moment was exciting! But it wouldn't have happened without all the help and knowledge of Paul and all the others who knew all the details to restore the kit to its last played condition. They definitely deserve tons of credit. Including the owner who paid for the restoration. I was just a small part of it. Glad and honored for just the little tiny part I contributed. Glad to see my contribution shared. Thanks for the awesome video!

[@scottshields113]

3 parts is god level in gear. Neil inspired me not to drum but to write. But Ive always viewed his drumming to his lyrics and as a listener not a player. But what a tour of his gear. Shout out to Paul Wells for his work and dedication and job well done. Thanks for doing this. Cheers

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

Thank you Scott, I appreciate that! I am very proud of this series and Paul will be coming back on soon to cover Tony Williams gear!

[@jamesrichardsutton]

Bart, I've so much respect for what you're doing with your podcast, which I listen to regularly. As a very long time fan and follower of Rush and Neil's playing, I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed this episode and cannot wait to hear the next installment. Big thanks to you and Paul!

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

Thanks James, I really appreciate it!

[@dnashofficial]

funny thing about Wu Han chinas.... i began using them in the mid 80's, thanks to Neil and Roger Taylor's influence, but i made an interesting discovery soon after. i bought several pair in a music shop in Hong Kong while on the road, and the store owner made a comment about "the good stuff". when i asked him to explain, he said that all of the cymbals exported abroad were either rejects or of lower quality, and that the best ones were all kept in the country, unless purchased there by a foreigner like me. the selection i brought home were amazing, and lasted MANY years under heavy playing. in comparison to the Wu Hans i have bought in the US domestically, the gentleman was correct. less durability, more "trash" sound, and often with very strange overtones that my Hong Kong cymbals did not. in fact, my Hong Kong cymbals truly sang, and had wonderful developmental blooms that i never found again outside the country. so, if you're ever over in China, check out the difference if you have a chance. btw, for those who don't know, the unique bell shape of Wu Han chinas is meant to be grasped and used as a handle. the cymbals were originally used as pairs as we do in marching and orchestral settings, and in fact mine were sold to me as such, as they are indeed traditional Chinese orchestral instruments. mine didn't even have a proper hole to stand mount them; just a tiny tiny one to thread some string through as a strap. those who used them here in the states prior to their widening popularity in the 2000's may remember having to widen the hole even more than they arrived with, as it wasn't "common" practice for them at the time. anyway, thanks for the great video. i've been following intimately Neil's setup since the early 80, but i still learned a bunch from this. the speed king revelation was a surprise, though not shocking; Nicko Mcbrain, Roger Taylor, and a bunch of my other favs used them, as did i till i switched to iron cobras in the late 90's.

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

That is really interesting and very good information. I am working on a Wuhan episode with Cardinal Percussion who is the distributor and I will be sure to bring that up! Thanks for the comment

[@dnashofficial]

@@DrumHistoryPodcast you bet. in more recent years, i've seen better product on the shelves here, but back in the 80's and 90's the difference was pretty clear, at least to me. i've broken quite a few US bought WuHans, but only one of the original Hong Kong purchases from '87, and it STILL sings.

[@jc3drums916]

I have a pair of 13" I purchased in China. One sounds significantly better than the other, but overall I wouldn't say either one sounds all that special. The issue with the small hole was a little annoying, I took it to a drum shop to have it widened, and they didn't bother to compensate for the fact that the holes were well off-center.

[@auddoc99]

RE: pre-Rush days- I was a young guitar player just starting to play in bands, post-"garage" and had the extreme privilege of seeing Mr. Peart play many times in the hottest local band, called JR Flood, back in the early 70's(?) in my/his hometown of St Catharines Ontario. They did the difficult-to-play proggy rock stuff of the day...Tull, Purple, ELP, etc.,etc. They always killed it and I have to say that they made the bar very high for those of us that followed in their paths. I seem to recall they played at my high school dances, outdoor concerts and all the bigger local clubs. I recall being blown away by Neil's chops and groove, even watching/ listening as a guitarist, who couldn't play drums at all. I eventually took guitar lessons from the JR Flood guitar player Paul Dickinson, who was really great at showing me how to learn by ear, correctly. He was a bit exacting and detail-oriented, to put it politely. I recall that Neil referred to him as "the meter Nazi"-haha. I learned a lot, as a result and still play, probably pretty good as a result, of these obviously demonstrative musical skill-levels. There was an early photo shown in this program, from that time, with Neil, Paul Dickinson (playing an SG) with the keyboardist Rob Morrison. I still can't play drums but love great drummers. Guitar nerd/ engineer putting on my drum-nerd hat, for just a moment. Cheers.

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

That is very cool information. It is always fun to hear about pre-Rush Neil. It sounds like a he was always in the top bands. Thank you for sharing that

[@jonathandale-cy5hw]

I was born and raised in Fort Wayne,Indiana,home of the Percussion Center that was run and established by Neil Graham. He was the mastermind behind Neil Pearts ideas & desires to make his kit more user friendly. He would tell me about welding various parts together for Neil,and gig -rigging older Roger’s hardware with Slingerland parts to make drums and hardware closer to Neil’s playing area. Neil Graham was also one of my drum instructors to. He “Vibrafibed” my Pearl kit like he did for Neil - it’s a process of spraying Fiberglass onto a drum shell for Sonic qualities. I still have My Percussion Center branded drumstick,keychain,business card and Matches too!

[@Twotontessie]

Looking back, did the Vibrafibe process really do anything?

[@garylagstrom3864]

Boy this is absolutely amazing information that I used to eat up reading in modern Drummer and then wonder about all the hardware etc from 77-82! I definitely love the A Farewell to Kings and Hemispheres kits and then the TAMA SUPERSTAR KITS 80-82! I agree the Fire or Candy Apple Red kit is definitely my favorite! I too had the TAMA Banner which my son now owns and will pass down to my grandson in a few more years! I just wish Neil would have done a drum video back in the late 70’s and early 80’s showing how he came up with the fills he played on Xanadu, The Trees, La Villa Strangiato, The Camera Eye, YYZ(ZED) etc!

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

Thanks for watching! Im glad we could get so munch info in one place

[@flapjackson6077]

I started playing drums in the early 70s, when I was about 13. Been a Rush/Neil Peart fan since about 79. This interview was fascinating! It’s so cool to see the evolution of Neil’s development as a drummer, and how it influenced his drum kit development. As it happened, my drum set was a five piece Ludwig which had two 13” mounted toms. I was always perplexed about why the set didn’t have two different sizes. It made it more difficult to tune. Now, after all these years to find out my favorite drummer dealt with that issue makes me laugh! Great job!

[@craig528]

The red Tama kit on P/G and Power Windows is my favorite. I remember I attended a drum clinic with Alan White and AJ Pero in 1986 that was sponsored by Ludwig, and at some point in the show Alan White mentioned that Neil had recently moved over to Ludwig, and there was an audible gasp that you could hear released throughout the room! Ludwig at the time were the drums your grandfather played, the kind you had to play in school band.

[@garylagstrom3864]

My favorite phase of Neil Peart is definitely what I would call : THE PLAYER YEARS OF RUSH: 74-82 or Producer: TERRY BROWN YEARS!

[@Ramshackled17]

Great! I would love to see Alan White gear about too

[@inonotusmusic2050]

Absolutely! I poured over those 1970s concert programs with the pictures and gear lists.

[@timbrown6629]

He may have gotten those Pearl cymbal stands through KISS. What always drove me nuts was that Rogers swiv-o-matic tom mount on his left bass drum.I knew nothing about Rogers drums, and it drove me nuts trying to figure how he was mounting that tom off to the left of the bass drum.

[@lloydgriffiths1847]

That ride cymbal is ever elusive to me. Mu favourite neil peart cymbal. I must one day have one that sounds like it

This is the best material about Neil Peart on internet! I think EVERYONE think that 22 Ride was a Zildjian Ping Ride, but they are Not. It’s a really low pitch than a tradicional Ping Ride Cymbal! Beautiful interview!

[@jc3drums916]

Do you have proof of that, or do you believe that simply because it sounds different to you? A lot of people say a lot of different things about his ride, but nobody has any actual proof.

@@jc3drums916 Probably not, I think the most mysterious and interesting thing is that it is a shiny and polished Cymbal. But if Neil himself said it isn't, that's the truth!

[@1111Paiste]

I LOVE that it’s a 3 parter.

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

Im glad to hear that! Thanks for watching, stay tuned for part 2 :)

[@mightyV444]

Yes, we're totally being spoiled there! 😊👍

[@boxonrails]

This is such a great video. Thank you so much. This brings back memories of those days for me. I started playing drums in 1975 at age 12 and Bonham was my mentor. But by the lack of good choices, that was about to change. Sometime in 1975 or 76, I joined the Columbia Record club and with 2 choices left and not really much to choose from, I saw the cover of All The Worlds a Stage and said "Wow that's a pretty cool looking drum set." I never heard of Rush. So it must have good drums. I mean just look at that kit. So I added it. once all the records showed up in the mail I tore right into all of them but that Rush Album sat there for months unopened. I shared with a friend that I got a Rush album and he said you gotta listen to 2112 so I went home open it up and moved the needle to 2112. They say when the student is ready the teacher will appear. BOOM! The first time I heard Neil go down those concert toms in The Temples of Syrinx I knew I was listening to greatness and by the end of the year I had copies of all there albums including the newest A Farewell to Kings. and I was learning the songs. but I never seen them until on late Saturday night On Don Kirshner's Rock Concert. There they were Rush. and they did Xanadu, Farewell To Kings and Closer to The Heart. what a great time to be a teenager and learning to play the drums.

[@bigwrdzable]

Great story, Bro!

[@janetmobilia8520]

❤

[@jackshittle]

Bass player here (for 30+ years). I'm always facinated with the gear that my bass hereos use and for a couple years in middle school I took drum lessons, played in the middle school band etc. My Rush albums were merely All The Worlds A Stage, Moving Pictures and 2112 then kinda lost interest until I saw a modern documentary about Rush (around 2008?) & it blew me away. They happened to be on tour then so I got seats at a amphitheater in Vancouver, WA. I wanted to make sure I got to see them before they quit playing & the show was great. This was a great video and I look forward to parts 2 & 3, cheers!

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

Awesome! Thank you for watching and coming over to the drum side of things :). Part 3 will be out in a few weeks

[@jackshittle]

@@DrumHistoryPodcast You're welcome! BTW - I used to pester the hell out of my parents/grandparents for a drum kit when I was in elementary school but was forced to take piano lessons instead which I hated. By 6th or 7th grade I was in "I'll take anything" mode in regards to a used kit (I was aware of some of the good brands like Ludwig etc.). So finally I found a used 5 piece Slingerland kit. It wasn't until I had it set up in my bedroom that I realized the bass drum pedal was a Ludwig Speed King. At the time that didn't mean anything to me nor did it up to I watched your video and found out that Neil used to have a Slingerland kit & Ludwig Speed King pedals. Now I'm thinking the kid that originally owned my kit was a Rush & Neil Peart fanatic but who knows? Looking forward to part 3, cheers!

[@commanderstraker6732]

Absolutely fantastic episode !. I've been a fan of Neil's since purchasing "Moving Pictures" back in 1981. As a drummer myself, I've been fascinated by all the different kits he's used over the decades. My favourite kit of his is the candy apple red Tama kit. It's so great listening to an expert with in-depth knowledge of Neil's gear. I can't wait for the next episode ! Best wishes from the UK 🇬🇧

[@zimch011]

90 great minutes of talking about the two things, that are very important to me: Drums and Neil Peart. Thank you so much for the first part, looking forward to the second one!

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching!

[@zietgiestnewspeak6143]

I grew up in a house that was littered with modern drummer magazines and I cut out every picture of Neil I could find. My dad's favorite drummer was Louie Bellson, my older brother's favorite drummer was Carl Palmer and for me, of course it was Neil. I still have the post card he wrote back to me on featuring the candy red Tama kit floating on the water.

[@Dusty2112]

Just excellent! Thanks

[@MatChew75]

My favorite memory of Neil is seeing him playing at Uno Lake front arena in new orleans circa 92 for roll The bones and my other favorite Power trio opened up for them, Primus.... During Sailing the seas of cheese. The red rose wasn't bad either. I was 16. Herb & Professor! Dynamite drummers an two major influences on me. My favorite kit is the candy apple red artstar w/ vibra-fibing the innershell courtesy of percussion center of ft. Wayne. Stunning kit and a incredible sound from signals,gup, pw.

[@squamishfish]

Neils last Drum Tech was huge for Neil Lorne Wheaton , Lorne was from Toronto and helped various bands load and unload equipment from their cars, He went onto join April Wine the Journey hired him he stayed on with Steve Smith after Steve left Journey , Lorne then went on to work with various famous bands till Rush hired him , After Niels death Kiss hired him, Lorne would have been a great source also about Neil and the equipment ,

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

Thanks for watching and the comment! Lorne has quite the career and seems like a great guy. I think I reached out to him in 2020 closer to Neil's passing and never heard back (which is totally understandable because he is a busy guy) but maybe we can do something else down the road. I am happy to have Paul doing this series :)

[@michaelzilkowsky2936]

Gump is a poser.

[@JackieSkellington]

Thanks guys. I will watch it all.

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

Thank you Jackie!

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

WATCH PART 2 HERE: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nqS2hpJ9n8eXgrM

[@BaldJohnnyRhythm]

Very well done, Guys. thank you! My 1st show was Jan ‘80. Neil played the rosewoods. I knew then I wanted a set of Tama’s. got’em (starclassic maple) eventually. I did wind up with a superstar mastercraft rosewood snare; the look is a tip of the hat to that kit. you’re spot on about Neil selling kits & cymbals. I studied his cymbal set-up for my own to add to my 7-piece kit chrome CB700 by Pearl. regarding the 22” ping; I purchased one through the now-defunct New Jersey Percussion Center in ‘88, based on what might have been a Zildjian advert (or maybe a MD article) from the day that gave an overhead schematic and described his ride as a 22” ping. I still have it. wasn’t described as a Zilco, but if it was crafted in Meductic, that would perhaps explain the urban legend that his ride cymbal was a Sabian.

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

Thanks for watching! You gotta love those overhead schematic's that gave you a look behind the curtain. That Chrome CB700 kit sounds awesome, I've always liked those. and Yep, it could be that the ride was made in that pre-Sabian factory with Bob Zildjian's crew.

[@danlc95]

I was late to the Neil Peart phase. I literally teared up during his drum solo at Pine Knob in Michigan back in 2002, when I was 25. When I was in 8th grade (90/91) one of my best friends got a 1972 chrome over wood Singerland kit. Mine was a late 60's that was re-wrapped in black gloss. He sold me that kit for $200.00 this time of year (spring) 1994. It was a standard 12, 13, 16, and 14×22 bass drum. In early summer 1995 (right after I graduated high school) I found a guy that had the same set, but with a 14×14 floor tom. I also bought a 10×14 tom from Joe Chila in Rocherter, MI. I played that set with my metal band from high school, and I absolutely loved it! I gave part of the kit to my guitarist, and I kept half. While the band never broke up, we all went our ways in life and arrived back "home". The half I gave my guitarist is coming home with me soon, and I'll have: 2 - 8×12 2 - 9×13 1 - 10×14 1 - 14×14 1 - 16×16 2 - 14×22 I'm thinking I'm going to build myself a Neil Peart kit before I put it back to the "Dan Chapa" high school set up! I even have a set of the Evans Rock Glass / Resonant Glass, and Evans Genera, Genera Dry Genera HD and Genera HD Dry, I used through my high school years as well. All pre D'Addario. I'm not even half way through this video and I'm absolutely riveted. Had to pause to babble about my gear, and of course to express my thanks to all who have made this presentation possible. Incredible work, gentlemen.

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

Wow that is awesome, congrats on getting your full kit back together! That is a great set up. I appreciate you listening!

[@KevinStevensDrums]

i met a guy who worked at A Drummer's Tradition in San Rafael, CA in the early 2000s who WON that first Tama kit in a Modern Drummer essay contest when he was a teenager and he was playing that kit around the bay area then with a Rush tribute band. !! I can't remember his name but it was an amazing story he told me about winning the contest, getting a phone call from Neil, the drums being delivered by his roadie (Lorne?) in/with all of the road cases, with random extra heads, parts, and cymbals in the road cases! He was telling me that the finish was pretty raw and looked like someone just rubbed some furniture polish on there. :)

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

Wow that is unbelievable. I could not imagine winning that kit, what a lucky guy! Thanks for sharing that

[@gregthompson7053]

The drum tech for Neil who delivered the tama wood stain kit was lary Allen not Lorne

[@KevinStevensDrums]

@@DrumHistoryPodcast I think the Chrome and both of those Tama kits were given away in contests through MD back in the day.

[@KevinStevensDrums]

@@gregthompson7053 Thanks for the clarification

[@vershaladyn]

The 22" ride cymbal that you mentioned was listed as a Zildjian Ping Ride in the 1994 issue of Modern Drummer Magazine that featured Neil on the cover. I actually got one a few years later and I can guarantee it sounded nothing like Neil's. I came across another interview that took place years later when he switched to Sabian, and he referred to that ride as a Sabian. That being said, it seemed to be shrouded in mystery. I appreciate the depth of this interview and for going into this level of detail.

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

Great info - thank you very much for watching!

[@raythackston1960]

Peter Criss was passed on by Ludwig, Neil was passed on by Slingerland, and the reason was because these old company guys did not see the potentional of the rock bands. Ludwig later went after Eric Carr in KISS, and Neil was approched by Tama. But Pearl was the company who got it and went after a bunch of rock artists.

[@thomassabol4565]

Looking forward to next weeks part 2. Super interesting episode guys. Thank you very much

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

Thanks for watching! Part 2 will be out on Tuesday 4/11

[@thomassabol4565]

Thanks for the heads up

[@costastamanis3973]

I was there I was an employee at the Percussion Center when Neal Graham was building Neil Peart’s Tama kit. The man you really want to talk to however is Larry Yeager now the tour manager for Fleetwood Mac. Larry was the guy who is the one that came up with finish, which I won’t steal Larrys thunder on that but it was his own brilliant idea and was also the guy that did all of the vibra-fibing. Larry knows every detail of that kit. His DNA is all over it. Including the anodizing of all the hardware. Neal Graham and Larry together built that kit. I hope you get a chance to talk with him. Larry that is. Neal Graham passed away a few years. He Quite the inventor and imagineer for sure.

[@meanmetalmike666]

Can you guys do Phil Rudds Gear?

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

That would be a fun one. I need to find the expert on Phil's gear

[@RolandDuke]

Certain it’s all Sonor.

[@meanmetalmike666]

@@RolandDuke He Had Ringo Kit a Premier Kit He Painted his first Sponsored kit was a Slingerland Rootbeer Sparkle kit the. Switched to sonor in 1977

[@MrRezRising]

Re Neil's ride, I have my Sabian ride that I picked up in '87 based on Neil's sound, and I haven't switched yet! The hole has gone slightly oval, and the crystalline tone has mellowed nicely, but still cuts with that jangly bell.

[@sethcashman1011]

Just priceless to hear Paul talk about anything to do with Neil Peart. He himself has been another favorite of mine for many years. One note about the Rogers grey ripple kit: If I remember correctly, Neil bought it used, so perhaps the 18" wasn't a deliberate choice. Could be wrong, of course, but I thought I remembered Neil saying it was purchased second-hand.

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

Agreed, Paul is the man and really knows his stuff! Interesting about the 18" BD

[@sethcashman1011]

He does! You both do! Neither of you guys missed a trick here, which is remarkable, given the ridiculous degree of complexity of Neil's equipment history.

[@rogercaruso9337]

Hey guys how are you doing yeah I'm on stage hand I do gigs tours I did about a year I don't know how long it was ago I guess you got to see his drum set while the guy was setting it up oh my God There's also a video out there that shows you how the guys sets it up Amazing. Also there's a video out there with the guy showing how he sets it up . Then it gets me I've done drums set UPS I also play drums But to set his Is drums Up without any whatever just it's in his head excellent

[@horusthreesixteen3843]

Wow, 2 more parts 2 come! Awesome details. SOOOoooo Canadian! Neil using duct tape way be4 da Red/Green show...😜 Martin Deller of FM in a remembering Neil article stated that he lent Neil a drum pedal(?) and when he got it back it was Brass Plated🤣🤣 [FM opening 4 RUSH was my fav opening band 4 them🥰]

[@DrummerDaveRaheb]

Awesome information Paul! I might need to touch base with you, as I'm putting together a CAR Neil Peart Tribute kit. Just got a hold of an original set, I was told was the last set Tama made of the Superstars.

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

Very cool!

[@mikegalinac1427]

I've been waiting for a video covering his drums for a while. I too read every tour book and magazine published from 1981 on. To me it was as if he was creating modern art or architecture. I bought that banner of the kit on the lake from behind the counter of Atlanta Pro Percussion for $100. In 1988 The Percussion Center made me the same Ludwig super classics vibrafibed but in black with sparkle flakes. They added the offset mount to the 12" tom to the left bass drum. I sure wish I still had it.

[@Arthur-ke9vz]

Wow! Incredible video. Thank you so very much!❤❤❤❤

[@vincebifolchi-jx5fn]

Thanks for this

[@johnmiller4553]

GREAT DOCUMENTARY….. CANT WAIT TO SEE PART 2 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

Thank you - it is now live on my channel!

[@BruceBaxter]

This is great! Thanks.

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

Thanks for watching!

[@RockinExperience]

Sad to report that Dean, the guy who bought and restored Chromey, has passed away yesterday from a long illness. He'll be missed.

[@JeffWald]

Great job guys, and such cool info! This was my favorite era of Neil's so its cool to hear some of the details.

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

Thanks for watching!

[@TheDude1764]

1982-1993 is when I was a pre-teen/teenager and Rush albums (on cassette!) were the soundtrack of my life in that time! Thanks for the great show.

[@michaelwhitlow8467]

Loved every minute. Thank you.

[@raythackston1960]

Rush and KISS did tons of shows together for a long time early in their careers.

[@jasonshort1437]

This is so much fun and loaded with the kind of stuff that keeps me up at night haha!

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

Me too! Glad you enjoyed it

[@FrederickJohnSebastian]

Fibes were a drum manufacturer renowned for fiberglass drums. Billy Cobham [ whom Neil Peart greatly admired] played these drums during the Mahavishnu Orchestra era, which was a pivotal influence on NP. Another famous drummer who Peart revered was Buddy Rich [ Neil Peart was the driving force behind the Burning for Buddy tribute recordings). Buddy Rich played a Fibes snare even though he was endorsed by Ludwig and Slingerland. Those companies always tried to get Buddy to switch to their snares but he famously retorted:' make a snare that sounds like this and I will'. The sound was, as you described Paul: a bright crisp report which Buddy preferred for his incredible snare work.

[@Dardrum]

Very cool video, Paul Wells is a national treasure

[@cawffeetalk8722]

im an acquaintance of Joe Bergamini who belonged to Hudson music and helped Neil with the writing of his book ! Joe a drummer in his own right and huge fan im sure fore filled a childhood dream

[@rgfser]

Great episode! Thank you!

[@rle440]

This is an excellent video series! Thank You for this.

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

Thank you very much, I appreciate you watching!

[@shawnbruce6934]

Great Video Guys.

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

Thanks!

[@PNW_Sportbike_Life]

Great episode guys! BTW: The mounted bass drums can be heard really nicely on "Countdown" (Signals is such an awesome, underrated album, but on of my favorites!)

[@P4Eight]

I've had that cd on repeat in my car for a year, it never gets old. I'm all charged up to practice when I get home lol

[@garylagstrom3864]

RUSH is THE PERFECT EXAMPLE of the fluidity of MASTERING TIME SIGNATURES! I play drums and there are a few things that you need to know about Neil Peart’s ( pronounced PEER-T) character: First he writes the lyrics so he knows in advance what TYPE of song it’s meant to be ie ballad, driver, etc. Second he COMPOSES on the drums… like a carpenter who looks at a set of blueprints before building the object. Neil lays out a SKETCH in his mind of the VOICES of the drumset and builds the song from there. He is also a great LISTENER knowing when NOT to step over Geddy’s singing or Alex’s solos! Finally, he had perfect timing and fluidity of time changes. He said himself that it’s not about COUNTING the time signatures as much as fluid motion to change the tempo without counting: in other words it should FLOW! He hates repeating the same drum patterns in the same song meaning if he plays a fill one way the first time around he will play it differently the second time around. IE. Rolls down the toms the first time around and triplets or quads (all four limbs) the second time around. In short there will NEVER be another like him on planet earth 🌍 🌏 🌎! REST IN PEACE PROFESSOR! With heart felt admiration and sincerity! Gary

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

Thank you very much Gary! You are 100% right about Neil

[@jjb5020]

Huge Neil fan.... is there any picture or video of Neil smashing his gong at the end of Hemispheres? Have never seen one.

[@555R]

i have an old tama giant drumset and i also have one gong bass and low pitch octabans. i love them all 6-8-10-12 concert toms 10-12-13-14 mounted toms 16-18 floor toms and 2x22 bass drums and 24 bass drums and an extra 15" mounted tom a bit overkill for most but needed for rush and dream theater

[@2112musician]

Awesome video!!!

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

Thank you!

[@chriswright2250]

This is cool.

[@mattdelany6799]

In a rock context, a pang is best used as a swell effect, or in a place with a break behind it. The swish on moving pictures is used on Tom Sawyer, red barchetta, limelight, and the camera eye.

[@claysmell]

always enjoying focusing on gear (GAS = gear acquisition syndrome). sure we all play, in various capacities, so it's always a nice distraction from performing :D

[@pertinatemoon04]

One thing I was hoping Paul would bring up my first Rogers kit had a swivel Matic Tom hanger I had heard that Neal had used this for the first Tom or bass drum mount

[@pertinatemoon04]

Possibly on chromie

[@franco28stl]

This is an awesome video. I was so into Neil and Rush when I was in high school in the 80's. Not sure if anyone commented on the tom badges, but one reason may have been because the badges on the 12 and 13 were placed for visibility when mounted with the 12 as the first tom on the bass drum and the 13 as the second. Since Neil mounted the 12 on his left bass drum, where the 2nd tom would be, and the 13 on the right, where the first tom would be, they were essentially set up on opposite sides. I am assuming this was why...not that Tama wouldn't have gladly switched where they pace the badges, which I see they did on the candy apple red kit.

[@jc3drums916]

If that were the case, the badges would be facing more sideways than toward Neil, although it's possible that whoever shared that information simply didn't describe it accurately. BTW, Pearl solved that issue back in the 80s by putting two badges on their toms, one on each side of the mounting clamp.

[@franco28stl]

@@jc3drums916 Exactly, that's why you don't see the badges on the first Tama kit; the positioning is switched around.

[@pjones8404]

I spent several hours in the "Percussion Center" in Fort Wayne, Indiana where his vibra-fibing and hardware fabrication was done. This was when they were putting together his "Grace Under Pressure" tour kit. Check Modern Drummer as they did an article about that kit as Neil did an "in store" unveiling of that kit. Anyway, we talked about all the equipment he would break and all the replacement stuff they had to have available for him. He would crack the shell of his 6" concert tom, break the rivets on the legs of his snare stand, and the number of 16" crashes he went through was staggering. Huge disappoint, after my visit (from out of state as I was touring with my college jazz band) I get a letter from Neal Graham thanking me for the visit and asked if I was given a tour of Neil's kit. It was sitting in the back completely set up and the sales guys didn't think to mention that while we were actually talking about Neil for hours!! My heart sunk as I could have had a private tour of that kit!!!! UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Slingerland was linked to jazz players. Gene Krupa, Butch Miles, Barrett Deems, Buddy Rich and others. But they had Danny Seraphine from Chicago and Nigel Olsson with Elton John who were huge Slingerland artists. But it was mostly jazz players. It is also very cool to note that Neil's first closed tom (his 8"x12") is actually higher pitched than the concert 8" x 12" tom. So, when he did a roundhouse fill, he would actually skip the 2nd 12" tom and go 6,8,10,12, (skip the next 12) 13, 15, 18. "Frank's Drums" was in Chicago. That legendary shop was just south of Drums, LTD that was run by Bill Crowden. (Bill married Bill Ludwig's daughter). Both were located on Wabash downtown Chicago. I saw the Hemisphere's kit in Chicago in December of 1978. Remember his Tama kits were also vibra-fibed. I can't for the life of me ever believe that an existing shell was made thinner. You would expose or damage the individual ply.

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

Thanks for the great info. It is nuts to think of hum breaking those 6" toms and the rivets and crashes but fortunately he had a good team behind him. I would also be very dissapointed if I COULD have taken a tour of Neils kit and they just forgot to tell me. Yep Franks is in Chicago, I noticed that after uploading. I have an episode all about Franks with Rob Cook that you might enjoy. Thanks for watching!

[@pjones8404]

@@DrumHistoryPodcast Rob's a great guy. I run into him every May at the Chicago drum show. There is also a backstory during the "Signals" tour where Pearl was making a very strong play to lure Neil away from Tama.

[@matthewpaluch777]

I've been lucky to visit there on acouple of occasions. The first time I was able to see the first Tama kit. Later when he was test driving other kits I was able to check out (&play!) the Ludwig set. Also there was an outrageous Tama dbl bass drumset with custom sized bass drums (Yes, longer than AVH's!) built for "WILD" Mick Brown who was with Dokken at the time. Special shoutout to Neal & Bernie!

[@specialkonacid6574]

in 1979 i ordered a 20" zildjian swish with no rivets from my local music store. can't remember what i paid for it but i was so happy when it arrived and i am still using it today

[@shawnhapney8784]

I Love This Podcast/ Program. I'd be willing it's better than? No I won't say that. But I Do Have My Bias About It.

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

I appreciate the kind words, thanks for watching

[@matthewpaluch777]

@@DrumHistoryPodcast Missing info; - Ludwig Timpani - Deagan Orchestra bells

[@DG-sf9ei]

Did someone else tune this for you Steve? One of your few vintage snares that sound as they should.....a great snare drum.

[@BillSands2112]

This was so awesome to hear, I loved it and thank you for sharing Neil's drum equipment changes. Can't wait for part2

[@raythackston1960]

I find it interesting that he just didn't play on the left bass drum if the right on broke the beater or head. I used to do that when I would break a pedal board or spring. Early DW pedals had those issues...I kept a spare but you had to finish the song and sometimes 2 or 3 songs. I would just play my left bass drum with my left foot. The bass drum mounted cymbal arms were available in the late 50's. You could mount them with a bracket to the bass drum hood...or can add a mount to the shell. Ludwig sold kits through out the 60's that was a single mounted rack tom and a bracket with a cymbal arm to hold the ride cymbal. The concert toms came from Slingerland but they were copper not chrome. Slingerland were offering a complete drum kit in the copper wrap. It was hard to see the difference on stage with the color lights.

[@gregthompson7053]

Would’ve been nice if you would’ve mentioned that his base for his tripod on tama stands and the midsection and top pieces were premier lokfast brand and pearl Neil’s front Rodgers right handed swivel mount holding up 12” rack Tom . hoop mounted Ludwig L arm cymbal holders 1372 fit the 16” and 10” splash in the front

[@martinhedberg3514]

About the Tama Candy Apple Red. Neil said in an interview that he laquered the drums inside with hard laquer for tone. And I would understand that. Ive put up a Tama Superstar bassdrum from the earls eighties side by side with a Pearl Maple bassdrum, Custom Z, around 1992, it was a big tone and volume differense. That he used blue hydralics as resonant heads on the toms was new to me. That would totally kill the drums. Clear Remos should have been a huge difference on his sound. Was his Tamakit birch? Superstars was often mahogny. The red Evans was blue hydraulics, but in red. Fat, low on tune, warm sound. The Black and Gold was my favourite, today it comes in Black Chrome from Evans. Cool to listen to you guys 😊

[@bonzoleum]

Excellent podcast! Great job, Bart.

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

Thanks Terry! The Bonzo episode with you and George was the prototype :)

[@MM-ig1iv]

The best drummer I've ever heard. And it's not just because of how technical he was, but how accurate he was when playing them songs live note for note to the album! I prefer to play about the same way. note for note like a perfectionist. drums and guitar. but I'm not as accurate as Neal! lol, my god he was awesome!

[@jimdiaz9968]

The Permanent Waves/Moving Pictures/ESL kit is not made from Tama shells. Tama took over the Camco Japan factory while DW took over the Camco America factory in the late 70s. DW lugs are actually Camco and the first pedal I ever saw that looked like a DW 5000 said Camco on it because they designed that pedal. My drum teacher had Camco and Slingerland kits both in silver sparkle and both had Camco pedals. But I digress… Anyway, Neil’s first Tama kit was assembled from leftover Camco shells that were in the factory when Tama took it over. They were shipped directly to the Percussion Center where the finish and VibraFibing was done and the hardware was brass plated. A matching snare was made but Neil never used it because of Old Faithful. For Moving Pictures the wood timbales and gong drums were made and are likely the only Tama shells used with that kit. My dear friend Adam R. was the the recipient of that kit and the first big Modern Drummer contest giveaway winner when he won the essay contest judged by MD and Neil in 1982 just after he graduated high school. I was 15 when he won and have had access to this kit (which was stored in my garage for several years not long ago). Adam was like my big brother drummer and we are still close. We have replaced each other in different bands as drummers and still perform together or stand in for each other to this day. Adam was the best possible person to receive this kit and has taken great care of it. We played together in several bands including a Rush tribute called Trilogy when Rush’s future was in doubt in the 90’s. Adam has used Neil’s kit with several bands but he has since retired it because several lugs have crumbled from having been brass plated and old. He buys all of the era correct lugs he can find and we have a friend who does the brass plating for him. He received the main kit including the Tama badged snare plus a bunch of cymbals except the ride but not bells or other percussion. The timbales and concert toms still have Neil’s heads on them. The concerts sound exactly the same as they always have. There is a coffee stain on one of the timbale heads and Adam will never replace that head because it’s Neil’s coffee stain. Adam is not tech savvy and not really on social media aside from watching KZbin so I will pass this video along to him. There are videos of Trilogy here so god help us if anyone watches them. There is a lot of speculation about this kit but I have personal knowledge. Robert T managed to track Adam down several years ago and I know they spoke at length about the 2 Tama kits because Robert had the red kit at the time. Adam was not thrilled about this but still spoke to Robert several times. At least Adam’s hardware came with legs because the red kit was the first that screwed into the riser.

[@jimdiaz9968]

Oh, the logo heads are hand painted on the interior of clear Remos.

[@russellesimonetta9071]

Another great drummer in that era playing Slingerlands 😮was the drummer from Kansas! I can,t remember his name but I think he was sponsored by Slingerland. Bohnam play his blue sparkle Slingerlands on Zeppilin l !!!! Ohhh about the Tama cutting throught,,, Birch accentuates the high end even tuned low. The Slingerlands were maple! Maple accentuates the middle. They were great for great low tuning!

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

Absolutely, Slingerlands were great and a big part of music history. Maybe we will one day see the brand come back to life through DW

[@sethcashman1011]

Glad Paul mentioned that the Evans heads were on the concert toms for the Signals videos. Always wondered why they did that and wondered, as well, whether he used them to record the album. I had assumed that someone just thought they looked better on camera, but I doubt that was the case.

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

Yes those little details are so interesting. Thank you for watching!

[@bobbyjones2112]

I had some fiberglass Pearl kit with concert toms! 6,8,10,12,14,16.

[@gersonalves6041]

awesome episode!

[@DrumHistoryPodcast]

Thank you!

[@KlashDrums]

Awesome series! Nice work 😀

[@williamweiss6128]

Ok, I grew up in this era, started playing drums in 71. Focused on drummers interactions in bands. Bought many live lp's. Saw those bands for $8 more or less. Learned their vibes in all of those bands. So, for me, it was hard in 78 when I got my kit. I wanted the 2002's I now Bonham used but I loved Peart. Could not make myself buy Slingerland. So, I bought Ludwig Stainless Steel, 12, 13, 14, 15 concert toms, 18 floor tom, 24 kick, and a 5x14 SS snare. Only kit I've ever had. Still playing today. Need to retire it but everyone loves it and it sounds too good. Dilemma. Still have the 20 ride, 18 china, 14 heavy hats, too. Broke 6 crashes, replaced them with Zildjian, 20 and 18 crash. Nice to be old as dirt.

[@rogerp6903]

You mention Pearl drums early in Neil's kit for stands , possibly influence from Peter Criss as Rush toured heavily as openers with Kiss early on. Long and McQuade has a long history in Toronto where it started, Traynor and Yorkville Sound shared ownership with Long and Mcquades so their Toronto made products were well represented.Long and Mcuade bacame very popular as a rental house for musicians and production people alike as the go to place to rent good gear inexpensively