JOHN BONHAM'S GEAR / A COMPREHENSIVE PROFILE

[@bonzoleum]

Man, thank you sincerely for this wonderful cumulative compendium! Great early shots on there too- wonderful.

[@DGsixtyFour]

Thanks George, much respect for your genuine care about our hero! John Bonham forever, never forgotten!

[@LennyCarlo]

Hi George great stuff actually got to see bonham and zep on the 1975 and 1977 tours at msg. On the 75 tour I sat in the 20th row when they opened the show with rock n roll. When he did his ending solo on the song I could not believe how heavy the drums sounded amazing to me almost a religious experience thank again keep up the great work

[@remnantsofasoundblast]

Hi George, it's Michael T, from Facebook - bass player/vocalist from New Orleans. Looks like this video is going to be some of my entertainment for the evening. Great job, as always, my friend

[@BONHAMOLOGY]

Thanks, Michael!

[@DP-wi6hm]

Wow, George, so great. I had to post twice. Incredible photos, some of which I have never seen. Thank you !!

[@stevekuhn143]

Fantastic video and a wealth of information and some photos I have never seen before THANK YOU

[@t-bone6467]

Thank you George. Time is getting short for those who are reliable first hand witnesses. Let's hope more details and confirmations add to what's already documented so bonzo students in the future can benefit and enjoy what this truly generational talent gifted the world with his drumming .

[@RicardoMartinez-zj7bv]

I love that you keep talking Bonham when people don’t thanks bro

[@MM-ig1iv]

The guy was incredible. A legendary drummer. He's the main reason I want to buy a $700 Ludwig supraphonic. It's sucks he died so young and didn't get to grow old.. kicking back marveling at his life. That's the part of life I do not understand? Why it has to be so unfair. I hope it all makes sense in the end when we all get there?

[@TheShiftydog]

Fantastic video George, comprehensive and obviously done with a lot of (a whole lotta?) love. A very well edited and informative video. A great reference for the many current and future Bonzo fans.

[@BONHAMOLOGY]

Thanks!

[@AdamStachelek]

Yes. Yes. Yes. The definitive video on this topic. Thank you George

[@seancostello7840]

What a wonderful retrospective, George. Thanks for this. When I saw him in Ottawa in 1970, he was playing the thermogloss kit. Slaying it. I got a bit choked up watching this, thinking of what a great loss his passing was to my much-younger self and many of my muso buddies at the time.

[@BONHAMOLOGY]

Thanks Sean! I'm glad to hear that it was that moving!

[@MaxwellMasMusician]

Hi George, John also was talking about going back to a black diamond Pearl Ludwig for the 1980 us tour with a 24 kick. I think is was around the time the ludwig kit from the 1st us tour was getting attention. Hope that helps...

[@BONHAMOLOGY]

I heard that it was to be a black sparkle , I think in Thunder of Drums...but who knows the source of that information

[@scottpetersen3570]

That is the definitive guide of the John Bonham gear. Thank you for posting!

[@vintagedrummer79]

Excellent overview! Well done, George!

[@pageluvva]

This was a great 16 minutes of my life. Thanks for that.

[@coreybondurant]

Thank you so much for this informative video Mr. Fludas! Bravo!

[@Marine_Ret]

Very interesting George, thanks!

[@adee2569]

Great job George!!

[@markromans1814]

Excellent, George! Thank you for your hard work putting this together. Now we have all this important information in one place.

[@BONHAMOLOGY]

Thank you, Mark!

[@BrunoVisintinDrummer]

Love John Bonham ever. ❤🥁 Thank so much for this compendium!

[@dwaynewladyka577]

Thanks for sharing this. It's interesting to get the history of John Bonham's drums. Very comprehensive. Cheers! 👍🏻👍🏻✌️🥁

[@jamesf.ryaniii7918]

Great video, Professor George!!! The amber Vistalite is only iconic to him because it was featured in the movie. If the movie had been filmed in the early 70s or late 70s, the green sparkle or the stainless steel would have the iconic status.

[@Dragonwitmatches]

What movie

[@jamesf.ryaniii7918]

@@Dragonwitmatches OMG, are you serious? The Song Remains the Same (1976).

[@TheCookster64]

Bonham started using Paiste cymbals in 1971 according to Paiste. He used them before then but was likely sponsored in 1971. Paiste lists 15" 2002 Sound Edge Hi-Hat, 18" Giant Beat, 20" Giant Beat, 24" Giant Beat.

[@BONHAMOLOGY]

He started using them before 1971. You can clearly see he's using them from about mid 1969, 602 model, then he started using Giant Beats around Feb of 1970. Check out my Bonham cymbal videos. He did not use 2002 until the end of 1972, at which point he was only using one of them live. He then started using them regularly for the US tour starting in May 1973.

[@TheCookster64]

@@BONHAMOLOGY I had no idea until your video made me dig into it. I've been playing Paiste for 40 years, 2002 and Signature series.

[@GG-Wolfhound]

Thanks George!

[@jerryrios2084]

Thanks again George, enjoyed your video

[@carlosalbertogomez1391]

great video,but what about cymbal sizes???i read somewhere about 1970 to 1977 he favored one 18' crash (hi hat side)and a 20' on the other side (over his ride).there's also a rumor he sometimes added a 22 crash over his floor toms.the models are the ones you mention depending on the era,602,giant beats,and 2002

[@BONHAMOLOGY]

As I said in the description, the cymbals are covered in the specific videos I made about them a while back. You can search my videos for them. I made videos covering the hi-hats, rides and crashes.

[@nigelprettyc3]

Nice one George great information, I recently got a 79, 402 snare I’m in bonham mode now 😁 👍

[@BONHAMOLOGY]

Nice! Thanks.

[@DaveDamageDrums]

Great video George, very cool pictures and glad you included the 'Ritchie ring' bass drum muting at the end! ✌️❤️🥁

[@redbucket2]

Really great research! 👏 👏

[@OrestisTrips]

Best video on that topic I guess. Amazing job George, thank you!

[@geoffreygriffin4807]

Awesome content George.That was appreciated .He regretted selling his thermos' .I love my 14x12 thermogloss power tom.,ambassador head,LZ 2 sound fer sure.

[@edmartin4524]

I can’t get enough of this! Brilliant.

[@loop81x]

Fantastic job , super precise and accurate . Thanks for this

[@ellebrook3413]

This was incredible. I just adore all discussion of JHB and loved learning all the facts/speculation as well as seeing a lot of photos I'd never seen before (like that first one as a teen looking straight at the camera). Thank you so much for all your wonderful work. One non-kit detail that I did a double take on (and apologies for the pedantry) is the possible theory about the Deborah Bonham/ Colin Fairley connection. As she was only 18 when he died, I can't imagine his being so kind as to sell his kit to Colin (who was a couple years younger than John and left String Driven Thing in 1975) if he'd been dating his baby sis when she was in her early teens!

[@BONHAMOLOGY]

Wow, that's a very good point! Something is amiss there.

[@markrushton1516]

2 x 26 in amber. One would be a spare in case of head break.He had a Rogers hihat with the amber kit. I had a pic of his ss kit live and a 42 strand snare on there. Plus a Rogers memriloc hihat

[@edtheycanstillperformwotho2131]

Thanks for video greatest rock drummer 🥁

[@pjlogan386]

Thanks for this,amazing details and accuracy.👍🇮🇪

[@coreystubblefield6332]

Awesome video! I have never been able to find the perfect tambourine ring for my hi hats. Appreciate the pic you shared

[@jamesf.ryaniii7918]

When I started playing drums in the early 80s I read a magazine article (no internet) and it said Bonzo HATED the acrylic Vistalites for multiple reasons. 1 - they were cold and boomy which was the opposite of the warm maple green sparkle and maple thermo that he loved so much. 2 - the shells frequently developed stress cracks, not because he played so heavy, rather the shells were defective due to poor manufacturing. 3 - he wanted to use his favorite tried and true coated emperors and ambassadors, but they looked like a$$ on the transparent shells. So, he was forced to use the then new to market controlled sound clears.

[@BONHAMOLOGY]

All of that makes sense. Do you recall which magazine you read that in?

[@jamesf.ryaniii7918]

@@BONHAMOLOGY Back then I had subscriptions to several automobile hot rod type magazines and several drumming/music magazines. I got rid of the hot rod mags a few years back, but I still have the drumming mags in boxes in my attic. If I ever find it, I will most certainly scan it and e-mail to you!!

[@Ewok009]

​@@BONHAMOLOGYwould it not be "Modern drummer"?

[@HoustonRoad]

Thank you!!

[@PicardManeuver]

Awesome video- so many people get the details wrong! Thanks for setting the record straight. It bothers me that Ludwig has never offered a TRULY accurate replica of any of his kits. What I would give for a green sparkle Legacy Classic replica with a six-lug 10x14" and 1.6mm hoops... or a Thermogloss replica with 15x26" kicks...

[@BONHAMOLOGY]

Thanks! I've long thought same! Hoops should be 1.6mm though. 😁

[@PicardManeuver]

D'OH- see, this is why you're the Bonham guru! 😂@@BONHAMOLOGY

[@khollandtalks]

Some 25 years ago I had a Ludwig kit built for me through Todd Trent from Ontario Music in California. Todd was a well-known artist rep for Ludwig. When I went to pick up my drums, Todd showed me Bonham's backup snare from the '77 tour...a Supraphonic. John's wife had loaned it to Todd for display. A very cool memory.

[@BONHAMOLOGY]

That's awesome! Wow

[@michaelfulgenzi7445]

Outstanding! Thanks for this!

[@jeffreycase9497]

George , your videos are simply wonderful combination of dedication and real fire. Might you consider covering "Go to Zero" as to my guitar playing ears Tony Thompson has that Morello/Bonham thingy whilst smashing the kit with substantially fewer strokes. . .most extraordinary

[@BONHAMOLOGY]

Thanks, I'll check it out

[@mitzo4526]

I don’t know how you even got some of this information. This video is incredibly impressive (and informative).

[@zippyjer]

Excellent👍🏼

[@SPACEMAN_fkYT]

Very cool and nicely done George.

[@richardgrant418]

BRILLIANT work, thank you!!!

[@OskarAnthon]

Do you have any idea where Bonham's kits - other than the maple thermogloss - are now? Like the green sparkle, vistalite and steel.

[@BONHAMOLOGY]

No, unfortunately there is no real evidence of where they are other than a green sparkle kit at the family home as shown in this video.

[@javiercarpio4889]

Thank you for this documentation.

[@danielschwarz5335]

Thanks a lot! Great video ! One more question about a certain detail : what about the snare wires. When did he start using the 42 strand ones ? Some people say in the later years but apparently, there are some early pics of him with the 42s… Can you maybe shed some light on this.

[@marioelfierro]

This was around 1988 to 92. When I began lining the set with foil

[@trevdowson5810]

Love it George, thank you.

[@charlieskelhorn]

Content I can trust, thanks George. 2 things, I wish I had kept my rusty Trixon in red pearl. It used to belong to the Edison Lighthouse drummer and it had a ton of Rogers clamps and a Rogers L arm on it. Could have been passed to him you never know. The other thing is I read a comment by Jason Bonham somewhere on instagram I think - that there is a green sparkle kit at his mums house (I'm assuming they still own the property) - It would be insane to see and hear that again, perhaps Jason might play it for us.

[@BONHAMOLOGY]

That's amazing! This video shows a short tour of the room at the Bonham home with the green sparkle . kzbin.info/www/bejne/jHaQZpuMadOGZ9Esi=OLkn-wg8mjnYTG2p

[@charlieskelhorn]

@@BONHAMOLOGY Damn!! what an amazing video! Can you imagine being in that room?

[@jimflys2]

Very cool.

[@johnsoos6907]

Great synopsis! I have the same exact Ludwig Black-Diamond Pearl kit!

[@BONHAMOLOGY]

Nice!

[@daveastondrums]

Fascinating, thanks for your work.

[@wjb111]

This is pure Genius! George is the man!!!

[@bryanbahantka6969]

Would be interesting to see Zeppelin versions of Train Kept A Rollin/For Your Love interpreted with the double kick

[@joeavey173]

Great stuff George. Where did you find confirmation of him using stainless on ITTOD? I hate the drum mix on that album. Where are the toms? Especially on In the Evening & I'm Gonna Crawl. Album should have all sounded more like All My Love extended outtake.

[@BONHAMOLOGY]

Yes, I agree with you, I always thought it was strange how the drums sound somewhat flat and distant considering what those out takes sound like. You can see the stainless steel kit set up at Polar Studio. It's clearly visible in the photos.

[@joeavey173]

Yes, I've seen that Polar pic. I wondered if they were just testing what the stainless would sound like or if they actually tracked with them. I'd kill for pics of them in the studio. Family, friends, crew; somebody's hot to have something.

[@ruffdrag]

Good summary, with a few photos I hadn't viewed, stainless steel bass drum on lap for one. John's late 70's drum tech, Jeff Ocheltree does mention a silver sparkle Ludwig kit in Thunder of Drums by Welch & Nicholls, page 137-138 but as you stated I haven't seen a photo surface. Terry Bozzio once told a story on video or print, that Jeff Beck had shown Terry that he had one of Bonhams' green sparkle Ludwig bass drums, presumably during the "Guitar Shop' era late 80's. Also Bonham apparently used brushes on "The Rain Song" but I've never read about or viewed a photo of which brand/type.

[@BONHAMOLOGY]

Yes, I assume he was using Ludwig brushes.

[@orthacusesalven4358]

Awesome video of Bonham’s gear thanks George!

[@danielprice5416]

Very Cool video ! Thanks my Brother Love ya as Big as the Sky 🥁✌🏼

[@jasonbone7033]

Love it! Thanks Professor!!!

[@Leadman1]

Very informative and well documented. How about mic placement and types used during recording and live performances?

[@BONHAMOLOGY]

Thank you. That's beyond my range of expertise. Also, it's impossible to know really what was used in the studio. I know he pretty much had Shure 548s all around his kit in 72-75 someone with more microphone knowledge could chime in here

[@Leadman1]

Eddie Kramer would be a good source for this type of information.@@BONHAMOLOGY

[@georgemichael9106]

I feel so blessed I got to see the green sparkles on my first Led Zeppelin show in 1971 at the LA Forum and my 2nd show in Tucson in 72 then the Amber’s in 73 and my final show 3/5/1975 in Dallas. I got the dates right this time George lol.

[@luvbasses5487]

George…I loved every second of this video. More Zeppelin videos please.

[@daveamalfitano179]

Thank always wanted to know the order !!

[@ddude7663]

Loved the vid. I appreciate the hard work you did to produce it, Although it seems obvious to be a labor of love.

[@musicvideoproductionediting]

Great video and excellent information, very detailed very well done!

[@InfamousGarageHack]

Fantastic presentation, George. It’s incredible to have all this info condensed into a single video. Extra thanks for the details on the first green sparkle kit (the Super Classic pre-LZ set). Was the Slingerland kit from the early days purchased by John or were those “borrowed” from the Yardbirds gear stash? Never knew the whole back story on that kit. Thanks again. This is a great reference source. Cheers🍻

[@BONHAMOLOGY]

Thanks very much. There's no confirmed background on the Slingerland kit that I've ever read. I've seen comments about them coming from the yard birds, but if that's true, why aren't there any photos of Jim McCarthy playing them?

[@CZdrum]

good stuff as always..

[@donnybrookstudio4366]

Thank you George! excellent info!

[@DAGDRUM53]

Till now I never knew about the black diamond Ludwig kit seen on the first US tour. Is it known where John got it or if it was new or used?

[@BONHAMOLOGY]

No, I assumed it was either rented and then purchased or bought in advance of the first tour

[@clifton8607]

Years ago I watched a video by Jason’s son Jager, in it he did a tour of an outhouse/garage which I presumed was in the UK. Inside the was quite a few kits on shelves that included the vistas but I can’t for the life of me remember if he said they were all his grandads. When I first watched it it had zeppelin playing in the background and when I went back to watch it again it had been muted. Now it looks like it’s been took down as I can’t find it anymore.

[@BONHAMOLOGY]

Damn! I wish I could see that

[@jamesbell9011]

Thanks for sharing your wealth of information!!! ALLLL systems go!!! I don't know anyone who doesn't love this video!!! THANKS for sharing BROTHER DRUMMER!!! 👍

[@josephandrachick1774]

thank you george

[@ronvallejo7987]

Good work George!

[@Claes_Isacson]

Thanks George! 👏🥁

[@mikeneumann4660]

Excellent research job. Thank you thoroughly enjoyed it.

[@2mdcoe]

Not sure if anyone mentioned this below, but there is another black and white photo from behind the GS kit where he’s got CS Black Dots on all the batter sides. Bass drum too. You may have seen this already. Not sure the date or tour.

[@BONHAMOLOGY]

@@2mdcoe I never saw a photo like that. Never saw black dots on the green Sparkle.

[@2mdcoe]

@@BONHAMOLOGY check out the link I sent below

[@randallross420]

What a great channel, thanks for this video.

[@nicknitro4420]

"I Never had drum lessons, I just played the way I wanted, and got black-listed in Birmingham ....." John Bonham 6/21/1975

[@JesseBatesDrums]

Well done!!

[@vaneipontes3824]

Mr. John "Bonzo" Henry Bonham 🥁⚡️🔥

[@bobc.5698]

You didn't mention the Rogers tom mount on the thermo kit.....lol

[@BONHAMOLOGY]

Aha! Good nitpick!

[@macsdrainplumbing131]

Nice to hear the Moby Dick from Montreux Casino @4:54... excellent job on this video BTW!

[@BONHAMOLOGY]

Good catch!!

[@Prizmatic1658]

Good video, good video. I love gear..

[@jonathanbussey541]

This was great. Thank you.

[@georgesmart413]

Thank you George this was great

[@jimmyperez6277]

Wow, what a trip about the Black Diamond Pearl kit being acquired by Tony Newman. He is one of my favorites, especially his work with the Jeff Beck Group on “Beck-Ola”

[@BONHAMOLOGY]

Yes!

[@michaelduthie264]

Excellent work, thank you.

[@andrewjohnson388]

Great ...also ...which I think is gone in modern times...is the art of tuning that Bonham mastered ..air flow of the two side heads ...and used heads ..he liked well beaten heads. Great stuff ...articulate indeed. UK

[@davewestner]

Thanks George. I think I've seen every video you and @Bonzoleum have done on this topic, and I enjoyed this one too. The most surprising thing to me in this video has nothing to do with drums though. In that photo of the band's gear list from 1975, I am absolutely shocked to see that they only had one Mellotron with them. I figured everyone in those days brought a pair because they were so unreliable. George, do you know if there are ANY photos of Zep recording Physical Graffiti? Also, can you remind me what kit Nevison said Bonzo used on his sessions? I heard a story from a 3rd party on this subject a few months ago and curious if they line up. thanks again!

[@SopranoPizzaJMFNJ]

Looking forward to this. The silver sparkle BS was just a bad photo.

[@BONHAMOLOGY]

Usually it's due to either the lower resolution Polar studios pic, or one shot of the green sparkle that is faded looking, almost silver.

[@scottbryant2235]

Thanks! You covered much or all of what I always wondered!

[@suphraphonic]

Once again George you nailed it direct and to the point . P.S what did you think of the Tea Party recordings hearing Bonzo play Two Bass drums . Personally I have to agree with John Paul Jones comments .

[@BONHAMOLOGY]

Yes, I prefer Bonzo on one bass drum. It is cool to hear him going off though on that Boston show with the two ....especially since he must not have played double bass drums before if ever.

[@sojake3712]

So interesting.thank you for all the homework!

[@timjohnson5565]

Hey George I have a question do you have any idea what overhead mics he used in 75 tour with the vistalites? I think they may have been a AKG of some sort but just a guess.