Only time Bonham ever used a snare that wasn't a 6.5" aluminum LM402 was for the recording of LZI, which was a 5" aluminum LM400, like . The old heads wont hold tune as well, and eventually theyll wear out and break. A bad day of drumming is better than a good day at work! -- John Bonham A Thunder of Drums by Chris Welsh and Geoff Nicholls, Given Bonzo's affinity towards Ludwig kits, odds are Bonzo was using a Ludwig kit to record Led Zeppelin 1. I'd assume his first 6.5 is keystone since he got it with the maple kit. After choosing the best drum set for you, and tuning your drums, the next most important thing for a beginner is learning how to play! How Do I Sound Like John Bonham? - FIX YOUR MIX | Official Blog adunit: 'drumforum_mobile_sticky_320x50', Tuning: Bonham tuned the batter head medium-tight while the resonant was cranked much higher, although this will require some experimentation. Wood & Weather Drum Shop | Reverb Whether or not he ever "upgraded" to those new drums or rotated them in with any frequency is unknown. How to Tune Your Drums - School of Rock If one part of the drum is loose and another is tight, the drum wont produce a good tone. size: [[300, 250]], JavaScript is disabled. Press J to jump to the feed. code: 'div-gpt-ad-drumforum_rosatf_728x90', If customer returns within 90 days of dated invoice the startup tune price will be deducted from the full tune price) Street tune $450+ HPT credits. if(detectWidth() <= 1024) device = "tablet"; Press firmly but not too hard. i do know that bonham used a felt strip. 4a, each worth one beat, can be thought of as the building blocks for a number of Bonhams most well-known grooves, including those in Examples 4b, 4c, 4d, and 4e, all of which speak mightily for themselves. It was actually his own personal kit that he used with Band ofJoy, heused it to record Led Zeppelin 1! Tight coated ambs on bottom, kind of tight coated emperors on top. Bonhams massive performance on When The Levee Breaks hits a pinnacle when he unleashes this fill at 5:25 in all its majestic glory (Ex. Mattacks was astounded when Bonham played the little 18 kick and it sounded just like a Led Zeppelin record! This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies. It sound a bit dry but not dead, very perceptive dynamically and powerful. Just make sure you dont fit it too tight youll lose all that lovely resonance if you do. device: ['desktop'], // display only on device 714-503-1880. If you have two or three toms, you can tune them to wider intervals. Combine that with large drums, his unique feel, and boom, classic rock god. code: 'div-gpt-ad-drumforum_rosbtf_300x250', but i know for sure a few things i could add. network: dfpNetwork, I've got 6 snares right now . 6a). if(adUnits[i].assignToVariableName && (adUnits[i].assignToVariableName !== null)) window[adUnits[i].assignToVariableName] = dfpSlots[i]; Most beginners tend to tune their drums too high and choke the tone of the drum. im using 2 mxr ribbon mics as the overheads, a shure beta 57a on the kick facing the beater about 2-3 inches in the porthole, and a pyle mic on the snare (the shure sm57 copy). network: dfpNetwork, His first (only?) adUnits.push({ To start with, Bonham was known to use very little arm when he played, keeping them at a rather low position. info@tune-bot.com That's how I got mine. One of the most overlooked and misunderstood aspects of drumming is drum tuning. The shell is the wood body of the drum. The final microphones are your two overheads. } Your purchases also help protect forests, including trees traditionally used to make instruments. Here are some tuning basics by genre: Remember to use our drum tuning chart and experiment with different heads and tunings until you find your sound. That's the year Led Zepps. In fact, he did his signature triplets on a standard bass drum pedal. The snare drum is hit the most often, so it may need replacing more often. 3d, a number of stickings can be applied, resulting in virtually endless possibilities for orchestrating this around the kit. 413-315-3409. Its true that a conscious effort to play behind the beat will almost certainly lack the subtlety of Bonhams groove. Cheaper, would be buy the DVD, "Trust Your Ears", by Jeff Ocheltree. advises only the most creative and frugal application, so as not to be known as the drummer that always plays all those Bonham licks. Each type of head produces a different tone, and some are more durable than others. Its useless to ponder what the future might have held for Bonzo had fate not intervened so unfairly; his contribution was, after all, so much more than anybody could ever have asked for in the first place. All other. 93ZoSo93 Snare Drum Ludwig Supraphonic 14" - JohnBonham.co.uk Snare Drum Throughout Bonham's career it seems he consistently played on the Ludwig Supraphonic 14inch x 6 402 snare drum on stage. Touch - John Bonham was fucking good dude. This is only for start-up, NOT DRIVING! should i use a demo emperor coated on the bottom? In the context of anyone elses music these phrases might even be thought of almost along the lines of a literal quote. network: dfpNetwork, He played both Keystone and B/O badges. The resonant head will shape the overtones, or resonance, of the drum. device: ['mobile'], // display only on device If you want to try with heads, one configuration he used was Ambassador reso heads tuned high and Emperor batter heads tuned lower. Smaller drums have higher resonant frequencies, and larger drums have lower resonant frequencies. } adUnits.push({ The one I am wanting to own would be the one he recorded " Kashmir and Levee Breaks. Kick drums are usually tuned lower than the low E on a bass guitar. code: 'div-gpt-ad-drumforum_atf_300x250', If your kick drum lacks definition, pitching the resonant kick drum head slightly higher than the batter head will tighten up the tone. Did he use any moon gel or stuff a duvet into the bass drum? The snares are attached to the bottom head and give the drum its signature sound. Instead, he says thinks like; "he tuned the bottom head WAY up", and "the bottom head would be tuned the way you would hear a snare drum being tuned". 2023 School of Rock LLC. Once you remove the hoops and rods, take a cloth and wipe the edge of the drum shell to remove any dust. John Henry "Bonzo" Bonham's Ludwig LM 402 - [DFO] Drum Forum userType: ['guest','loggedin'], // display only on user type Dyno Tuning Los Angeles - Superior Automotive Engineering in this months Modern Drummer magazine (december2008)someone asked the same JB tuning question which was answerd by Mr Ochletree himself. 5c, making appearances in Black Dog, Kashmir, Since Ive Been Loving You, The Ocean, Good Times Bad Times, For Your Life, and too many more to count. Take a look at the refined shadings of Bonhams entrance in No Quarter (Ex. adunit: 'drumforum_rosbtf_300x250', i played a show Friday and i used the other drummers kit, i was only a bloody Ludwig vistalite! To locate it, try playing a single-stroke roll at a slow to moderate tempo perhaps around the kit and concentrate on playing your left hand late, but only ever so slightly. Fit all three with single-ply resonant heads and tune these to medium-high. code: 'div-gpt-ad-drumforum_300x250_3', That is because John had is own way of tuning his drums. If the tension isnt equal, youll hear odd, wavering overtones. code: 'div-gpt-ad-drumforum_desktop_midcontent_728x90', Bonham pretty much always played with Paiste B8 alloy cymbals, so to sound legit, stick with these when you can. John Bonham tuning | Drummerworld Forum Seriously, listen to footage of Elvin Jones, Tony Williams, Max Roach, and the likes of those types. Any snare resonant head will work. Kick - John tuned like a lot (not all) of the jazz players. The fact of the matter is that the gear and how its tuned means next to nothing when taking into consideration the individual sitting behind it. 10 Ways To Sound Like John Bonham - DRUM! Magazine Bonham provides similar subtleties in the stately grooves on Ten Years Gone, one album later (Ex. There was a lot of engineering done on the LZ albums. As you study these very specific elements of style, it is of supreme importance that you remain fully aware that these technicalities are capable of taking you only half way. Tightening the tension rods causes the pitch of the drum to go up; loosening the tension rods will lower the pitch. and I've never tried to copy "anyone's" particular snare sound . He got a full drum set at age fifteen, a Premier set, about the same time when I got mine although mine were Ludwig. Video: How to Make Your Kit Sound Like John Bonham's how could i replicate his tuning with the drum types and sizes that i have? This article was based on a tutorial from Reverb.com, which you can find on their YouTube channel here. Answer (1 of 4): Well, there's the rub. In fact, DRUM! -Ambassador Snare Hazy-42 strand Snare wires If the heads are new play for approx one week - then start to tuning. Yes, I read it. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Bonham used a rented Slingerland kit on the band's first European tour in the late 60's. LS Swap tuning. The beater should hit just below center for the perfect balance of attack and tone. Check out page 39 of the Autumn 2007 issue of TRAPS Magazine for a complete inventory of Bonhams setup by year, as well as a poignant feature on the man (which you can also be download at drummagazine.com/bonham). Any snare resonant head will work. Bonhams drum kit tuning.interesting info! - DRUMMERWORLD Experiment with drum tuning ranges and find the sound you like. This is also dependent on the number of toms; drum kits with several toms may need to be tuned to closer intervals to allow all the drums to sound their best and not be tuned beyond their comfortable frequency range. size: [[728, 90]],