JOHN BONHAM'S GEAR / A COMPREHENSIVE PROFILE
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- Опубликовано: 7 фев 2025
- This video takes a look at Bonzo's gear throughout his entire career. From his early days, as a teenager playing 'Brum Beat' in local bands around Birmingham, to the final Zeppelin Over Europe tour of 1980. I tried not to speculate about his gear and stick to what is verifiable through reputable accounts and available photos.
I did not go into detail about his cymbals because I already made 3 separate videos that focus on the hihats, crashes, and rides that he used. Check my videos for those as well.
For the Gear Headz!
Thanks to Mick Bonham's book John Bonham, and Geoff Nichols and Chris Welch's book, A Thunder of Drums, for reference.
Special Thanks to Billy Harrington for his photos and info on the maple thermogloss kit, Eric Levy for some photos and timeline info, and to Pete Echanique for the video montage introduction.
If you enjoy my channel and would like to help support what I do, here is a link where you can contribute whatever you like. paypal.me/bonh...
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Man, thank you sincerely for this wonderful cumulative compendium! Great early shots on there too- wonderful.
Thanks George, much respect for your genuine care about our hero! John Bonham forever, never forgotten!
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
Thanks, Michael!
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
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?
I love that you keep talking Bonham when people don’t thanks bro
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.
What movie
@@Dragonwitmatches OMG, are you serious? The Song Remains the Same (1976).
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 .
This was a great 16 minutes of my life. Thanks for that.
Wow, George, so great. I had to post twice. Incredible photos, some of which I have never seen. Thank you !!
Great job George!!
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...
I heard that it was to be a black sparkle , I think in Thunder of Drums...but who knows the source of that information
Love John Bonham ever. ❤🥁
Thank so much for this compendium!
Fantastic video and a wealth of information and some photos I have never seen before THANK YOU
Yes. Yes. Yes. The definitive video on this topic. Thank you George
Thanks for sharing this. It's interesting to get the history of John Bonham's drums. Very comprehensive. Cheers! 👍🏻👍🏻✌️🥁
Excellent overview! Well done, George!
Thank you so much for this informative video Mr. Fludas! Bravo!
Very interesting George, thanks!
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.
Thanks Sean! I'm glad to hear that it was that moving!
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.
Thanks!
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...
Thanks! I've long thought same! Hoops should be 1.6mm though. 😁
D'OH- see, this is why you're the Bonham guru! 😂@@BONHAMOLOGY
Thanks George!
I don’t know how you even got some of this information. This video is incredibly impressive (and informative).
I can’t get enough of this! Brilliant.
Excellent, George! Thank you for your hard work putting this together. Now we have all this important information in one place.
Thank you, Mark!
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.
Thanks again George, enjoyed your video
Nice one George great information, I recently got a 79, 402 snare I’m in bonham mode now 😁 👍
Nice! Thanks.
Best video on that topic I guess. Amazing job George, thank you!
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.
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.
@@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.
Great video George, very cool pictures and glad you included the 'Ritchie ring' bass drum muting at the end! ✌️❤️🥁
Fantastic job , super precise and accurate . Thanks for this
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!
Wow, that's a very good point! Something is amiss there.
Thanks for video greatest rock drummer 🥁
Outstanding! Thanks for this!
BRILLIANT work, thank you!!!
Really great research! 👏 👏
Thanks for this,amazing details and accuracy.👍🇮🇪
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.
All of that makes sense. Do you recall which magazine you read that in?
@@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!!
@@BONHAMOLOGYwould it not be "Modern drummer"?
Mr. John "Bonzo" Henry Bonham 🥁⚡️🔥
Very cool and nicely done George.
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.
That's amazing!
This video shows a short tour of the room at the Bonham home with the green sparkle . ruclips.net/video/VE-5hV4nS1o/видео.htmlsi=OLkn-wg8mjnYTG2p
@@BONHAMOLOGY Damn!! what an amazing video! Can you imagine being in that room?
Thank you!!
Very Cool video ! Thanks my Brother Love ya as Big as the Sky 🥁✌🏼
This is pure Genius! George is the man!!!
Awesome video! I have never been able to find the perfect tambourine ring for my hi hats. Appreciate the pic you shared
Love it! Thanks Professor!!!
Thanks George! 👏🥁
Great synopsis! I have the same exact Ludwig Black-Diamond Pearl kit!
Nice!
George…I loved every second of this video. More Zeppelin videos please.
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!!! 👍
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.
That's awesome! Wow
Thank you for this documentation.
"I Never had drum lessons, I just played the way I wanted, and got black-listed in Birmingham ....." John Bonham 6/21/1975
thank you george
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.
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
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
Thanks, I'll check it out
Love it George, thank you.
Excellent thanks so much❤
Thank you George! excellent info!
Loved the vid. I appreciate the hard work you did to produce it, Although it seems obvious to be a labor of love.
Fantastic history of Bonzo’s gear thank you George.
Just only a few minutes(!) before you posted this my wife posted a photo (on our band WhatsApp group) a photo of Bonzo aged 16 playing with Terry Webb and the Spiders at the Red Lion pub in Worcester. Can’t make out the kit but the heads looked very well used.
The photo is in your video.
Appreciate all you do in support of drumming and LZ.
Have a great Saturday evening!! 🥁🏴🥁👍🏼
Thats incredible!! Great minds! LOL
@@BONHAMOLOGY Thanks George. fyi just seen Robert Plant on tv - in the crowd for the West Brom v Wolverhampton soccer FA cup came just about to kick off over here (11.45) !
Have a great Sunday.!
Hope you are playing today. 👍🏼🥁🥁👍🏼
Fascinating, thanks for your work.
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
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.
Good work George!
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
Very cool.
Excellent👍🏼
Excellent research job. Thank you thoroughly enjoyed it.
Great video and excellent information, very detailed very well done!
Long live Bonhan 🥁
Thanks! You covered much or all of what I always wondered!
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.
Yes, I assume he was using Ludwig brushes.
Looking forward to this. The silver sparkle BS was just a bad photo.
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.
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”
Yes!
George never fail to impress with your knowledge and always your paying.
Well done!!
good stuff as always..
Excellent work, thank you.
Thank you George this was great
Thanks George, beautiful job ,as usual. RIP - Adam Ferraioli , prayers to him & family. A sad loss to the drumming & bonzo fans community. Thanks George, for helping the Bonzo legacy stay alive.
Very cool George!
What a great channel, thanks for this video.
This was great! He was a huge BR fan and anybody that sat out front of Buddy's bass drum can testify to that! Two felt strips and no port. Wood beater and then, Ka BOOM!! Double bass legs and I noticed drum key on the floor tom. Buddy stuff. Yes, I am a JB and BR fan. I have a '69 Hollywood with all Atlas and '49 Radio Kings. Similar to Buddy's last. I took up the instrument in '69. The '70s were amazing. Cheers!
Thanks a lot.....❤....
This was around 1988 to 92. When I began lining the set with foil
So interesting.thank you for all the homework!
Excellent info mate✌
Good video, good video. I love gear..
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.
This was great. Thank you.
good one George enjoyed that
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🍻
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?
Excellent, many thanks!
Great info,thanks!😎🔥🥁
Georgy boy!!! You da man!!!!
Do you have any idea where Bonham's kits - other than the maple thermogloss - are now? Like the green sparkle, vistalite and steel.
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.
Thank always wanted to know the order !!