Vintage Ludwig - John Bonham sound

I LOVE the sound of his snare. No matter what I do, I just can't get my 402 to sound like that one.
 
I LOVE the sound of his snare. No matter what I do, I just can't get my 402 to sound like that one.

Really? I can get mine exactly like it. First, you need a Remo Emperor batter head, then tune 'em up high. Bonham cranked his snare drums way up. The bottom head should sound like a banjo head. Then keep tuning the batter up until you hear that classic Bonham sound. And absolutely DO NOT use any muffling of any kind. Wide open and ringy is the way to go here.
 
Really? I can get mine exactly like it. First, you need a Remo Emperor batter head, then tune 'em up high. Bonham cranked his snare drums way up. The bottom head should sound like a banjo head. Then keep tuning the batter up until you hear that classic Bonham sound. And absolutely DO NOT use any muffling of any kind. Wide open and ringy is the way to go here.

Did that exact thing and yet I get a wonky sound out of it. I'm pretty good at tuning, but I can't get this drum to sound like that. I took it to a drum shop where a couple of touring pros work and let them have a look at it. Everyone said the same thing, it sounds okay, just not like Bonham's snare. I finally switched over to a coated dot and loosened up the bottom head a bit. Sounds okay, but not like I think it should.
 
you have to take into account the room you're in is different and whatever recording you might be comparing to is EQ'd, etc...plus, drums sound different when played by different people. Get a sound BASED on that sound, then make it YOUR OWN!!

I love Zeppelin, Bonham and everything but there's soooo much more out there to experiement with and discover. He was a big guy, who warked on a farm, jackhammering away, etc (see The Song Remains the Same) who played big drums. Those drums were complementary to his style and body structure. Not everyone would get the same results with the exact set up.

My first year in college jazz band, after a tune, the professor says "hey drummer, that was...well, what's the name of that English band?? oh yeah, Led Zeppelin!! don't do that here!"
 
If you want to have your snare sound like his, I would tune it to the sound of Ochletree's video, and then set the wires as loose as possible. I remember reading somewhere he kept his snare so loose it almost sounded as if he was playing with the throw off.

Just a thought.
 
Back
Top