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

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

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

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

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

I've been a Neil Peart fan since the first time that I seen him play about 55 years ago ! It was at St. Catharines Collegiate and the band he was playing in was The Majority . I was SO blowin away by him and at the same time I was so intimidated by him , as were alot of other drummers from the area . I'm luvin this vid ! And if anyone is interested there are 4 vids about the music scene here in Niagara at the time Neil was still in high school . They talk with players who played with Neil in bands and it gives insight into this period of Neils' life - Paul Miils The Big Story of Small Potatoes .

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.

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.

Hi guys, very interesting and very pro (as in really 'well done'!) interview! I played with Neil during our late teens in a band called 'The Majority', and at first we practiced at his house- well, his parents/siblings house, in the garage but that didn't last long I suppose because of the noise, rather 'volume'. I played with Neil for about a year in the Majority, and in another band which I think was called 'David' named by singer whom Neil talks about scathingly in 'Traveling Music'. The second band was really good, but I believe we were blackballed by our agency (Image Artists) as we had quit our leader, and formed this new band. I moved into Neil's family's house and we were quite excited about the new band, however, we had no agency, van, bookings, etc., so that didn't last for more than a month or two. But that's another story. Anyway Neil and I remained friends, and kept in touch and had some good times in the decades to follow, during Rush. Anyway, I just wanted to drop a few recollections as the interview proceeds, regarding those early days First off (regarding drumsticks) Neil actually played with the sticks backwards (tips facing inwards) to get more power. I recall he intentionally loosened the skins on his bass drums so that he could use his foot with more force. Yes, Neil adored the Who back then. There are some photos of us (The Majority) where Neil had made and worn a sort of necklace with a piece of Keith Noon's cymbal attached, that broke off during one of the Who's concerts he saw. The first time I'd ever seen the album 'Tommy' was at Neil's house during a break for rehearsing. I'd never seen a double album before. Sometime later, we tried to talk Neil into going with myself, Wayne King (our bassist) Donnie (Wayne's brother) and Jimmy Johnson to see Led Zeppelin in Toronto, but Neil wasn't at all interested in Zeppelin, though we played a lot of their songs in The Majority. Jumping ahead to 'Signals' and that era, I would usually see Neil during tours (in Toronto), as well as correspond. I had mentioned preferring the sound and style of 'Moving Pictures' and he wrote back that he (and 'they') readily agreed.

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

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.

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.

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.

My friend in high school won the rosewood kit (from Permanent Waves and Moving Pictures) in a Modern Drummer essay contest. I had the privilege of playing them a few times and what blew my away was the full sound of each drum, exactly the same as the records. Cool tidbit, he was invited to meet Neil at a concert and as a gesture of thanks he created a minified version of Neil’s candy apple red kit, crafted from small pieces of wood and metal and such, meticulously put together and painted, it looked real authentic.

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".

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

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!

Can you guys do Phil Rudds Gear?

Tama Superstar from 76 to early 79 were 4 ply with 4 ply rering..79 to 86 were 6 ply no re-ring. Neil's CAP kit was ( as its told) not " lathed down" nor was it an Artstar " prototype " shell! which it was advertised by Tama" ( nothing sells drums like the name Neil Peart" ) It's a 4 ply with re-ring similar to the early Superstar shell. Of course vibrafibed.

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.

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

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.

I saw RUSH numerous times as they passed through Sioux City in the 70's. I was at the one show they played at the Roof Gardens in Okiboji, Iowa. There was about 300 people there and the warm up band was Brownsville Station. Tickets were about $5, those were the days.

RE: The thickness of Neil's candy-apple drums; it's my understanding that Tama was definitely making a select line of thinner / brighter drums for their endorsers that were not for general sale to the public. A lot of young drummers were lining up buy Tama kits thinking they would sound like Neil or Stewart Copeland.

This is incredible. Thank you, thank you, thank you for recording this! An absolute treasure trove of knowledge!

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.

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

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

I have always liked Neils drumming and never could comprehend how complex of a person and drummer he was. Thank you for this...

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

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!

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

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 ,

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.

That hard hitting clarity and Neil's overall musicianship is what really made me take notice when I bought my first Rush album in 1977 which was 2112. I wasn't really a big hard rock fan but I was a student drummer so his creative and articulate playing wasn't lost on me.

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.

Huge Rush and Neil fan. Not a player unless you count my steering wheel...and understand some of this since I read the tour books...incredibly compelling. Can't wait for part 2...I started my obsession around Roll the Bones...30+ years ago if you can believe it...long live the Professor and his impact on my life

Actually I was surprised by how much I knew about Neils drumkits, I couldn't tell you the dates, but I knew every kit, and could tell you the order that he had them, and which albums they were used on, but it was great to see photos I haven't seen before, especially the ones from behind the kits. This is definitely interesting stuff to a drummer and Rush fan like myself. I first saw them on the A farewell to kings tour, and have seen one show from every tour since then, which I think is 19 times in all !

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

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

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.

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.

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 RU-vid 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.

if one wanted to recreate the Moving Pictures kit, would it be feasible? how difficult would it be? just curious

Since this is a history channel, when did drummers switch and started describing dum sizes by the depth first, and then the diameter? Drums used to be described by their diameter first, then the depth (so "13 x 9") and this was the convention user by all drum manufactures and drummers (in the '70s, '80s, '90s), but now it seems like a lot of people describe a drum by it's depth first, and then it's diameter (so "9 x 13"). When did this change? It seems like the diameter is the more important dimension of the two and when describing a drum the diameter should be first.

The level of detail and the extent of research is unparalleled - bravo Bart!

Incredible episode Bart and Paul, thanks! I was wondering about the Slingerland kit in the Fly By Night video. Chrome but single headed concert toms. Could this kit have been a rental just for the shoot?

This is great stuff. With regard to the sound of the Tama's compared to the Slingerlands. I might add their recording budgets likely increased on PWs and MPs as the band began having better commercial success. So perhaps more time was spent in the studio getting better drum tones. Of course after MPs there really didn't seem to be a financial constraint in the studio. The HYF Ludwig's might be the best recorded drum sound he got over his entire career. Can't wait to watch the other two shows.

Guitar player here. (And HUGE RUSH fan!) Thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed this episode and look forward to parts 2 and 3.

About 24:17 in this video- Neil was using the hydraulic head on the bottoms likely to achieve that articulated Steve Gadd late 70s sound that was the vogue. In the early 80s he discovered drum resonance with the Tamas and it was off to the races.

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!

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.

amazing!! can't wait for the next one! rush fan since Permanent Waves at the age of ten.

title this "Pictures of his gear"

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

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.

Black Chromie was my favorite kit and was the one I saw at my first show (AFTK). Does anyone know what happened to Black Chromie?

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.

I actually played on and recorded with Neil's Rogers dune sonic snare. I was working with Robert Scoville,Rush's soundman from 89 to 94. Neil gave it to him and he had it in his studio and suggested I use it.

WATCH PART 2 HERE: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-hsSU_GjbdLQ.html

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🥰]

Mark Feldman from "BANG the Drum School", out of N.Y.C claims that some yrs back Neil Peart gave him his "Chromey" drum set. I have no reason to dis-believe him. Mr Feldman won a drum solo competition sponsored by Modern Drummer, and judged by Neil P. I should say, he "had" the Chromey set......I don't think he still has it today.

April/May 1980 Modern Drummer was my "playboy". Spent hours just staring at that picture of Neil on the cover. Classic drum porn!

he was prob feeling like y should i advertise zild if theyre not endorsing him.

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.

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

Wondering if anyone can shed some light on what kit Neil was using on the “anthem” and “fly by night” promotional videos. It is not Chromey. The kit heads are stock slingerlands with no RUSH branding. Also the kit has 2 rack Toms? (post Rogers kit he always had 3 rack Toms) also the rack Toms are open, chromey’s Toms apart from the concert Toms we’re all closed.

I recall hearing that Neil was quite interested in “Milestone” drums in the late 70’s (April Wines Jerry Mercer, Max Webster’s Gary McCraken both played these drums) but wanted an endorsement deal because “Tama” was offering him one at the time. The owner/ builder of Milestone at the time would not give away drums to anybody (even Billy Cobham - he had played them also) … so Neil agreed to the Tama deal. Milestone continued for a few years and got into financial trouble and eventually sold and became Tempus drums. They shut operations about 4-5 years ago? Big mistake on Milestone’s part in hindsight (every kid would have wanted fibreglass Milestones because Neil would have been an endorser) …

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.

I have some friends that removed all logos from anything they owned (drum wise)...they said if I have to buy it and you are not going to give it to me...I am not going to advertise for you. Some were in major touring bands at the time. I never cared really...I played what I liked. I still own 3 Ludwig kits (one Vistalite) 3 Pearl kits, 1 Taye, and one DW. I also own 3 60's import kits. I played each one of these kits live (except imports) and would just play the one I felt like it for that weekend gig. But may guys hated to have logos on their drums.

Hayman Drums had a fibreglass coating in the inner shell. Fort Wayne "Vibra-Fibed" his kits for years there after. I could be wrong but Neil having them physically removing plys sounds like non-sense. Neil felt the fibreglass tonal balanced the drums among themselves, gave them some more projection and some volume. It was applied using a centrifuge.

@ 1.04.15 - Simon Philips describes his gong drum similarly, he indeed uses a timpani drum head.

best time is permanent waves through power windows. tama and zildjian . DW ----thumbs down

1:00 Grammar correction (sorry): It's "home in" - not "hone in" Home means "to target" - as in a "homing device". Hone means "to sharpen" - as in a "finely honed blade." Sorry to be a dweeb but this is a pet peeve of mine.

Neil asked Phil Ehart to help him get a Slingerland endorsement. Phil talked to them and they turned Neil down because they said they didn't like Rush's music.

The Tama kit was a birch kit...the Slingerlands were maple. I had and still have a couple of Pearl kits that are birch...and after playing Ludwig maple shell kits. I would never go back to maple kit. The birch kits sound better on stage, and also in the studio. My sound man said the birch drums were a better sound and more dynamic range. That is the reason for the change in Neils sound.

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.

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

If his last name didn't have the 'T' , how would you pronounce it? Just like the fruit. Just add the 'T'.

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.

I used to mispronounce it as "Pert" just like most people and hearing the proper pronunciation sounded totally wrong to me. But I made the change anyway and I can safely say that "Pert" makes me cringe now whenever I hear it mispronounced! :D

Was that Rogers kit used on the 1970 demo for J.R. Flood? Anybody know??

@12:46 - I have (2) matching 10" toms on my kit, in the interest of simplicity. I'd guess that KM did it in the interest of symmetry.

"X likes RUSH" is a thing, it is a character assessment and all that needs to be said in basic introductions. I can't count the times my buddy brought that up with new people. And the look, they know you a little more suddenly because they now other people who like RUSH.

Never mind the drum endorsements, imagine the money Neil could of made endorsing mustache products!!!

Why is Tama pronounce like Toma?

No mention of the kit in the Fly By Night video. Chrome Slingerland kit, 2 concert toms in front and 3 floor toms

Update 2: exit stage left dvd intro. Someone is cleaning the back of a cymbal, and it has rivets. A pang I think. Does anybody care?

Neil is using a chrome Slingerland kit with single headed Tom's in the Fly By Night video. Any info?

Maybe somebody on here can shed some light on a question I have about Neil's hardware. Is there ANY literature or article that explains exactly how and what Neil and his drum tech did to modify the cymbal stand that the ride cymbal and crash are mounted to? I've always been curious as so how exactly the upper down stem threaded onto the bottom part without crushing the ride cymbal

I need to hear more details about his dynasonic snare. Just glossing over the snare he used on fly by night, caress of steel and 2112 just isn't gonna cut it.

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.

You didn't actually mention how the drums sound..? Some of the shells were poplar, right? I don't imagine that those ones sound like bitch, even with the same edges. It seems to me that even if you save a bit of money over original Signature drums, they still would need to me a lot cheaper to make them worth it if they don't sound like those kits...

Update: distant early warning video. Pang with rivets. Long rivets.

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

I always thought the superstars were the maple shells and later artstar with then granstars coming in late 80s with birch. What were the maple onescalled back then?

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

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

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.

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!