Geoff Nicholls

Geoff Nicholls

Freelance Gear Reviewer, MusicRadar

Geoff Nicholls is a musician, journalist, author and lecturer based in London. He co-wrote, co-presented and played drums on both series of ‘Rockschool’ for BBC2 in the 1980s. 

Before that he was a member of original bands signed by Decca, RCA, EMI and more. ‘Rockschool’ led to a parallel career writing articles for many publications, from the Guardian to Mojo, but most notably Rhythm magazine, for which he was the longest serving and most diverse contributor.

During this time Geoff toured the USA with Hugh Harris for Capitol-EMI, spent many happy years with Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers, recorded and gigged with Chicago blues legends including Carey Bell, Mojo Buford, Louisiana Red and Nappy Brown. More recently he infiltrated the folk-world-music scene with MoltenAmba.

He has taught on the Guildhall Music School’s Jazz and Rock Summer School from 1985 to 2025 and for many years lectured in music business and copyright law.

Meantime he has written award-winning books (e.g., ‘John Bonham, A Thunder of Drums’, 2002, with Chris Welch) and series for radio (1993’s ‘Byte The Music’ for BBC Radio 3 won First Prize Gold Award at the New York Radio Festival). ‘The Drum Book’ (1997, fully updated in 2008) remains the definitive account of the evolution of the modern drum kit.

Latest articles by Geoff Nicholls

The all-maple kit sits in the middle of the PDP range, but aims near the top

PDP M5 Drum Kit

By Geoff Nicholls published

A keenly priced all-maple semi-pro kit

Drum Kits
ddrum claims the diagonal seams and cross-laminated plies make its shells some of the strongest around

DDRUM Dios M Drum Kit

By Geoff Nicholls published

The latest maple Dios from the improving ddrum stable

Drum Kits
Acrylic shells: warm and sensitive with a deep timbre

Highwood Acrylic Shell Drum Kit

By Geoff Nicholls published

Is this a comeback for transparent drums?

Drum Kits
The fashionable 20"-deep bass drum with small mass mini Classic lugs works great with a double pedal

Ludwig Centennial Drum Kit

By Geoff Nicholls published

With Ludwig turning 100 in 2009, MusicRadar tests this Taiwanese-made taster of things to come

Drum Kits
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Simon Phillips on Jeff Beck, Toto and Protocol II

By Geoff Nicholls last updated

The Toto and session legend takes stock

Drummers
Absolute Hybrid Maple is the fourth generation of Yamaha's Absolute series

Yamaha Absolute Hybrid Maple kit

By Geoff Nicholls last updated

Award-winning next step in Yamaha's long-standing mission to make the most cutting-edge production drum kits in the world

Drum Kits
The Concert Master 22 has a birdseye maple veneer, with contrasting mahogany hoops on the bass drum

Premier Modern Classic Concert Master 22

By Geoff Nicholls last updated

Premier's Modern Classics are high-end drums that are entirely hand-built in the UK

Drum Kits
The Bebop 20 gets a mahogany finish, with contrasting birdseye maple hoops on the bass drum

Premier Modern Classic Bebop 20

By Geoff Nicholls last updated

Modern Classic heralds the return of popular UK star Steve White to the Premier fold

Drum Kits
You'll have noticed the striking finish, a rich and glittering Magma Red lacquer fading from deep red to black

Mapex Armory Series Kit

By Geoff Nicholls last updated

Brand new mid-range series from the ever inventive, forward looking Mapex, the Armory will surely prove a big hit

Drum Kits
PST7s are crafted from Paiste's original 2002-series B8 bronze, the low-tin content CuSn8

Paiste PST7 Series cymbals

By Geoff Nicholls last updated

Scaling up from your starter cymbals these budget PST7s offer the professional sound quality of Paiste's CuSn8 bronze

Cymbals
That's brushed aluminium and the drum's chunky hoops are 13-ply rock maple

Gretsch Gold Series Aluminium Shell Snare

By Geoff Nicholls last updated

Aluminium shelled drum with wood hoops makes its own sound

Snare Drums
All the new SensiTone drums have a strengthening centre-bead, and the Aluminium shells are seamless

Pearl SensiTone Metal Shell snares

By Geoff Nicholls last updated

Pearl updates its popular SensiTone series of snares starting with a first-rate metal-shelled trio to suit all pockets

Snare Drums
The Avant's Finnish birch shells are built in Liberty's own factory and have new profile Opex bearing edges

Liberty Avant Series Kit

By Geoff Nicholls last updated

Inspired by the avant garde jazzers of the 1950s, the Liberty Avant's motto is to "build and excel, inspire and enhance"

Drum Kits
The Modern Classic is available in Natural Mahogany (top) or Birdseye Maple (bottom) finishes

Premier Modern Classic Snare

By Geoff Nicholls last updated

Accompanying the superb Modern Classic kit, these two snare drums again confirm Premier's world-class drum-making status

Snare Drums
Note that this is not a Bubinga veneer, but clever stippling that looks like Bubinga

Pearl BCX Masters Birch Kit

By Geoff Nicholls last updated

The Masters series has long been a by-word for honest quality. Now Pearl has made the marque available to even more drummers with the BCX

Drum Kits
The mesh's fine weave feels perfectly even and the heads feel as strong as regular heads

Remo Silent Stroke mesh drum heads

By Geoff Nicholls last updated

Remo's long overdue first single-ply mesh heads enable quiet practice sessions with a pretty authentic feel

Drum Gear
Celebrating Ludwig's 105th year the Signet self-assembly concept is a revolutionary initiative, cleverly realised

Ludwig Signet 105 TeraBeat kit

By Geoff Nicholls last updated

Celebrating Ludwig's 105th year, the Signet 105 is a bold new idea which brings USA maple drums within reach of everyone

Drum Kits
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Istanbul Agop Signature Ride Cymbals

By Geoff Nicholls last updated

Istanbul - the cymbal company – was founded in 1980 by Agop Tomurcuk, previously foreman at the K Zildjian factory in Istanbul, Turke

Cymbals
The Maple drum (right) with its 13" diameter provides a snappy, poppy sound

Yamaha Dave Weckl 30th Anniversary Maple Snare

By Geoff Nicholls last updated

Updated collectors' limited editions of the master drummer's unique signature maple snare drum

Snare Drums
The brass model (left) has a 14"x51⁄2" shell of 1.2mm gauge brass with a strengthening centre bead

Yamaha Dave Weckl 30th Anniversary Brass Snare

By Geoff Nicholls last updated

Limited to just 250, we test Dave Weckl's super-limited collectors' edition snare drum

Snare Drums
Proprietary patina process ensures the cymbals look aged, and the aura is remarkably authentic

Zildjian K Kerope Cymbals

By Geoff Nicholls last updated

Zildjian harks back to the 1950s and 1960s for this richly characterful new set with an authentic vintage twist

Cymbals
The shell (bottom) is 50-50 teak-araucaria with a rich brown figured outer teak veneer

Odery Custom Teak and Araucaria Snare

By Geoff Nicholls last updated

Sustainably-sourced drums from the unique Brazilian company

Snare Drums
All these cymbals have fine lathing top and bottom, leaving the AAX Freq hats the odd guys out with their raw bells and dual surface

Sabian Cymbal Vote 2014 Winners

By Geoff Nicholls last updated

Sabian's clever marketing idea, to run an online public vote for the most popular of its latest cymbals to promote, enters its third year.

Cymbals
The snare (top) has 2.3mm triple-flanged steel hoops and all metal fittings are finished in antique silver

Odery Custom Araucaria Snare

By Geoff Nicholls last updated

A new custom snare drum illustrates the breadth of choice from this fascinatingly different firm

Snare Drums
UFIP's Supernova range cymbals have a super-smooth hand-buffed finish

UFIP Supernova cymbals

By Geoff Nicholls last updated

Professional quality cymbal series now fully available in the UK

Cymbals
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