Skip to main content
MusicRadar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
UK EditionUK US EditionUS AU EditionAustralia SG EditionSingapore
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Black Friday
  • Artist news
  • Music Gear Reviews
  • Synths
  • Guitars
  • Controllers
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Guitar Amps
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About us
Don't miss these
Man playing Roland TD716 electronic drum set in a studio
Electronic Drums Best electronic drum sets 2025: Top picks for every playing level and budget, tested by drummers – plus video and audio demos
Led Zeppelin
Artists The genius behind John Bonham’s towering When The Levee Breaks drum sound
Simon Phillips
Artists “I got a hacksaw, chopped down the stand and put the hi-hats down there”: How Simon Phillips learned to play left-handed
Drummers Listen to 11 isolated drum tracks from rock's drumming legends
Zildjan Alchem-e Kit
Drums Zildjian Alchem-e Kits at Drums Week 2025: The feel of real drums meets limitless electronic expression – redefine your sound
Carmine Appice in Vanilla Fudge
Artists “People say I hate John Bonham because he stole my stuff”: The legendary drummer who influenced Bonzo and many more
Tama pedals
Drums TAMA Kick Pedals at Drums Week 2025: Precision, Power, Performance — engineered for drummers who demand the fastest, smoothest response
Drummers When British rock drumming ruled the world
Electronic drum set pioneers: Neil Peart
Electronic Drums 11 trailblazing players who raised the bar for electronic and hybrid drumming
JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE! "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" airs every weeknight at 11:35 p.m. ET and features a diverse lineup of guests that include celebrities, athletes, musical acts, comedians and human interest subjects, along with comedy bits and a house band. The guests for Monday, September 8 included Spinal Tap (Nigel Tufnel aka Christopher Guest, David St. Hubbins aka Michael McKean and Derek Smalls aka Harry Shearer) and Marty DiBergi (aka Rob Reiner) ("Spinal Tap II: The End Continues"), and musical guest Spinal Tap. (Disney/Randy Holmes) SPINAL TAP  (Photo by Randy Holmes/Disney via Getty Images)
Bands Five basses! Spinal Tap recruit Tal Wilkenfeld and Thundercat for bottom-heavy Jimmy Kimmel performance
Drum Kits Where to start with a drum kit
TAMA STAR Drums
Drums TAMA STAR at Drums Week 2025: Unmatched craftsmanship, iconic sound — the strongest name in drums just got even stronger
Sleep Token
Drums “We tried it as a laugh and now it’s our standard setup”: The secret sauce behind Sleep Token’s live drum sound
Danny Carey
Drummers 6 of the most inspirational drummers of all time
The Seymour Duncan Joe Bonamassa Bolin Burst Signature Pickup Set replicates the same humbuckers that are in the blues superstar's 1960 Les Paul Standard once owned by Tommy Bolin.
Artists Seymour Duncan expands Joe Bonamassa range with humbucker set based on pickups from his ‘Bolin Burst’ Les Paul
More
  • Pete Townshend on smashing - and fixing - his guitars
  • 95k+ free music samples
  • AI slop hits #1
  • The pain that birthed Don't Speak
  • Europe vs AI
  1. Drums
  2. Drum Kits

Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience drum setup in pictures

News
By Joe Bosso last updated 27 February 2020

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience drum setup in pictures

Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience drum setup in pictures

"We just started this new leg of the tour," says Jason Bonham, "but so far, so good." The drummer is standing on the stage at the State Theatre in New Brunswick, New Jersey, the second stop on the spring run of Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience. It's a few minutes until soundcheck, and Bonham is examining his DW Vistalite kit (which also features a Ludwig Anniversary snare).

"We've made a few changes to the setlist from what we did last year," he says, giving his drumheads a quick tune-up. "I might tinker around with the show still - we'll see."

Bonham admits that he didn't initially plan on bringing the multi-media JBLZE show back for another tour - at least so soon. "But the reception we got last year was just over the top, completely exceeding my expectations. So. here we are. But I should add: People should come now. I can't tell you if you'll see this show again."

The other day, MusicRadar presented Jason Bonham himself providing a video tour of his beautious drum kit. On the following pages, we give you an up-close-and-personal look at this one-of-a-kind set.

  • Find your next setup with our guide to the best drum kits
Page 1 of 10
Page 1 of 10
Kick drum

Kick drum

"You look at the graphic and that says it all," says Bonham. The kick is fitted with a Remo Clear Ambassador head on the front and a Power Stroke III on the batter side.

Page 2 of 10
Page 2 of 10
Snare

Snare

A Remo Coated Emperor X head is changed nightly. Those sticks, by the way, are Bonham's own signature line of Pro-Marks, made from maple.

Page 3 of 10
Page 3 of 10
Rack tom

Rack tom

A Remo Clear Emperor on top and a Remo Clear Ambassador on the bottom, changed nightly.

Page 4 of 10
Page 4 of 10
Floor toms

Floor toms

Remo Clear Emperors on the tops and Remo Clear Ambassadors on the bottoms, changed nightly, of course.

Page 5 of 10
Page 5 of 10
Hi-hats

Hi-hats

Unlike his father, a lifelong user of Paiste cymbals, Jason favors Zildjians. “Zildjian have been in my family for over 25 years,” he says. "I have so many great friends over there."

Page 6 of 10
Page 6 of 10
Crash Ride

Crash Ride

Jason likes the Zildjian 21" K Crash Ride so much, he has not one but...

Page 7 of 10
Page 7 of 10
Light and Crash Rides

Light and Crash Rides

...two! Next to the Crash Ride is a Zildjian 24" K Light Ride, which is a favorite.

Page 8 of 10
Page 8 of 10
Pedals

Pedals

How do you get that famous Bonham bass drum sound? Being a Bonham helps, but it doesn't hurt to have DW pedals.

Page 9 of 10
Page 9 of 10
Gong

Gong

And if you're playing Led Zeppelin songs, occasionally you have to 'bang a bong!'

Page 10 of 10
Page 10 of 10
Joe Bosso
Joe Bosso

Joe is a freelance journalist who has, over the past few decades, interviewed hundreds of guitarists for Guitar World, Guitar Player, MusicRadar and Classic Rock. He is also a former editor of Guitar World, contributing writer for Guitar Aficionado and VP of A&R for Island Records. He’s an enthusiastic guitarist, but he’s nowhere near the likes of the people he interviews. Surprisingly, his skills are more suited to the drums. If you need a drummer for your Beatles tribute band, look him up.

Read more
Led Zeppelin
The genius behind John Bonham’s towering When The Levee Breaks drum sound
 
 
Simon Phillips
“I got a hacksaw, chopped down the stand and put the hi-hats down there”: How Simon Phillips learned to play left-handed
 
 
Listen to 11 isolated drum tracks from rock's drumming legends
 
 
Zildjan Alchem-e Kit
Zildjian Alchem-e Kits at Drums Week 2025: The feel of real drums meets limitless electronic expression – redefine your sound
 
 
Carmine Appice in Vanilla Fudge
“People say I hate John Bonham because he stole my stuff”: The legendary drummer who influenced Bonzo and many more
 
 
Tama pedals
TAMA Kick Pedals at Drums Week 2025: Precision, Power, Performance — engineered for drummers who demand the fastest, smoothest response
 
 
Latest in Drum Kits
Man playing acoustic drums on the left of the image and electronic drums on the right
Is an acoustic or an electronic drum kit better for beginners?
 
 
Where to start with a drum kit
 
 
DrumCraft Urban Beats
“A good-looking kit which won’t break the bank”: DrumCraft Urban Beats review
 
 
Alesis Crimson III
Alesis’ popular Crimson e-kit just got an upgrade with version III sporting new heads and a new BFD-powered drum brain
 
 
Millenium MPS-850 E-Drum set
“Boasts an array of features above its relatively low price”: Millenium MPS-850 E-Drum set review
 
 
DrumCraft Urban Beats
DrumCraft’s Urban Beats delivers pro-quality looks and sound for the compact stage and budget
 
 
Latest in News
Rick Rubin and Anthony Kiedis during Lost in Translation DVD Launch Party - Inside at Koi Restaurant in Los Angeles, California, United States. ***Exclusive*** (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
"Anthony sounds old": Rick Rubin's unusual mix feedback on 2006's Stadium Arcadium
 
 
Disclosure
“One of the greatest electronic music songs of all time”: Disclosure officially release their edit of a ‘90s club classic
 
 
Deals of the week
MusicRadar deals of the week: Black Friday has officially kicked off, with the likes of Sweetwater and Guitar Center dropping massive sales
 
 
Artificial intelligence music and sound concept. Represented with digital circuits and advanced algorithms in a high-tech setting, showcasing modern technological advancements and innovation
It’s now nearly impossible to detect whether a track is human or AI-made, new survey reveals
 
 
Alex Skolnick of Testament shows off his signature ESP singlecut as he performs at Belgium's Alcatraz Festival in 2024. On the right, Kiko Loureiro and Dave Mustaine of Megadeth photographed in the corridors backstage at Wembley Arena in 2015.
Alex Skolnick on the time he was on standby for Megadeth – and what to do when you can’t match a player lick for lick
 
 
An Alesis Strata Core electronic drum set on a yellow background
I’ve seen a lot of Black Friday sales, but this one’s next level - Sweetwater just dropped thousands of discounts of up to 80% off guitars, drums, keys, and more
 
 

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...