Bill Ward's Drum Setup on Black Sabbath's Sabotage (1975) | MetalForge
Bill Ward's drum setup for Sabotage (1975) — the Ludwig kit and Paiste 2002 cymbals behind "Symptom of the Universe," Black Sabbath's most technically demand...
Frequently Asked Questions
What drums did Bill Ward use on Sabotage?
Bill Ward recorded *Sabotage* (1975) on a Ludwig Standard Maple kit — a 22" bass drum, two rack toms (13" and a newly added 14"), and a 16" floor tom in natural maple finish. The added third tom gave him more tonal range for the album's multi-part song structures, particularly on "Megalomania." For the full arc of Ward's gear through Black Sabbath's catalog, see the [Bill Ward drummer profile](/drummer/bill-ward).
What cymbals did Bill Ward use on Sabotage?
Ward switched from the Avedis Zildjian cymbals he'd used since *Paranoid* to an expanded Paiste 2002 setup for *Sabotage* — 15" hi-hats, 18" and 20" crashes, a 24" ride, and, for the first time, an 18" Paiste 2002 China cymbal. The China's exotic, trashy tone gave Ward a new textural color for the album's more progressive passages, particularly on "Megalomania" and "Supertzar." See the [Sabbath Bloody Sabbath drum setup](/articles/sabbath-bloody-sabbath-drum-setup) for the Zildjian-based setup Ward used just two years earlier.
What kit did Bill Ward use on Symptom of the Universe?
Bill Ward played the same Ludwig Standard Maple kit and Paiste 2002 cymbal setup used across the entire *Sabotage* album on "Symptom of the Universe" — a 22" bass drum, Ludwig Speed King single pedal, and Ludwig Supraphonic snare. What sets the track apart isn't different gear but different technique: Ward's fast, palm-muted-riff-locked kick pattern in the verses is widely cited as a direct ancestor of thrash metal, executed years before the genre existed, entirely with one foot.
How much did Bill Ward's 1975 drum kit cost?
Bill Ward's Ludwig kit on *Sabotage* — a 22" bass drum, three toms, and a floor tom in natural maple — would have cost roughly $1,100 to $1,900 new in 1975, with the expanded Paiste 2002 cymbal setup adding another $500 to $850. Comparable vintage Ludwig kits from this era sell for $6,500 to $16,000 today in good original condition. See the [Bill Ward licks and technique breakdowns](/drummer/bill-ward/licks) for more on his playing during this period.