# Bill Ward's Drum Setup on Black Sabbath's Vol. 4 (1972)

> Bill Ward's drum setup for Vol. 4 (1972) — the Ludwig kit and Zildjian cymbals behind "Changes" and "Supernaut," recorded during Black Sabbath's cocaine-fueled Los Angeles sessions.

**Type:** Album Drum Setup
**Drummer(s):** [Bill Ward](/llms/drummers/bill-ward.md)
**Band / Album:** Black Sabbath — *Vol. 4* (1972)
**Genre:** Heavy Metal / Hard Rock
**Peak Chart:** #8 UK, #13 US Billboard 200

## Overview

Released in September 1972, *Vol. 4* is the album where Black Sabbath left Rodger Bain behind and produced themselves for the first time, decamping to the Record Plant in Los Angeles for sessions that became infamous for their excess — the album's liner notes thank the "great COKE-Cola company of Los Angeles" for their support. Amid that chaos, the band also took its biggest creative risk yet: "Changes," a piano-and-mellotron ballad with no drums at all, and "FX," an experimental noise collage built from studio effects rather than a song.

For Bill Ward, *Vol. 4* meant sitting out entirely on "Changes" while still delivering one of his most driving, groove-heavy performances on "Supernaut" — a track Frank Zappa reportedly called one of his favorite Black Sabbath songs for its rhythm section alone. "Snowblind," the album's original working title before the label balked at the drug reference, gave Ward another showcase for the loose, live-feeling swing that separated him from stiffer hard-rock drummers of the era.

## Gear Breakdown

- **Drums:** Ludwig Standard / Club Date Series (Silver Sparkle finish), 22" x 14" bass drum, two rack toms, one 16" floor tom
- **Snare:** Ludwig Acrolite, 14" x 5" — the last Sabbath album on this snare before switching to the Supraphonic
- **Cymbals:** Zildjian — Avedis Zildjian (14" hi-hats, 20" ride, 16"–18" crash) — the last album before Ward's switch to Paiste 2002
- **Hardware / Pedals:** Ludwig Speed King; Ludwig Atlas Hi-Hat Stand; Ludwig Standard Throne; Pro-Mark Standard (5A or 5B equivalent)
- **Heads:** Remo Ambassador Coated (batter), Remo Ambassador Snare Side (resonant)
- **Snare tuning:** Medium-high tension for crack and projection

### Bill Ward's Ludwig Kit: Holding Steady Between Master of Reality and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

Ward's kit on *Vol. 4* is essentially unchanged from *Master of Reality* — the same 22" Ludwig bass drum, two rack toms, and single 16" floor tom in vintage maple. With the band self-producing for the first time and adjusting to an unfamiliar Los Angeles studio, Ward leaned on a setup he already trusted rather than experimenting with new hardware. On "Changes" and "FX," he doesn't play at all — the first Sabbath album tracks to omit him entirely.

### Ludwig Acrolite: The Last Album Before the Switch to Supraphonic

Ward stayed with the same Ludwig Acrolite he'd used on *Paranoid* and *Master of Reality* — bright, dry, and cutting enough to sit on top of Geezer Butler's thick bass tone in the Record Plant's Los Angeles mix. *Vol. 4* would be the last Sabbath album to feature the Acrolite; by *Sabbath Bloody Sabbath* the following year, Ward had switched to the deeper-shelled Supraphonic.

### Avedis Zildjian: Unchanged Ahead of the Paiste Switch

Ward's cymbal setup carried over directly from *Master of Reality* — the same Avedis Zildjian hi-hats, ride, and crash he'd used since *Paranoid*. *Vol. 4* would be his last album on Zildjian before switching to the brighter, more cutting Paiste 2002 series on *Sabotage* three years later.

## Notable Tracks

- **Wheels of Confusion/The Straightener** — opens the album with a slow, heavy verse before shifting into a faster, driving second half
- **Supernaut** — widely cited as one of Bill Ward's most driving, groove-heavy performances; reportedly a Frank Zappa favorite
- **Snowblind** — the album's original working title track, a sludgy, heavy groove continuing the doom-leaning approach from Master of Reality
- **Changes** — piano-and-mellotron ballad with no drum part, one of Sabbath's most covered songs despite Ward's absence from it

## Key Facts

- Recorded at the Record Plant in Los Angeles — the band's first US-recorded and first self-produced album, without Rodger Bain
- "Changes" is a piano-and-mellotron ballad with no drum part at all — one of Sabbath's most covered songs
- "Supernaut" is widely cited as one of Bill Ward's most driving, groove-heavy performances
- Original working title, "Snowblind," was changed at the label's request over its drug reference
- Kit, snare, and cymbal setup unchanged from Master of Reality (1971)
- Estimated kit value: $900–1,600 (1972) / $6,000–15,000 (vintage today)
- Estimated snare value: $60–90 (1972) / $150–350 (vintage today)

## FAQ

**What drums does Bill Ward use on Vol. 4?**
Bill Ward recorded *Vol. 4* (1972) on the same Ludwig kit he'd used on *Master of Reality* — a 22" bass drum, two rack toms, and a 16" floor tom in vintage maple with a Silver Sparkle finish. His Ludwig Acrolite snare and Avedis Zildjian cymbals also carried over unchanged; *Vol. 4* was the last Sabbath album on that snare before he switched to the Ludwig Supraphonic on *Sabbath Bloody Sabbath*.

**What makes Supernaut a standout Bill Ward performance?**
"Supernaut" is widely cited as one of Bill Ward's most driving, groove-heavy performances in Black Sabbath — a tightly syncopated, riff-locked kick pattern that drives the track's momentum from the first bar. Frank Zappa reportedly named it among his favorite Black Sabbath songs, largely for the strength of the rhythm section.

**How does Bill Ward's technique differ between Paranoid and Vol. 4?**
By *Vol. 4*, Bill Ward's playing had grown more deliberate and riff-locked than the looser, more overtly jazz-swung feel he brought to *Paranoid* two years earlier. Tracks like "Snowblind" and "Supernaut" show tighter syncopation and more sustained low-end weight, while "Changes" shows he still made room for dynamic contrast by sitting out entirely.

**What Black Sabbath album has the song Changes?**
"Changes" appears on *Vol. 4* (1972), Black Sabbath's fourth studio album. It's a piano-and-mellotron ballad composed by Tony Iommi, with no drum part — one of the only Black Sabbath album tracks where Bill Ward doesn't play.

**Source:** https://metalforge.io/articles/vol-4-drum-setup

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*Last updated: 2026-07-01 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*