Bill Ward vs Brann Dailor — Drum Gear Comparison | MetalForge
Side-by-side gear: Bill Ward (Black Sabbath) vs Brann Dailor (Mastodon). Kits, cymbals, pedals, sticks — compare specs and prices.
Frequently Asked Questions
What drum kit does Bill Ward use?
Bill Ward uses Ludwig Classic Maple with Paiste 2002 & Giant Beat Series (15" Giant Beat Hi-Hats, 18" & 20" 2002 Crashes, 24" 2002 Ride, 18" 2002 China). Ward played a Ludwig Vistalite/Standard Maple kit (24"x14" bass drum, single rack tom, one or two floor toms — no double bass throughout his career) with a Ludwig Supraphonic 400/LM402 aluminum snare and oversized Paiste Giant Beat/2002 cymbals (15" Sound Edge hi-hats, up to a 24" crash/ride), driven by a Ludwig Speed King single pedal. Dailor plays a DW Collector's Series maple kit (single 22"x18" bass drum, three rack toms, one floor tom) with a DW Collector's aluminum snare and Meinl Byzance cymbals (18"-20" Traditional/Brilliant crashes, 22" Traditional Medium Ride), using a single DW 9000 pedal and standard Vic Firth 5A sticks rather than any specialized double-bass setup.
What drum kit does Brann Dailor use?
Brann Dailor uses Tama Starclassic Performer B/B with Meinl Byzance Series (14" Dark Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" Brilliant Heavy Hammered Crashes, 21" Ghost Ride, 18" Extra Dry China). Ward played a Ludwig Vistalite/Standard Maple kit (24"x14" bass drum, single rack tom, one or two floor toms — no double bass throughout his career) with a Ludwig Supraphonic 400/LM402 aluminum snare and oversized Paiste Giant Beat/2002 cymbals (15" Sound Edge hi-hats, up to a 24" crash/ride), driven by a Ludwig Speed King single pedal. Dailor plays a DW Collector's Series maple kit (single 22"x18" bass drum, three rack toms, one floor tom) with a DW Collector's aluminum snare and Meinl Byzance cymbals (18"-20" Traditional/Brilliant crashes, 22" Traditional Medium Ride), using a single DW 9000 pedal and standard Vic Firth 5A sticks rather than any specialized double-bass setup.
Which is better, Bill Ward or Brann Dailor?
Bill Ward and Brann Dailor sit at opposite ends of a five-decade lineage running directly from Black Sabbath's doom-laden birth of heavy metal to Mastodon's prog-sludge evolution — and both prove that a single bass drum, played with feel and imagination, can outweigh technical firepower. Ward invented metal's rhythmic language by swinging where rock drummers stayed rigid; Dailor extended that language into melodic, compositional territory while singing over it. The generational throughline from Sabbath to Mastodon is audible the moment you put these two drummers side by side.