Bill Ward vs Charlie Benante — Drum Gear Comparison | MetalForge
Side-by-side gear: Bill Ward (Black Sabbath) vs Charlie Benante (Anthrax / S.O.D. / Pantera). 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). Bill Ward played a Ludwig Super Classic (later Ludwig Classic Maple) kit with a Ludwig Supraphonic 14x6.5" LM402 snare and Zildjian Avedis Series cymbals (14" Hi-Hats, 16" & 18" Crashes, 20" Ride, 18" China), driven by a single Ludwig Speed King pedal — no double bass, relying entirely on foot technique for Sabbath's early doom-laden grooves. Charlie Benante plays a Tama Starclassic kit with a Tama Charlie Benante Signature 14x6.5" snare and Paiste RUDE & 2002 Series cymbals (14" Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" Crashes, 20" Power Ride, 18" China), powered by a Tama Speed Cobra Double Pedal built for his relentless double-kick thrash patterns.
What drum kit does Charlie Benante use?
Charlie Benante uses Tama Starclassic with Paiste RUDE & 2002 Series (14" Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" Crashes, 20" Power Ride, 18" China). Bill Ward played a Ludwig Super Classic (later Ludwig Classic Maple) kit with a Ludwig Supraphonic 14x6.5" LM402 snare and Zildjian Avedis Series cymbals (14" Hi-Hats, 16" & 18" Crashes, 20" Ride, 18" China), driven by a single Ludwig Speed King pedal — no double bass, relying entirely on foot technique for Sabbath's early doom-laden grooves. Charlie Benante plays a Tama Starclassic kit with a Tama Charlie Benante Signature 14x6.5" snare and Paiste RUDE & 2002 Series cymbals (14" Hi-Hats, 18" & 19" Crashes, 20" Power Ride, 18" China), powered by a Tama Speed Cobra Double Pedal built for his relentless double-kick thrash patterns.
Which is better, Bill Ward or Charlie Benante?
Bill Ward and Charlie Benante represent two foundational, cross-era pillars of metal drumming. Ward invented heavy metal's drumming vocabulary from a jazz-swing foundation, creating the genre's rhythmic DNA with Black Sabbath in 1968-1983. Benante built on that foundation fifteen years later, pioneering the sustained double-bass and blast-beat techniques that defined thrash metal's speed and aggression with Anthrax from 1983 onward. Comparing them is comparing metal's birth to its acceleration — the originator versus the technical pioneer who pushed his tools further.