Nicko McBrain vs Bill Ward — Drum Gear Comparison | MetalForge
Side-by-side gear: Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden) vs Bill Ward (Black Sabbath). Kits, cymbals, pedals, sticks — compare specs and prices.
Frequently Asked Questions
What drum kit does Nicko McBrain use?
Nicko McBrain uses British Drum Co. with Paiste 2002 & Signature Series (14" Sound Edge Hi-Hats, 16" & 18" Power Crashes, 22" Power Ride, 20" 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 and Pro-Mark sticks — no double bass, relying entirely on foot technique for Sabbath's doom-laden grooves. Nicko McBrain plays a British Drum Co. kit with a Sonor Nicko McBrain Signature 14x6.5" snare and Paiste 2002 & Signature Series cymbals (14" Sound Edge Hi-Hats, 16" & 18" Power Crashes, 22" Power Ride, 20" China), driven by a single bass drum pedal and Vic Firth Nicko McBrain Signature sticks.
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 and Pro-Mark sticks — no double bass, relying entirely on foot technique for Sabbath's doom-laden grooves. Nicko McBrain plays a British Drum Co. kit with a Sonor Nicko McBrain Signature 14x6.5" snare and Paiste 2002 & Signature Series cymbals (14" Sound Edge Hi-Hats, 16" & 18" Power Crashes, 22" Power Ride, 20" China), driven by a single bass drum pedal and Vic Firth Nicko McBrain Signature sticks.
Which is better, Nicko McBrain or Bill Ward?
Nicko McBrain and Bill Ward represent the two poles of classic British heavy metal drumming. Ward invented the genre's rhythmic vocabulary from a jazz-swing foundation with Black Sabbath in 1968, creating the rolling, behind-the-beat groove that defined heavy metal before the term even existed. McBrain took that vocabulary a generation later and turned it into precision-galloping arena spectacle with Iron Maiden from 1982 onward, all without ever picking up a double bass pedal. Comparing them is comparing metal's birth to its classic-era codification — the originator who built the language versus the showman who proved a single foot could still gallop across stadiums worldwide.