Nicko McBrain Plays Carmine Appice’s Ludwig Kit

In this video, Iron Maiden’s Nicko McBrain sits down at Carmine Appice’s Ludwig kit at the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame Drum Museum and plays it with me. I am David Frangioni, owner of Modern Drummer, and moments like this are why I care so much about keeping historic kits playable.

The clip is short, a little over two and a half minutes, and it was also seen on Netflix’s King of Collectibles, Season 2, Episode 7. It has become one of the most watched videos on my channel.

One Legend at Another Legend’s Kit

Nicko starts by talking about Carmine, calling him one of his favorite fellas, and about joining his old mates in the Hall of Fame. Then he spots the Realistic Rock drum method by Carmine and jokes about its philosophy: “Beat the living daylights out the kit.” Then he plays. What you hear is two eras of rock drumming meeting on one set of drums.

What Nicko Noticed

Great drummers listen to an instrument before they judge it, and Nicko does exactly that. He points out the classic maple Ludwig shells, which he calls the best Ludwig had at that time. He loves the mix of drum heads on the kit: old Weather King heads with a thicker sound, a head with real resonance, and the Ludwig Silver Dot heads he says he has always liked. That attention to detail is a lesson in itself. The sound of a historic kit lives in its shells, its heads and its tuning, not only in its story.

Why Kits Like This Should Be Played

A drum kit is a working instrument. When the right player sits down at it, you hear what made it special in the first place. That is why I keep the instruments in my collection documented, maintained and, when it is right, played by the drummers who understand them. I wrote about what gives a kit its value in what makes a historic drum kit valuable, and you can hear another kit come back to life in the David Lee Roth drum kit story with Gregg Bissonette. For more great drummers and their instruments, visit Modern Drummer.

FAQ

Whose drum kit does Nicko McBrain play in the video?

Carmine Appice’s Ludwig kit, the Realistic Rock kit, at the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame Drum Museum.

Where was the Nicko McBrain video filmed?

At the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame Drum Museum with David Frangioni. The moment was also seen on Netflix’s King of Collectibles, Season 2, Episode 7.

What does Nicko notice about the kit?

The maple Ludwig shells and the mix of vintage drum heads, including Weather King and Ludwig Silver Dot heads, which he says he has always liked.

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David