The unique studio kit that Hal Blaine designed (shown here) started with a Ludwig Super Classic blue sparkle bass drum and single-headed floor tom, along with a 6.5 X14 Supraphonic chrome snare drum (into which Hal etched his initials.) Then Hal added seven single-headed toms that featured spun-fiberglass shells made by A.F. Blaemire and fitted with Ludwig Drum hardware. The toms were mounted on two massive rolling racks so that they could be moved easily yet remain solidly in place when played. Producers loved Hal’s sweeping tom fills, which only this eight drum configuration could produce. “But it wasn’t about playing a lot of drums or showing off,” said Hal in an interview, “It was about helping a song to tell its story.” The success of Hal’s “studio monster” had an impact on drum kit design as well. In 1973, the Ludwig Drum Company adopted Hal’s design to create it’s […]

November 2022 Issue