I’ve been playing drums since 1968. The last kit I bought, in 1979, was a white Octaplus double bass kit from Ludwig 1728 n dame nave. I had always wanted an amber Vistilate kit in high school, when they were first released around 1973, but could not afford one.

About 3 years ago, while on the Corvette forum, a guy posted a pic of his drum kit. I posted my Octaplus and he posted a Vistalite Octaplus. I never had never seen that kit. He said to go to and gave me the url for Frank Pepotoneas Vistalite showcase. Once on that site I saw he had a 70’s Bonham kit in amber Vistalite, so I emailed Frank. He had 2 Bonham kits left: one he wanted to keep for himself, and one for sale! So I bought it. The kit I bought was site unseen, but frank assured me it was a 9.5 outta 10 condition. So I purchased it, and my collection was starting. I soon bought the rare 20’’ floor tom from Frank and then the 38’’ Paiste gong from Paiste (that took almost a year as they come every three months from Paiste by boat from Switzerland). Every time it came there was no Chinese lettering like Bonzo has on his, just “Paiste”. So I sent it back. This happened 3 more times until Eric Paiste called Guitar Center asking why I kept returning it. Finally, the gong came with the Paiste logo and the 2 Chinese letters.

I wanted to duplicate Bonham’s gear. I found a model 895 30’’ universial tympani from Ed Banks at Falls Percussion. Ed unwillingly sold me the tympani, telling me it was one of two he has seen in 35 yrs of renting tympanis. He only sold it to me because I kept bugging him on a regular basis.

After that tympani one day I saw a green sparkle 1974 Bonham kit on Ebay. It was recently refinished and restored by Matt Synard of Bonzo Drum Co. by the other owner, who was selling it. So I bought it as well. Matt does excellent work and that drum kit was featured in the April issue of Classic Drummer 2006 edition.

Next I got an email from a friend and fellow drum builder/restorer, John Brak. John has made all the Bonham graphics I have displayed on my bass drum heads, and has been refinishing/building drum kits for years. He has a love for Slingerland drums but also Ludwig, so John found a stainless late 70’s kit on Craig’s List. I went to see it and bought it. But compared to Frank Pepotones amber kit of 9.5 condition or the beautiful green sparkle kits I bought finished already or in perfect shape the stainless kit looked like it had been through world war 3. It needed a 16’’ floor tom and I found a nice one from 1978. So I took the stainless bass drum to a professional stainless worker who totally rebuffed the shell to a brand new condition. The shells no longer have any scratches. I re-did the hoops and inlays from Precision Drum Co, and after cleaning the chrome, replacing bad parts, adding new heads and graphics from John Brakin, I had a late 70’s Bonham kit!

I just found a 3 ply maple Bonham kit from 1972 ordered from Ludwig back then as a Bonham kit and assembled by Ludwig with matching numbers in order from 1972 and build sheets inside the floor tom shells. I am currently cleaning this kit. Besides that, I have a Rodgers hi hat for every kit, Paiste cymbals (same as Bonzo used), and Ralph Keser ching rings with a Rodgers hi hat clutch. So I duplicated John Bonhans kits almost exactly as he had them. Swan legged cymbal stands flat legged atlas from 1969 and the tube herculease stands for the stainless steel kit I olny need 1 more tympani (a model #853 29” copper mechanical tympani) to make these kits 100%accurate.

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