The Gear of Steve Gadd (Part 2) with Paul Wells

The Gear of Steve Gadd (Part 2) with Paul Wells

Author: Bart Vanderzee December 18, 2025 Duration: 2:07:00
In Part 2 of our deep-dive into the gear of Steve Gadd, Paul Wells returns to unpack even more forensic-level details about one of the most influential drummers of all time. Building on the wildly popular Part 1, this episode revisits earlier conclusions with new photographic evidence, listener-submitted research, rare interviews, and meticulous analysis of Steve Gadd’s drum kits, heads, sizes, cymbals, and studio backline setups from the mid-1970s through the 1990s. We explore: • Newly discovered photos from Saturday Night Live (1975) confirming early drumhead choices • The evolution of Gadd’s Pearl/Gretsch hybrid kit • Deep analysis of Yamaha Recording Custom Kit #1 and #2 • Evidence-based breakdown of the Steely Dan “Aja” drum kit myth • Backline vs personal kits on classic recordings • The transition from Recording Custom to Maple Custom and early signature kit prototypes If you love drum history, gear archaeology, and Steve Gadd, this one goes deep into the weeds—in the best way possible. 📺 Highly recommended to watch on YouTube — this episode includes extensive photo references throughout. https://youtu.be/aElL-iXetrc

Podcast Episodes
The History of Drumeo with Jared Falk [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:04
Jared Falk is the founder of Drumeo which has grown to be one of the top platforms for online education in the world. Drumeo is not only a great source of online education on drumeo.com, but the brand is also a giant acr…
The History of ASBA Drums with Damien Rabillon and Saúl Ramíez [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:27
ASBA Drums is an iconic French drum brand that dates back to 1927 with a very interesting history. Damo and Saúl share the full story of this brand which began as just an accessory company, and grew to be a fully formed…
The Art of Improvising on the Drums with JP Bouvet [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:40
JP Bouvet takes us on a deep dive into the concept of improvising on the drum kit. We discuss things like how to practice improvisation, the misconceptions that come with it, how you can break out of your "go-to beats" a…
The History of Black Swamp Percussion with Eric Sooy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:43
Eric Sooy founded Black Swamp Percussion nearly 30 years ago and has built the brand from the ground up by creating extremely high quality orchestral and band percussion instruments. Eric teaches me the nuance that goes…
The Next Chapter of Modern Drummer with David Frangioni [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:45
David Frangioni, CEO of Modern Drummer, makes an exclusive announcement about the future of Modern Drummer right here on Drum History! Not only do we learn about the exciting news, we also get an update on what has been…
The History of Drum Magazines in America with Earl Bennett [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:53
Earl Bennett has been a collector and enthusiast of US drum magazines for the last 40+ years and he shares his vast knowledge of known magazines like Modern Drummer, Drum!, and Rhythm plus other lesser known ones like Tr…
The Drummers of Late Night with Eric Leiderman [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:04
Eric Leiderman is a producer of NBC's Late Night with Seth Meyers and is the man behind the rotating drummer program which has given drummers of all styles the chance to perform with the 8G band on national American tele…