Nicko's drum kits over the years

Bit of a necrobump here, but I noticed there's not really much about Nicko's cymbal configuration here. I know his current setup is listed in various places, but do we have any sort of historical list of his setups on this front? I ask because I realized his cymbal setup has changed once or twice even in the 00s and there's a fair amount of conflicting information out there.
 
Ruflux said:
Bit of a necrobump here, but I noticed there's not really much about Nicko's cymbal configuration here. I know his current setup is listed in various places, but do we have any sort of historical list of his setups on this front? I ask because I realized his cymbal setup has changed once or twice even in the 00s and there's a fair amount of conflicting information out there.
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Yeah, from the Blaze era to now he’s gone from primarily 2002s to Dimensions to Signatures to Signature Reflectors. Since 2008 it’s been pretty much the same though. I’ll see what I can dig up, fairly certain I have some documents saved somewhere on his 90s-00s configs.
 
I always wondered if the tuning was different to Piece of Mind or Powerslave. It sounded different to me, I can't explain how, but it was to me. I actually liked the sound of the drums in those two albums.
 
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I see on this video that the drummer is actually using the same kit Nicko used to record the SIT and SSOASS. How is it possible? I always tried to buy those drum kits and is impossible to find, I don't even think they have been for sale. Is there anyway to ask Sonor to build the drumset for anybody who asks for it?
 
Moonchild88 said:

I see on this video that the drummer is actually using the same kit Nicko used to record the SIT and SSOASS. How is it possible? I always tried to buy those drum kits and is impossible to find, I don't even think they have been for sale. Is there anyway to ask Sonor to build the drumset for anybody who asks for it?
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It’s a Phonic Plus Hi Tech kit - Nicko’s was the prototype for the series, and they were eventually sold to the public. They are very rare, and certain sizes are impossible to find so people
will sometimes take regular Phonic Plus drums and refinish them to match.

More info:
 
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This guy has (or quite possibly had, since the video is from 2013) what is apparently the "biggest Sonor Phonic Plus Hi Tech" set. Even bigger than Nicko's. It's kind of neat to see more of these because the finish is just really gorgeous if you ask me.
 
It would be interesting to know the sizes of the different kits. I don't think they are very different from kit to kit, at least the toms and the snare, not really sure about the cymbals. I'm sure is basically, 8, 10, 12, 14 and 16 for the toms, 14x5 for the snare in almost every kit.
 
Moonchild88 said:
It would be interesting to know the sizes of the different kits. I don't think they are very different from kit to kit, at least the toms and the snare, not really sure about the cymbals. I'm sure is basically, 8, 10, 12, 14 and 16 for the toms, 14x5 for the snare in almost every kit.
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With the exception of the Phonic XK-9212 from the Piece of Mind recording session which had traditional-depth toms, and the custom Signature Lite from the 7th Son tour which had depths that were one inch less than square, all of his kits generally follow this sizing:

Toms: 8x6 (Sonor kits) or 6x6 (Premier kits), 8x8, 10x10, 12x12, 13x13, 14x14, 15x15, 16x16

Floor tom: 19x18 (on the Sonor kits from 1983-1992), 16x18 (on the Premier kits from 1993-2014) or 18x18 (on the Sonor kits from 2016-2019)

Bass drum: 18x24

Snare drum: 6.5x14 (1983-1992, 2006-2011, 2016-present), 7x14 (1993 Real Live Tour), 5.5x14 (1995-2005, 2012-2015)

The cymbal sizes have evolved much more over time, but he has still generally always used a 22” ride, 22” China, 14” hihats, 13” heavy bell, and crashes ranging from 15”-22”. Until he switched to the signature series in the early ‘90s he used a 24” crash all the way on his right. He also used a secondary 20” ride cymbal until about 1993.
 
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Lego said:
Toms: 8x6
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Isn't 6x8" more of an exception than the rule for his smallest tom? I believe most of his 80s kits had a 6x6" tom and all of his Premier kits were the same. The switch to 6x8" only happened with Nicko's return to Sonor because they didn't make 6 inch toms anymore and was a custom made one-off.
 
Ruflux said:
Isn't 6x8" more of an exception than the rule for his smallest tom? I believe most of his 80s kits had a 6x6" tom and all of his Premier kits were the same. The switch to 6x8" only happened with Nicko's return to Sonor because they didn't make 6 inch toms anymore and was a custom made one-off.
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In all the research I've done, I've never seen a legit Sonor Phonic Plus or Signature 6x6", only 8x6" - I think the lugs were too long to do anything shallower.

I think you're right re: the Premier kits though, I'll update the post.
 
Interesting. I could swear he actually mentioned having a 6x6" in the Somewhere in Time kit (something about wanting the same sizes, Sonor going "but we don't make 6" toms any more" and Nicko explaining he had to compromise with a 6x8") but it's admittedly a case where it's hard to take it at face value since Nicko could well be misremembering.
 
Ruflux said:
Interesting. I could swear he actually mentioned having a 6x6" in the Somewhere in Time kit (something about wanting the same sizes, Sonor going "but we don't make 6" toms any more" and Nicko explaining he had to compromise with a 6x8") but it's admittedly a case where it's hard to take it at face value since Nicko could well be misremembering.
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Yeah - maybe he was misremembering be 6x6 that was actually on his Premier kits
 
I noticed something: during DOD tour (2004 leg), it seems that Nicko used his drum kit from the ''Give Me Ed'' tour. Anyone knows why?

*You can see it in this concert from Argentina 2004 and I checked some other gigs from 2004 leg and the drum kit is the one from the previous tour.... - on the last concert of the tour (Saitama, Tokyo 2004) he used his original DOD drum kit (from the first leg in 2003) though.

 
Kalata said:
I noticed something: during DOD tour (2004 leg), it seems that Nicko used his drum kit from the ''Give Me Ed'' tour. Anyone knows why?

*You can see it in this concert from Argentina 2004 and I checked some other gigs from 2004 leg and the drum kit is the one from the previous tour.... - on the last concert of the tour (Saitama, Tokyo 2004) he used his original DOD drum kit (from the first leg in 2003) though.

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I always assumed it was due to shipping challenges - unlike most of his other Premier kits, where he had an A kit and a backup B kit, the Dance of Death kit was unique because it was hand-painted. They probably just sent along one of the GMETID kits to Japan early because the DOD kit wouldn't have made it over in time.
 
I believe Nicko actually used his 1999 kit in 2000 in Finland at least so it could've also been a simple case of logistics making it easier and simpler to just send a spare over while the main kit heads to the next location after that in preparation.
 
Ruflux said:
I believe Nicko actually used his 1999 kit in 2000 in Finland at least so it could've also been a simple case of logistics making it easier and simpler to just send a spare over while the main kit heads to the next location after that in preparation.
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You're right. He used his Ed Hunter drum kit in Finland 2000.

 
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