Buddy Rich was to many the best drummer in history. He was simply one of a kind. The Top Jazz drummer.

Buddy Rich – Drum Solo

Buddy big drums which had a major influence on his sound and projection.

His setup included a 14×24 bass drum (with a moleskin patch and a wooden beater) a 9×13 rack tom, two 16×16 floor toms, and a 5×14 snare drum.

Buddy used Avedis Zildjian cymbals which included a 20″ ride, two 18″ crashes, a pair of 14″ hi-hats, and a 6″ splash, and the sensitivity of Remo Coated Diplomat drumheads helped complement his exceptionally wide dynamic range.

His signature drumsticks which are Vic Firth are still sold to this day. Their specs are

• Modified 5A stick with larger tip, neck, and shoulder
• Length: 16-5/16″
• Diameter: 0.590″

I discovered Buddy’s work in Jr. High, It immediately blew my mind and I quickly set out to go buy his Big Band CDs. He turned me to Jazz which introduced me to a whole new drum world. Buddy was such an icon he was even featured in the Muppet Show in a drum battle with Animal (See Video Below).

Drum Battle w/ Animal from the Muppets