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Independent research by truerecs. Not affiliated with, endorsed or verified by Neil Peart. Every item links to its public source.
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What drums does Neil Peart play?

Neil Peart played Sabian cymbals from his own Paragon line in his later years, including Paragon hi-hats, 8 and 10 inch splashes, crashes from 16 to 19 inches, a 22 inch ride and Chinese cymbals. Before that he played Zildjian: 13 inch New Beat hi-hats, a 22 inch Ping Ride, Medium Thin crashes and splashes, with Wuhan Chinese cymbals.

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AllTop 5DW drums and hardwareSabian Paragon cymbalsSticksRoland electronicsBooks Neil Peart lovedEarlier kits: Slingerland and LudwigZildjian cymbals (before Sabian)1980s electronics
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What drums Neil Peart uses: a sourced gear guide

Independent research by truerecs: every item links to the public source it comes from.

DW drums and hardware

7 items

Sabian Paragon cymbals

9 items

Sticks

1 item

Roland electronics

6 items

Books Neil Peart loved

12 items

Earlier kits: Slingerland and Ludwig

6 items

Zildjian cymbals (before Sabian)

6 items

1980s electronics

3 items
Questions

About Neil Peart's gear.

What cymbals did Neil Peart use?

Sabian Paragon, his own Sabian line, in later years: Paragon hats, 8 and 10 inch splashes, crashes from 16 to 19 inches, a 22 inch ride and Chinese cymbals. On his 1970s Slingerland kit and the 1987 Hold Your Fire tour he played Zildjian, with Wuhan Chinese cymbals.

What drum kit does Neil Peart play?

A chrome Slingerland kit from 1974 to 1977, heard on 2112, then a Ludwig Super Classic on the 1987 Hold Your Fire tour. Later he played DW Collector's Series maple drums, including his R30, Time Machine and R40 tour kits, with a DW 9000 series double pedal.

What snare drum did Neil Peart use?

For years a 5.5x14 Slingerland Artist snare known as Old Faithful, which he said remained on his kit in 1987. On the R30 kit it was a 14 x 6 brass and maple DW Edge snare.

What drumsticks did Neil Peart use?

ProMark's Neil Peart 747 in Shira Kashi oak with a wood tip. D'Addario still lists it on his ProMark artist page.

What electronic drums did Neil Peart use?

In 1987 Simmons pads and SDS-5 modules triggered an Akai sampler through a Yamaha KX-76 MIDI controller, plus a malletKAT. From 2002 he played Roland V-Drums, from the TD-10 to the TD-30, with Roland XV-5080 sound modules.

What books did Neil Peart love?

In his Bubba's Book Club columns (2005 to 2007) he praised An Equal Music, Blinding Light, The Big Year, Our Lady of the Forest, No Country for Old Men, Islands in the Stream, A Complicated Kindness and The Art of Travel, among others.

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Neil Peart
About this guide · Last checked

Neil Peart was the drummer and lyricist of Rush. He died on January 7, 2020, at 67. This legacy guide covers his drums and cymbals across five decades: the chrome Slingerland kit of 2112, Zildjian cymbals and a Ludwig Super Classic in the 1980s, then DW drums, his Sabian Paragon line, ProMark sticks and Roland electronics, plus the books he praised in his own Bubba's Book Club.

truerecs put this guide together from public videos, interviews and posts. Each item says how we know and links to the source. Neil Peart didn't write it or choose anything on it. How we source gear guides.

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truerecs gear guides are independent research from public sources, not made or approved by the artist. Store buttons on this page may be affiliate links: truerecs may earn a commission when you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. Neil Peart isn't paid for them. Report an error or ask for removal. Full disclosure.