Charlie Watts

I use a ’57 round badge natural maple wood Gretsch with The Stones. And with this and most of my jazz things I use a 1960 round badge, black, small kit. The Tony Williams, I call it. It’s the one Tony used. It was like his signature drum kit when he was with Miles. And that’s why I play it, because of him, really.

In this british pathe movie from 1964, Charlie Watts can be seen playing a Ludwig oyster pearl downbeat drum kit.

And in Europe when I play I use a 1940 Radio King set with a big 24" bass drum, and huge tom toms.

I have the same hi-hat and ride cymbal with both, and I have a special cymbal, a Zildjian [Mel Lewis] Swish Knocker, and a thin crash that Zildjian gave me. My ride is an 18? UFiP flat ride, and I’ve never found one as good as it.

Listed on Watts' Zildjian artist page.

Listed on Watts' Zildjian artist page.

Used on the bass drum for "Brown Sugar", as stated by mix engineer Jimmy Johnson in this September 21, 2018 ProSoundWeb interview.

On the bass drum we used the Electro-Voice 666, a fantastic dynamic mic for the time. It was on a little stand looking to the backside of the drum.

Listed on Watts' Zildjian artist page.

Listed on Watts' Zildjian artist page.

Used during the Muscle Shoals sessions as a hi-hat mic, as stated by mix engineer Jimmy Johnson in this September 21, 2018 ProSoundWeb interview.

Then I had a hi-hat mic, which I think was another (EV) RE-15, though it could have been a little (EV) 635A—that remains in question. The RE15 was a better mic, had more response. We avoided using the 635A unless we had to. Actually, if not the RE15 it might have been a (Shure) SM57, more likely than the 635A.

Listed on Watts' Zildjian artist page.

Listed on Watts' Zildjian artist page.

This page shows a photo of Charlie Watts playing live with a Remo Controlled Sound drumhead on his tom.

Used during the Muscle Shoals sessions as a hi-hat mic, as stated by mix engineer Jimmy Johnson in this September 21, 2018 ProSoundWeb interview.

Then I had a hi-hat mic, which I think was another (EV) RE-15, though it could have been a little (EV) 635A—that remains in question. The RE15 was a better mic, had more response. We avoided using the 635A unless we had to. Actually, if not the RE15 it might have been a (Shure) SM57, more likely than the 635A.

Used as an overhead mic for "Brown Sugar", as stated by mix engineer Jimmy Johnson in this September 21, 2018 ProSoundWeb interview.

We only had three mics on the drums. We ran a (Neumann) U47 up over the top up over the top, about nose high to the drummer. We had a high stand out in front, with the mic facing downward at the kit, from the bass drum in with a little boom that came over the snare.

So it gave a good overview of the whole kit, so you could play with a lot of dynamics and you could get an incredible sound. In fact, Charlie Watts wanted to buy that microphone! But of course, I wouldn’t sell it. He couldn’t get over the sound we were getting.

Used for the bass drum on Beggars Banquet, as stated in The Rolling Stones All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track by Philippe Margotin & Jean-Michel Guesdon.

Technical Details

In the spring of 1968, Olympic Sound Studios acquired an Ampex eight-track, which represented a technological revolution at the time. Glyn Johns and Eddie Kramer shared the position of sound engineer, with Phill Brown, who went on to have a prestigious career recording with Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, Roxy Music, and many others, as assistant engineer. The main mic employed was Neumann U67, although the AKG C12A was used for the bass amp and the Hammond organ, and the AKG D12 for the bass drum and the Hammond. In addition to the Neumann U67, it seems that an AKG D224 and a Shure SM57 were used for Mick's voice. Reverb was provided by an EMT Echo Plate, and Tannoy/Lockwood monitors were used.

Used during the Muscle Shoals sessions as a hi-hat mic, as stated by mix engineer Jimmy Johnson in this September 21, 2018 ProSoundWeb interview.

Then I had a hi-hat mic, which I think was another (EV) RE-15, though it could have been a little (EV) 635A—that remains in question. The RE15 was a better mic, had more response. We avoided using the 635A unless we had to. Actually, if not the RE15 it might have been a (Shure) SM57, more likely than the 635A.

Charlie is a Vic firth artist and he has a signature stick with them