Nick Mason's 1967 Ludwig Hollywood Kit: The 22″ Bass Drum on Early Pink Floyd Songs

Nick Mason’s first proper kit was a 1967 Ludwig Hollywood with a 22″ bass drum, 13″ and 16″ toms, and a 14″ snare. He used that exact setup on The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, so songs like “Astronomy Domine” and “The Scarecrow” both feature that smaller, punchier kick. The 22″ drum gives a tighter, more controlled low-end—less boom, more attack—compared to the 24″ bass drum he later used on A Saucerful of Secrets.

On “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun,” the larger 24″ bass drum adds a deeper, more resonant thump that fills the space behind the droning bass and gongs. Mason dialed in a looser tuning and more muffling for that track, but the physical difference is clear: the 22″ sounds almost staccato on the earlier recordings, while the 24″ makes the low end feel heavier and more hypnotic. It’s a subtle shift, but it mirrors Pink Floyd’s move from psychedelic pop to experimental space rock.