Tom Bradley
Tom is a professional drummer with a long history of performing live anywhere from local venues to 200,000 capacity festivals. Tom is a private drum tutor, in addition to teaching at the BIMM Institute in Birmingham. He is also a regular feature writer and reviewer for MusicRadar, with a particular passion for all things electronic and hybrid drumming.
Latest articles by Tom Bradley

Natal Arcadia Acrylic
By Tom Bradley last updated
Since the initial popularity of acrylic drums in the 1970s (thanks mainly to John Bonham and his famous Ludwig Vistalite) most drum companies, it seems, have tried their hand at a see-through kit.

LP Raw Series Percussion
By Tom Bradley last updated
American percussion giant LP has been a world leader in its field for decades.

PDP Concept Black Wax
By Tom Bradley last updated
Pacific Drums and Percussion, the offspring of parent company DW, has made a strong reputation of its own since being launched 15 years ago.

Shure PG Alta 98D and 181
By Tom Bradley last updated
A couple of months back, we were so impressed with the Shure 'PGADrumKit6' microphone set that it earned a prestigious five-star rating.

Meinl Byzance Symmetry ride
By Tom Bradley last updated
Meinl is a company that needs little introduction when it comes to the cymbal world.

Meinl Byzance Big Apple Dark ride
By Tom Bradley last updated
Meinl is a company that needs little introduction when it comes to the cymbal world.

DW Mini Pro
By Tom Bradley last updated
Since the popularity of Sonor's Jungle Kit in the 1990s, there has been an ongoing demand for scaled-down kits.

Meinl Byzance Nuance ride
By Tom Bradley last updated
Meinl is a company that needs little introduction when it comes to the cymbal world.

Shure PG Alta DrumKit6 mic set
By Tom Bradley last updated
Shure is a name that has been synonymous with quality microphones for many years, with the SM57 and SM58 in particular often recognised as the industry standard for snare and vocal mics respectively

Pork Pie Percussion Bettis B20 Snare
By Tom Bradley last updated
The rather unique Bettis B20 snare is the to be added to the latest model Californian custom drum builder's USA line which is manufactured in the Pork Pie workshop

Pork Pie Percussion Hip Pig Snare
By Tom Bradley last updated
Pork Pie Percussion has forged a strong reputation as one of the USA's top custom drum manufacturers since its inception in 1987

Natal Pure Stave Snare Series
By Tom Bradley last updated
Expanded range offers a lot of drum for the money

Istanbul Agop Xist ION Cymbals
By Tom Bradley last updated
With over 35 years on the cymbal-making scene, the Istanbul cymbalsmiths need little introduction.

How to clean your cymbals in 5 easy steps
By Tom Bradley last updated
Gather your tools and get scrubbing!

KickPro Weighted Bass Drum Pillow
By Tom Bradley last updated
Unquestionably up there as one of the most (if not the most) important parts of our kit, getting a quality bass drum sound is paramount whether playing live or in the studio.

Meinl Byzance Splashes and FX
By Tom Bradley published
Meinl has been at the forefront of shaping the 'modern' drum sounds that we've become so familiar with in recent years.

The Workshop: How to change your snare wires
By Tom Bradley last updated
It is easy to take for granted the constant work that our snare wires do in order to create that unique sound at the centre of our kits.

Tuner Fish Lug Locks and Secure Bands
By Tom Bradley last updated
Originally designed with the help of renowned big hitter Mark Richardson (Skunk Anansie, Feeder), British-made Tuner Fish Lug Locks have been in development for the last 10 years.

Sabian HH Vanguard Cymbals
By Tom Bradley last updated
In 2015 Sabian re-released its classic HH range under the guise of the HH Remastered series.

Oriollo Phantom Snare Drums
By Tom Bradley last updated
Led by Serbian metallurgist and drum designer Vukan Karadzic, boutique drum manufacturer Oriollo has been producing seamless metal drum shells for various drum manufacturers since 2003.

Pearl Session Studio Classic
By Tom Bradley last updated
The Session Series gets reincarnated

Gretsch Bell Brass Snare Drum
By Tom Bradley last updated
Since Tama led the way with the first bell brass snare drum back in the '80s, they have become revered as both live and studio workhorses.

The Workshop: How to clean your drum hardware
By Tom Bradley last updated
If you're anything like us, you'll like taking apart your bits and pieces of drum gear, either to see what makes it tick or to sort out a squeak or rattle.
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