Current kit

I’ve had my current kit since 2005 and the set-up hasn’t really changed all that much over the years. Sure I’ve made minor adjustments to tom and snare angles as well as to my cymbal set-up, but you’d be surprised how minor these have been.

I’ve played open-handed since 2002 as it simply makes the most sense to me. I’m left-handed, but I’ve always played drums leading with my right side.

Pearl Session Studio birch drums

• 2 x 22” kicks
• 8”, 10”, 12” toms
• 14” and 16” floor toms
• 14” Pearl Reference snare
• 14” Chad Smith signature snare

Cymbals (left to right)

• Sabian 20” AAX Metal ride
• Sabian 16” AAX china
• Sabian 17” AA Fast crash
• Sabian 14” AAX Studio hats
• Sabian 10” AA splash
• Sabian 8” AA splash
• Sabian 13” AAX Fusion hats
• Sabian 18” Vault crash
• Sabian 18” Vault Holy china
• Istanbul 20” Alchemy Ride Custom Rock
• Sabian 16” HHX Evolution crash

Every now and then my crashes and chinas change due to relentless beating (although they take it very well), but I usually go with AAX chinas and AAX, Vault or (recently) HHX crashes.

I also have 10” and 13” Sabian Vault Fierce hats, 20” Sabian HHX Evolution ride, two Rhythm Tech Ribbon crashers as well as two Zildjian and two LP bells.

Pedals

Pearl Eliminators, belt, black cam, maximum spring tension, PowerShifter at middle, chain pulled all the way up and a nice, big beater angle.

I switched to Eliminators in June 2010 and haven’t looked back. Before that I played with Axis A Longboards for seven years. I also have a pair of Pearl Demon Drives, but Eliminators just feel right at the moment. My first real pedals were Tama Camco’s.

Sticks

Since fall 2011 I’ve been using Vater 5B Nylon sticks. Before that I played with Vic Firths for roughly 10 years, gradually moving from 7AN through 5AN to 5BN. I still think Vic Firths are excellent sticks, but I was curious to try something new. In a way still consider myself just trying Vaters out – might stick with ‘em, might go back to Vic Firth.

Others

I mainly use Remo heads and usually have clear Emperors as tom batter and clear Ambassadors as tom resonant heads, CS on snare and PowerStroke 3 on bass drums.

I love my FinFonic ER custom hearing protectors and use them with Fonic headphones for in-ear monitoring.

In live setting I use Ddrum bass drum triggers that I run through Alesis DM5.