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Thread: Punk rock metal gear?

  1. #1

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    Default Punk rock metal gear?

    Hai ^.^ probably the 100th thread on this but every thread I have found never helped me. Anywho, I play sort of a combination between punk rock and metal drums (or at least i would like to) but Im wondering what kind of gear is generally used among these two generas. I know stuff isn't made for specific generas, its how the artists use this, but c'mon, we usually see drummers within the same music style using the same gear. I see a lot of metal drummers using Sabian cymbals, punk rockers using zildjan. What about the drums themselves? what is a size for each drum in a punk kit. Big basses? shallow toms? What about the heads. I bought a g2 360 head, the overtones... oh boy..
    When I upgrade everything I think i'm gonna go toward punky drums but metal cymbals. Is there anyone like this around? i'm sure there is. I would love your help guys. Thanks ~Chris

  2. #2

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    Default Re: Punk rock metal gear?

    Buy a 4-piece kit with a double kick pedal. When you are playing punk, keep your left foot off of the kick an only on the hi-hat.

    You seem to have a lot of questions, and I'll try to address each one according to my opinion/experiences:


    I see a lot of metal drummers using Sabian cymbals, punk rockers using zildjan.

    This is just personal preference. Both of these companies make plenty of cymbals that work will with both of these genres of music.


    What about the drums themselves?

    I think that if you were going to stick with just punk music (be it pop-punk or old school punk), I think that a 4-piece kit would do just fine. If you want to play metal, you can play it on anything from a 4-piece kit to Bozzio. It's more personal preference than anything.

    what is a size for each drum in a punk kit.Big basses? shallow toms?

    My personal preference is a 22" x 18" kick. This is a very traditional size, but it's very versatile and it just sounds good to my ears. Toms are just a personal preference as well. If it were me, I've always liked a 12" rack tom and a 16" floor tom (but once again, this is just me). I played a 14" snare for years, but now I have a 13" x 5" snare drum that I love.

    What about the heads. I bought a g2 360 head, the overtones... oh boy..

    It just depends on the drum. I've always liked Remo Ambassador coated on all the batter sides and an Evans G1 on the kick. It just depends on the drum, size, material, etc. Getting heads that you like can take some experimentation.

    When I upgrade everything I think i'm gonna go toward punky drums but metal cymbals. Is there anyone like this around? i'm sure there is.

    To be honest, I'm not really sure what this means, but I'll give it a shot. Many cymbal makers make multiple cymbals that would probably sound good for both metal and punk. I may be wrong, but folks don't make cymbals suited for just punk or just metal. If it seems that way, it's just a marketing ploy. Buy cymbals that sound good to you, and you'll enjoy playing them no matter the genre.

  3. #3

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    What he said.
    Mmm... Saturns.

  4. #4

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    Find what you like and play it. Doesn't matter what company or sizes you have and what genre you play.

    Having said that, I play(ed) heavy metal. I like a few small drums and "common" cymbal sizes. 4 piece Tama Starclassic birch kit. Evans coated G2 batter heads, clear G1 reso heads on toms, coated Power Center Reverse Dot snare head, hazy 300 reso. GMAD single ply kick batter and EQ3 reso.

    My drum are 13x6.5 maple snare, 10x8 and 14x11 toms, 20x18 kick. 13" Sabian Paragon hats, 16" Sabian medium thin AA crash, 18" Sabian medium thin XS20 crash, 20" AA rock ride, 18" AAX china, 11" Max Splash, 6" and 9" Zil Bel. Iron Cobra double pedal.

    I like a wide open resonant tone. I dont use any muffling on any of my drums. Everything is wide open, other than the built in muffle ring on the kick batter. I like to let them breathe.






    And if you want to hear what they sound like live here is a board mix of our last show.


  5. #5

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    Default Re: Punk rock metal gear?

    thanks for the replies :D exactly what i was looking for!
    and for porkpieguy, when I said is there anyone around like this I meant players that play a combination of punk and metal. I should have clarified that. Great response though!

  6. #6

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    Hey kindadinosaur, here's a glance at two current punk/metal drummers gear. First guy is the current drummer for Black Flag, Brandon Pertzborn. He now endorses Pearl drums and the second drummer is Brad Wilk drummer for Rage Against the Machine/Audio Slave. They both use a 12" rack tom which seems like the "norm" these days.

    Brandon Pertzborn Black Flag:

    Pearl BCX Masters
    22x18 bass drum
    12x9 tom
    16x16 floor tom
    14x6.5 snare drum





    Brad Wilk, Rage Against The Machine/Audio Slave:

    Gretsch
    22" kick
    12" rack tom
    14" snare
    (2x) 16" floor toms




  7. #7

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    Size of kit & make of cymbal is really down to personal preference.
    Steve Grantley of Stiff Little Fingers (my favourite band!) plays a 26x18 kick, with a 14x14 tom (on a stand) and 16x16 & 18x18 floor toms. he also uses Paiste 2002 cymbals. I took this at a recent gig. It's his new red acrylic Natal kit.



    In this video he explains his choices, though this is with his previous kit.



    So the answer to your question? Play whatever you like!
    Mapex Armory - Photon Blue
    Mapex VXB kit - Transparent Black
    Mapex & Pearl snares
    Paiste Alpha & RUDE cymbals
    Remo & Vater

  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dodeska View Post

    So the answer to your question? Play whatever you like!
    Wow, that cat uses 7As. Big drums, little sticks. That's pretty cool.

  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dodeska View Post
    It's his new red acrylic Natal kit.
    OOO that acrylic is looking super nice. Ive been addicted to looking at acrylic kits lately

  10. #10

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    I'm also addicted to looking at acrylic kits.

    However, I've become very allergic to being in debt.

    My allergies are keeping me away from GAS, ATM. Not ATM's where there is money, coincidentally.
    Signature here

  11. #11

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    Travis barker kit


    i wouldn't go with 20" kicks unless your planning to enter the tardis and go back to 1996

    22x18 is just perfect .. 12",16" toms big cymbals 15" hats 22" ride 18" crashes

  12. #12

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    Barkers kit is super nice omg the first time I saw him with that I fell in love, and since then i've wanted a ocdp kit.

  13. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by kindadinosaur View Post
    Barkers kit is super nice omg the first time I saw him with that I fell in love, and since then i've wanted a ocdp kit.
    If you really want an OCDP kit, I would advise you getting a used custom kit...preferably from the late 1990's.

  14. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by itchie View Post
    Travis barker kit


    i wouldn't go with 20" kicks unless your planning to enter the tardis and go back to 1996

    22x18 is just perfect .. 12",16" toms big cymbals 15" hats 22" ride 18" crashes
    I don't think I'll ever play a 22" again. I love my 20".

  15. #15
    bridgeofsouls Guest

    Default Re: Punk rock metal gear?

    I love smaller diameter bass drums (18"-20") for punk and metal.they tend to be especially tight and punchy.

    For those genres, I would say sabian aa's or zildjian a customs would be great cymbals for what you need. I play a lot of punk and metal stuff and I use a mix of those as well as some saluda cymbals as well (check them out).

  16. #16

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    Quote Originally Posted by porkpieguy View Post
    If you really want an OCDP kit, I would advise you getting a used custom kit...preferably from the late 1990's.
    or a porkpie acrylic snare :D

  17. #17

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    Then again, you could play punk on a co.cktail kit. Don't forget the lines between rockabilly and punk cross over too, and you've got guys that stand up and play. And a co.cktail "bass" is small in comparison to even a 20" kick....typically 14-15" diameter (with a drum depth of 20" and bigger). For the original poster, this is what I mean:

    "...it's the Paradigm Of The Cosmos!" Stewart Copeland on Youtube

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  18. #18

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    Quote Originally Posted by Drumbledore View Post
    Then again, you could play punk on a co.cktail kit. Don't forget the lines between rockabilly and punk cross over too, and you've got guys that stand up and play. And a co.cktail "bass" is small in comparison to even a 20" kick....typically 14-15" diameter (with a drum depth of 20" and bigger). For the original poster, this is what I mean:
    Travis Barker uses a ****tail and might tour with one, its pretty neat but its just not for me

  19. #19

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    Play whatever drum configuration is comfortable to you, from whatever manufacturer/line you like, and can afford. Same with cymbals. It really depends on what you're playing. You could use a 10/12/16/18/22/14 for metal but then remove the 10 and 18 for punk, if you want some variety.

    The only stereotype I'd suggest to stay away from is using incredibly thick sticks and cymbals. Thick cymbals are louder, but they crack easier. Thicker sticks also give less when striking things, making them a bit more abusive on your instruments.
    "Life is backwards. Happiness isn't something you seek, it's something that finds you when you are doing the right thing." - Zone47

  20. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by quikstang2 View Post
    Play whatever drum configuration is comfortable to you, from whatever manufacturer/line you like, and can afford. Same with cymbals. It really depends on what you're playing. You could use a 10/12/16/18/22/14 for metal but then remove the 10 and 18 for punk, if you want some variety.

    The only stereotype I'd suggest to stay away from is using incredibly thick sticks and cymbals. Thick cymbals are louder, but they crack easier. Thicker sticks also give less when striking things, making them a bit more abusive on your instruments.
    I agree about the thick cymbals for sure. I like smaller sticks too. Thinner cymbals open up quickly. So many guys think thick cymbals are tougher.

  21. #21

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    Quote Originally Posted by marko138 View Post
    So many guys think thick cymbals are tougher.
    Wow, I sort of thought this.

  22. #22

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    Quote Originally Posted by porkpieguy View Post
    Wow, I sort of thought this.
    Thin cymbals tend to flex more.

  23. #23

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    Yes. Thinner cymbals, and sticks, give more when struck. This softens the striking force quite a bit, or rather dissipates it. A thicker cymbal, or stick, will resist flexing and bear the brunt of the force. If the force is too great, the cymbal cracks. It's a ductility vs. rigidity thing.

    There are trade-offs Thicker cymbals are louder, which helps with hearing them in un-mic'ed situations, where a lot of punk/metal guys will be playing. Another downside to that is playing thick cymbals softly just doesn't provide enough energy to get the cymbal to respond. A thinner cymbal may not cut through the mix. I tend to use thin to medium weight cymbals. I do have one or two that are thinner or thicker, but I happen to like how they sound and play them appropriately. I haven't had any issues with medium, and even thin, weight cymbals being heard in un-mic'ed situations playing metal.
    "Life is backwards. Happiness isn't something you seek, it's something that finds you when you are doing the right thing." - Zone47

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