Must-Have Gear Archives - Modern Drummer Magazine

Must-Have Gear

Modern Drummer is the world’s most widely read drum magazine, is dedicated entirely to the art of drumming and caters to the needs of amateur, semi-pro, and professional drummers.

The Flower Kings’ Mirkko DeMaio

The Flower Kings—the name alone conjures images of prog-rock luminaries like Genesis and Yes, who in the late ’60s planted the seeds for all the fantasy-laden symphonic rock to come in the following decades. TO READ THE FULL STORY: LOG…

By Mike Haid
Feb 28, 2020

Peter Frampton’s Dan Wojciechowski

Dan is the best drummer I’ve ever played with,” Frampton said. “He has an immeasurable amount of technique at the ready, but his feel is the thing.

by Billy Amendola
Sep 30, 2019

Session Great Nir Z

When it comes to gear, Jerusalem-born/Nashville-based session drummer Nir Zidkyahu, whose ultra-precise, intense pocket can be heard on hit records by pop/rock great John Mayer, alt-rock legend Chris Cornell, and modern country superstar Blake Shelton, isn’t too particular, as long…

Interview by Michael Dawson
Oct 30, 2018

Angel Olsen’s Josh Jaeger

After five years of steady touring and recording with the indie-folk singer-songwriter Angel Olsen—including a fifteen-month tour cycle behind 2016’s My Woman—Josh Jaeger is shifting gears. With Olsen using 2018 to focus on solo shows and writing for a new…

Article by Patrick Berkery | Photo by Ho JunYu
Sep 28, 2018

Perfect Beings’ Sean Reinert

Sean Reinert made his name drumming up a storm with experimental death metal bands Death and Cynic—playing with fire, precision, and a serious level of technical facility. TO READ THE FULL STORY: LOG IN Digital Access $4.99 /month or $49.99…

Interview by Ilya Stemkovsky | Photo by Thomas Snyder/Fantomphoto
Aug 29, 2018

Margaret Glaspy’s Tim Kuhl

Tim Kuhl’s musical background is rooted in classical percussion and jazz. But in recent years, electronica artists, who can captivate crowds with little more than a laptop and quick-thinking musical minds, have seduced the drummer into conceptualizing outside—and inside—the “box.”…

by Will Romano
Jul 31, 2018

Pete Lockett

Pete Lockett has traveled the globe countless times in search of new sounds and ethnic styles to interpret. The latest example of his approach is Boom!, a collaboration with Luis Conte where the two master percussionists seamlessly meld Indian, Cuban,…

by Mike Haid
Jun 27, 2018

Smashing Pumpkins’ Jimmy Chamberlin

For the second incarnation of the Jimmy Chamberlin Complex, as heard on its new album, The Parable, the mighty drummer, who came to prominence in the ’90s with the Smashing Pumpkins, gathered players from East and West Coasts to create…

by Ken Micallef
Mar 28, 2018

Brad Wilk of Prophets of Rage

Touring with an act that’s a household name comes with its perks, not the least of which is playing your own kit every night. Brad Wilk’s needs on the road with Prophets of Rage—the supergroup composed of members of Rage…

Article by Ben Meyer | Photo by Eitan Miskevich
Feb 28, 2018

Ulysses Owens Jr.

During his long tenures with the jazz stars Christian McBride and Kurt Elling, Ulysses Owens Jr. aspired to build his own standing as a leader. The dazzling and seriously swinging drummer has taken another strong stride in that direction on…

Article by Jeff Potter | Photo by Rayon Richards
Jan 31, 2018

Steve Jordan - 10 Things the Groove Master Has to Have on Tour

No touring musician is exempt from the grueling demands of life on the road. Whether he’s playing sold-out arenas with John Mayer or Eric Clapton or hip clubs with Robert Cray or the Verbs, Steve Jordan has ten things that…

Interview, Photo & Video by Miguel Monroy
Nov 30, 2017

Mark Guiliana

Touring is tough. And the ordeal of modern flying has upped the headache factor. But Mark Guiliana has learned to deal: He’s traveling ultra-light and loving it. The Mark Guiliana Jazz Quartet is touring the U.S. and Europe in support…

by Jeff Potter
Oct 31, 2017

Tammy Glover of Thorcraft Cobra

Changing up my gear keeps me inspired. That said, I’ve been using my dad’s vintage 1953 Gretsch red sparkle on recordings since the ’90s. Initially it was a three-piece kit with a 16x22 kick, a 6x14 snare, a 10x13 rack…

Modern Drummer
Aug 30, 2017

Skid Row’s Rob Hammersmith

As drummers, the idea of leaving home for a gig with just a few small items can be stressful. For most of us, the choices we make regarding gear are well-thought-out decisions based on research, experimentation, and experience. The idea…

Rob Hammersmith
Jul 26, 2017