Galactic’s Stanton Moore

It seemed fitting to meet up with Galactic’s Stanton Moore in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, the home of the original Gretsch factory, so we could talk about his Brooklyn series drumkit. Stanton uses this set when the band tours North America via bus and trailer. We showed up during load-in to snag a shot of “Big Sexy,” Stanton’s custom trap case that holds all of his gear. “The crew loves this case,” he says. “It makes setup faster and more efficient.” When it comes to these drums, Stanton says, “All of Gretsch’s drums are focused, but the Brooklyns have an aggressive punchiness to them.”

When asked about the extensive percussion incorporated into the setup, Moore explains, “Everything on the kit is there for a reason. When Galactic rehearses, I put up all kinds of percussion and just improvise. As the songs come together, I then have to decide what needs to be there for the live gigs. I’m always trying to incorporate New Orleans sounds, rhythms, and textures into our songs. Being that floor toms, tambourines, cowbells, and bass drums are all part of the Mardi Gras Indian rhythmic ensemble, the percussion on my kit is there for me to recreate that sound.”

Regarding his need for multiple bass drums, Stanton explains, “The 26″ comes from having guitar envy. Guitar players have pedals that allow them to overdrive their sound, and essentially that is what the 26″ does for my sound. It allows me to get bigger when I need to. There is a beater on the slave side of the pedal I use to hit the 26″ that also hits the 20″. The reason for that is that sometimes when I go to the 26″, I lose the punch and attack. This helps keep some continuity in the sound.”

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Drums: Gretsch USA Brooklyn in Creme Oyster Nitron finish
A. 6.5×14 Stanton Moore Drum Company “Spirit of New Orleans” titanium snare in Galactic Black Sparkle powder coating (Not shown: 4.5×14 for backup)
B. 8×12 tom
C. 14×14 floor tom
D. 16×16 floor tom
E. 14×20 bass drum
F. 14×26 bass drum

Cymbals: Sabian Stanton Moore Crescent series
1. 15″ Fat Hats
2. 20″ Trash crash
3. 22″ Wide ride
4. 20″ Pang Thang
5. 18″ Smash crash

Percussion: LP and Pete Engelhart
aa. Stanton Moore signature pandeiro (tuned high)
bb. Stanton Moore signature pandeiro (tuned low)
cc. 6″ and 8″ Mini timbales
dd. Steve Gadd signature cowbell
ee. Black Beauty cowbell strapped to a Cyclops tambourine
ff. ES7 cowbell
gg. Salsa cowbell
hh. Pete Engelhart Satellite
ii. Pete Engelhart Shield Bell
jj. Handbourine (fastened to a trap case)
kk. 8″ tambourine<
Electronics: Roland SPD-SX multipad and RT-30 snare trigger, Boss DB-90 metronome

Heads: Remo Ambassador Coated on snare and timbale batters, Emperor Coated tom and pandeiro batters, Ambassador Clear tom resonants, Powerstroke P3 Coated bass drum batters, and Gretsch-logo Fiberskyn bass drum resonants

Hardware: Drum Workshop 9000 series, including a double pedal on the 26″ that has a beater on the left pedal that strikes the 20″ drum

Sticks: Vic Firth Stanton Moore signature model and Heritage brushes

In-Ear Monitors: Westone

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