One of the best things about drum kits is that they can get really personal. The longer you play, the more preferences you develop. My kit may look a lot different from yours, and that often leads us to sound different when we play.
However, there are some drummers that take this to the next level of extremity. Most drum sets are fairly standard with a few minor differences here and there.
The drummers I’m about to show you have broken out of that box and built some of the craziest drum sets you’re likely to see. Let’s check them out.
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Terry Bozzio
Terry Bozzio is the one drummer that I instantly thought of when compiling this list. He’s a drumming legend, but I think more people know him for his wild drum setup as opposed to his actual playing abilities.
At first glance, you’ll just see dozens of drums and cymbals. It’s a proper mega-kit. However, I love how intricate it becomes when you look a bit more closely.
He has so many toms that he’s able to dial in specific tones with each of them. This makes the kit a lot more musical than most. He also has pedals that trigger various percussion sounds.
I’d love to just sit and jam on this kit, but you actually have to watch Terry Bozzio play it to see it being used to its full potential.
Danny Carey
I’d comfortably say that Danny Carey is one of the most famous drummers in the world right now. People may not instantly think about him when considering the topic, but they’ll know exactly who you’re talking about when you bring him up.
The setup he runs with Tool is just nuts. While there are standard snares, toms, and cymbals, his rig also includes plenty of other aspects that get used within the songs.
In the video I’ve linked below, you can see how he immediately starts using his electronic pads to trigger specific percussion sounds. He then moves to playing a piece of percussion that sounds like a mix of a bongo and tabla.
His setup constantly changes as time goes on, but you’ll consistently see weird and wonderful percussion instruments being used.
Neil Peart
Neil Peart is another highly influential drummer that most people know about. While he played on some crazy kits over the years, I’d say that the kit he was playing just before he died was definitely the craziest.
It had a full 360-degree design, including acoustic drums on the one side and electronic drums on the other. He would then have the kit on a rotating rise when playing with Rush, allowing him to play wherever and still face the crowd.
I remember hearing Mike Johnston mention how DW blew most of their artist budget for the year on this kit, as it was just so expensive to make.
I also think it’s one of the best-looking kits on this list.
Tommy Lee
Tommy Lee arguably takes the top spot when it comes to crazy drum setups. He’s never been one to use giant drum kits with dozens of toms and cymbals. It’s what he does with his drum sets that makes them so crazy.
He was one of the first drummers to do the whole drumming upside down thing. The riser would rotate and he’d be playing while it moves around.
However, he’s taken it a step further in recent years, playing on a whole rollercoaster rig. Motley Crue shows regularly involve Tommy Lee being lifted above the crowd and playing a drum solo while slowly moving high up in the air.
This setup is so crazy that I honestly would feel quite scared to test it out myself.
Harry Miree
I first saw Harry Miree playing many years ago, and I didn’t notice much about his set at first. However, the more I paid attention, I saw that things were completely different from the norm.
Harry plays open-handed with a left-handed drum kit, but he’s not left-handed at all. He’s set his drums up so that his right foot still plays the bass drum, but it’s connected to the slave pedal of a double pedal setup.
This allows him to get the benefits of open handed playing while still utilizing the same skills we all have from playing on a regular setup.
I wouldn’t say that this is the craziest setup out there, but it’s definitely one of the more unique ones you’ll see!
Daru Jones
Daru Jones undoubtedly has the simplest setup on this list. Most of the time, he just plays on a 4-piece kit.
However, it’s the way he sets it up that makes it a crazy rig. If you just saw this kit alone, you’d think that someone who doesn’t know how to play drums put it together.
Well, this is the guy who has played drums with Jack White, who is one of the biggest artists in the world. Daru has just developed his own style through his slanted drum setup. He has a very relaxed approach, and the setup seems to highlight that.
I feel like I would be incredibly uncomfortable trying to play his kit, but he seems to make it work. The visual aspect of it also makes him stand out more than typical drummers.
Trilok Gurtu
Trilok Gurtu has one of the most unorthodox setups I’ve ever seen. He incorporates a lot of Indian percussion, allowing him to play Indian rhythms and patterns while also being able to play a conventional drum kit.
He’s an absolute master at this, and I highly recommend checking out some videos. He was a massively influential drummer in the 90s.
Jonathan Moffett
Jonathan Moffett’s crazy setup has a lot to do with cymbals and how they’re positioned. The main feature are the two cymbals he has behind him.
He does this behind-the-head strike and choke thing that looks incredible when he pulls it off. I actually think the setup is just so he can do that, which is pretty wild!
He played drums for Michael Jackson, so moves like that were all part of the show.
Aquiles Priester
When I think of Aquiles Priester, I immediately think of the color red. It’s due to his setup involving a lot of red accents, including the drumheads and cymbals.
It’s a typical metal drum kit setup, but the emphasis on red is what makes everyone do a double take. It looks epic, and it’s definitely set him apart from everyone else.
Mark Temperato
Mark Temperato is the only drummer on this list that isn’t a professional. However, he holds the record for having the largest drum set ever. It’s even bigger than Terry Bozzio’s.
It has over 800 pieces, which is the most unnecessary number of components ever, but it looks really cool.
Conclusion
All the crazy drum setups we’ve looked at make all of these drummers unique. They’ve developed their own voices through their equipment, and there’s a lot we can learn from that.
When setting your own kit up, it’s always a good idea to see what unique aspects you can bring to it.
