Saturday Night Wrist Drum Setup: Abe Cunningham's Experimental Era | MetalForge
Discover the exact drums, cymbals, and gear Abe Cunningham used to record Deftones' Saturday Night Wrist album. Complete breakdown of the 2006 comeback recor...
Frequently Asked Questions
What drum kit did Abe Cunningham use on Saturday Night Wrist?
Abe Cunningham recorded Saturday Night Wrist in 2005-2006 using a Tama Starclassic Maple/Birch hybrid kit. The setup featured a single 22x18 inch bass drum, 10 and 12 inch rack toms, and 14 and 16 inch floor toms. This consistent configuration, which Abe maintained throughout his career with Deftones, provided the focused, warm tone that suited both the album's heavier sections and its atmospheric, dreamy passages.
What Deftones album followed the White Pony era?
After White Pony (2000) came the self-titled Deftones album (2003), followed by Saturday Night Wrist (2006). Saturday Night Wrist is the fifth Deftones studio album and the last to feature Chi Cheng playing bass throughout before his 2008 accident. It marked a more experimental direction for the band and a transitional period in Abe Cunningham's cymbal palette, moving from Zildjian toward the Sabian HHX setup that would fully emerge on Diamond Eyes (2010).
Who produced Saturday Night Wrist?
Saturday Night Wrist was produced by Terry Date, Bob Ezrin, and Deftones themselves, across fractured sessions that stretched over multiple years. Terry Date — who had produced Adrenaline, Around the Fur, and White Pony — began the sessions, but creative tensions within the band led to the involvement of Bob Ezrin (Alice Cooper, Pink Floyd, KISS) and eventually band production on some tracks. The multi-producer approach is audible in the album's varied sonic character.
Is Saturday Night Wrist the last Deftones album with Chi Cheng?
Yes — Saturday Night Wrist (2006) is the last Deftones studio album to feature Chi Cheng playing bass throughout the recording sessions. In November 2008, Cheng was severely injured in a car accident. He passed away in April 2013. Diamond Eyes (2010), made after Cheng's accident, featured Sergio Vega on bass and was the first Deftones album without Cheng's active involvement.