John Otto Drum Setup: Limp Bizkit's 'Significant Other' (1999) Gear Breakdown | MetalForge

Frequently Asked Questions

What drum kit did John Otto use on Significant Other?

On Limp Bizkit's 'Significant Other' (1999, Flip Records/Interscope), John Otto played a Sonor Force 3007 drum kit — a beech-shell kit known for its balanced warmth-to-attack character. The configuration included a single 22" bass drum, 10" and 12" rack toms, and 14" and 16" floor toms. Otto paired the kit with Paiste 2002 series cymbals — known for their bright, cutting, high-projection tone that served Limp Bizkit's dense nu-metal arrangements well. See the full drummer profile: [John Otto at MetalForge](/drummer/john-otto). For the follow-up album's setup: [Chocolate Starfish drum setup](/articles/chocolate-starfish-drum-setup).

What is Limp Bizkit's best-selling album?

'Significant Other' (1999) is Limp Bizkit's best-selling US album, certified 15× Platinum — making it the band's highest-certified release. However, 'Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water' (2000) holds the record for first-week sales in the band's discography: 1.05 million copies in one week, then a record for fastest-selling album in the US. Both albums debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200. Together they represent the commercial peak of Limp Bizkit and of nu-metal's mainstream moment. See: [Chocolate Starfish drum setup](/articles/chocolate-starfish-drum-setup).

What makes John Otto's drumming style unique in nu-metal?

John Otto is one of the few nu-metal drummers who genuinely integrates jazz technique into a heavy context rather than simply applying hip-hop aesthetics. Otto studied jazz drumming at the Douglas Anderson School of the Arts in Jacksonville, FL — and that education is audible on 'Significant Other' in his ghost note work, his swing-inflected kick timing, and his fill vocabulary, which phrases over bar lines in a jazz-aware way rather than resolving neatly on beat one. Modern Drummer described his playing as 'grounded in metal, jazz, and hip-hop.' His single-kick approach on an album where double-kick was the nu-metal norm demonstrates his groove-first compositional philosophy. Full technique breakdown: [John Otto at MetalForge](/drummer/john-otto).

What cymbals did John Otto use on Significant Other?

John Otto used Paiste 2002 series cymbals on 'Significant Other' (1999). The Paiste 2002 line is cast from CuSn8 bronze and characterized by bright, cutting, high-projection tone — well-suited for nu-metal's dense arrangement where cymbals must cut through detuned guitars, bass, and turntable samples. The setup included 14" hi-hats, 16" and 18" crashes, a 20" ride, an 18" China, and a 10" splash. The 2002's clear bell definition and focused crash decay served both Otto's groove sections and the album's aggressive moments. He is currently a Zildjian endorser. See: [John Otto at MetalForge](/drummer/john-otto).

How did Significant Other change nu-metal?

'Significant Other' (1999) arrived at the peak of nu-metal's mainstream breakthrough — but Limp Bizkit's approach was rhythmically distinct from contemporaries like Korn or Deftones. John Otto's jazz-hip-hop groove foundation gave the band a commercial radio-readiness that extreme-leaning nu-metal bands lacked. The album debuted at #1 Billboard 200 with 645,000 first-week copies and went 15× Platinum US — numbers that validated hip-hop/metal fusion to the major label world. Its success directly enabled the even bigger 'Chocolate Starfish' campaign in 2000. See: [nu-metal drummers top 10](/top10/nu-metal-drummers).