John Otto Drum Kit & Gear Setup — Limp Bizkit Drummer | MetalForge
John Otto Drum Kit, Gear & Setup
Complete biography of John Otto, founding drummer of Limp Bizkit. Explore his career, jazz-influenced style, nu metal legacy, and contributions to one of the...
Quick Facts: John Otto
| Band | Limp Bizkit |
|---|---|
| Genre | Nu Metal / Rap Metal |
| Country | USA |
| Primary brand | Orange |
| Drum kit | Orange County Drum & Percussion (OCDP) Custom Type 5 Acrylic |
| Snare | OCDP 14x6.5" 40-ply Vented, OCDP 10x6" 20-ply |
| Sticks | Zildjian Artist Series |
John Otto Biography
John Otto (born John Everett Otto; March 22, 1977, in Jacksonville, Florida) is an American musician best known as the drummer and a founding member of nu metal band Limp Bizkit. Modern Drummer magazine described his playing as "grounded in metal, jazz, and hip-hop" with "fireball rhythms [that] are the grease that makes the Bizkit cook."
Otto studied jazz drumming at the Douglas Anderson School of the Arts and played in local avant-garde bands before co-founding Limp Bizkit with Fred Durst and Sam Rivers. What started as a small Jacksonville band became one of the most successful acts of the late 1990s and early 2000s, selling over 40 million records worldwide.
Career Highlights
- 1994: Co-founded Limp Bizkit in Jacksonville, Florida with Fred Durst and Sam Rivers
- 1997: Released "Three Dollar Bill, Y'all$," Limp Bizkit's debut album
- 1999: Released "Significant Other," selling over 7 million copies in the US
- 1999: Performed at Woodstock '99, controversial but career-defining
- 2000: Released "Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water," instant #1
- 2003: Released "Results May Vary" with new guitarist
- 2005: Co-wrote "The Channel" on "The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1)"
- 2009: Reunited with original lineup for comeback world tour
- 2011: Released "Gold Cobra" with reunited original lineup
- 2021: Released "Still Sucks," first album in 10 years
- 2022: Appeared on "Come Dance with Me" TV show with daughter Ava
Style & Influences
John Otto's drumming style is a unique fusion of metal power, jazz sophistication, and hip-hop groove. His ability to seamlessly blend these disparate genres created the rhythmic foundation for Limp Bizkit's distinctive sound.
Key Influences:
- Jazz drumming: Studied at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts
- Brazilian and Afro-Cuban percussion: World music rhythms
- Bebop drummers: Complex jazz vocabulary
- Funk and hip-hop: Groove-heavy playing
Signature Techniques:
- Fusion of metal aggression with jazz complexity
- Hip-hop influenced grooves and syncopation
- Funk-derived pocket playing
- Creative use of dynamics within heavy music
- Avant-garde influences from early Jacksonville scene
Gear Highlights
John Otto endorses Orange County Drum and Percussion (OCDP), Zildjian cymbals and sticks, Remo drumheads, and Gibraltar hardware. His setup reflects his diverse musical influences.
Current Setup:
- Drums: Orange County Drum and Percussion custom kit
- Snare: OCDP custom snares
- Cymbals: Zildjian (various crashes, hi-hats, and rides)
- Hardware: Gibraltar
- Sticks: Zildjian
- Heads: Remo
Setup Evolution:
- Previously endorsed Pearl hardware for many years
- Known for customizing setups based on song requirements
- Uses a relatively straightforward kit despite technical playing ability
Frequently Asked Questions
What drum kit does John Otto use?
John Otto's drum kit is an Orange County Drum & Percussion (OCDP) Custom Type 5 Acrylic kit — the transparent acrylic shells that defined his visual and sonic identity throughout Limp Bizkit's nu-metal peak. It centers on two signature OCDP snares (a 14"x6.5" 40-ply vented shell and a 10"x6" 20-ply piccolo), driven by Gibraltar G Class bass drum pedals and topped with Zildjian A Custom cymbals.
What drum set does John Otto use?
John Otto's drum set is an OCDP Custom Type 5 Acrylic configuration built around a 14"x6.5" 40-ply vented snare for primary work and a 10"x6" 20-ply piccolo snare for accents. The drum set carries Zildjian cymbals, a single Gibraltar G Class bass drum pedal, and Remo Emperor Coated heads throughout.
What cymbals does John Otto use?
John Otto uses Zildjian cymbals: 13" A Custom Mastersound Hi-Hats for tight groove patterns, 16" and 17" A Custom Projection Crashes for accent work, a 20" A Custom EFX for trashy edge, and a 20" FX Oriental Crash of Doom for explosive decay.
What snare drum does John Otto play?
John Otto's primary snare is an OCDP 14"x6.5" 40-ply vented shell, paired with a smaller OCDP 10"x6" 20-ply piccolo snare he brings in for accent work.
What bass drum pedals does John Otto use?
John Otto uses Gibraltar G Class bass drum pedals in a single-pedal configuration, mounted on Gibraltar custom hardware racks, underpinning the straight-ahead funk and rock grooves on tracks like "Rollin'" and "Break Stuff."
What band is John Otto in?
John Otto is the drummer and a founding member of Limp Bizkit, which he co-founded with Fred Durst and Sam Rivers in Jacksonville, Florida in 1994.
What drumsticks does John Otto use?
John Otto uses Zildjian Artist Series drumsticks.
What drumheads does John Otto use?
John Otto uses Remo Emperor Coated drumheads across his OCDP acrylic kit.
What hardware does John Otto use?
John Otto uses Gibraltar hardware — including his custom racks and G Class bass drum pedal — to support his transparent OCDP acrylic drum kit and drum set on stage.