# John Otto Drum Setup: Limp Bizkit's 'Gold Cobra' (2011) Gear Breakdown

> Discover the exact drum kit, cymbals, and gear John Otto used on Limp Bizkit's reunion album 'Gold Cobra' (2011) — the OCDP kit and Zildjian cymbals behind the classic lineup's comeback record.

**Type:** Album Drum Setup
**Drummer(s):** [John Otto](/llms/drummers/john-otto.md)
**Band / Album:** Limp Bizkit — *Gold Cobra* (2011)
**Genre:** Nu-Metal

## Overview

Released June 28, 2011, on Interscope Records, "Gold Cobra" marked Limp Bizkit's return to the studio with its classic lineup fully intact for the first time since "Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water" in 2000. Wes Borland — who had left the band in 2001 and missed "Results May Vary" (2003) entirely — had rejoined for touring in 2004 and was now back in the writing and recording chair, restoring the guitar-driven, riff-forward aggression that had defined the band's commercial peak.

The album debuted at #16 on the Billboard 200 with roughly 27,000 first-week copies sold — modest by the standards of "Significant Other" and "Chocolate Starfish," but a solid comeback for a band returning after eight years without a full studio album. Tracks like "Gold Cobra," "Shark Attack," "Shotgun," and "Why Try" leaned into a harder, more direct nu-metal sound than the introspective "Results May Vary," signaling a deliberate return to the aggressive template that had made the band famous.

Throughout Limp Bizkit's lineup changes, hiatuses, and stylistic detours, John Otto remained the one constant in the rhythm section alongside bassist Sam Rivers — present on every studio album from 1997's debut through this reunion record. By 2011, his OCDP kit and Zildjian cymbal setup had been fully refined over more than a decade, giving him the tonal consistency to anchor a band rediscovering its aggressive identity with a returning guitarist.

"Gold Cobra" isn't just a comeback album — it's a full-circle moment for Otto, whose groove-first, jazz-informed drumming had carried Limp Bizkit's sound through every configuration the band had gone through. Longtime fans and critics alike noted that the record sounded less like a band chasing past glories and more like a group that had simply picked back up where its classic lineup left off in 2000 — a continuity owed in large part to Otto and Sam Rivers never having left the rhythm section in the first place.

This article covers his mature OCDP rig, Zildjian cymbal setup, and the technique behind one of nu-metal's most improbable reunion records.

## Gear Breakdown

- **Drums:** Orange County Drum and Percussion OCDP Custom Kit (Custom finish, 2011 touring configuration finish)
- **Snare:** Orange County Drum and Percussion OCDP Custom Snare, 14" x 6.5"
- **Cymbals:** Zildjian — Zildjian A Series and A Custom Series
- **Hardware / Pedals:** Gibraltar Professional Series; Zildjian 5A Wood Tip
- **Heads:** Remo Coated Ambassador (batter), Remo Diplomat Snare Side (resonant)
- **Snare tuning:** Medium-high tension — crack and authority for a return to aggressive nu-metal

### OCDP at Full Maturity: The Reunion Rig

By "Gold Cobra," John Otto's Orange County Drum and Percussion (OCDP) kit had been his primary setup for the better part of a decade, and the reunion sessions show a drummer completely at home with his gear. With Wes Borland back and the band consciously returning to a harder-edged, riff-driven sound, Otto's kit needed to reassert the punch and low-end weight that "Results May Vary"'s more textured material hadn't emphasized as heavily.

The OCDP maple shells delivered exactly that — a warm, full fundamental with clear attack that suits both the album's chugging riffs ("Shark Attack," "Gold Cobra") and its more melodic moments ("Why Try"). Otto's configuration remained the same four-tom, single-kick-on-record setup he'd used since 1997, though by this point in his career he was also comfortable deploying a double-kick configuration in the band's live show for the reunion tour's more explosive moments.

The fourteen years separating "Three Dollar Bill, Y'all$" and "Gold Cobra" saw Otto's tom sizes stay essentially identical — a striking continuity for a drummer whose band had gone through guitarist departures, genre pivots, and a multi-year hiatus. That consistency of physical setup, built on custom OCDP shells by 2011, gave the reunited classic lineup a rhythmic foundation that felt immediately familiar to longtime fans.

### The Snare: Reasserting Nu-Metal Authority

"Gold Cobra" called for John Otto's snare to reassert the crack and authority that had defined the band's commercial peak — a deliberate contrast to "Results May Vary"'s more restrained, introspective snare work. On "Shotgun" and "Shark Attack," his custom OCDP snare delivers the aggressive backbeat the reunited, guitar-driven lineup demanded.

Even within that harder-edged return, Otto's ghost-note sensitivity remains present — the jazz-trained touch that has separated him from purely metal-trained drummers across his entire catalog. The snare's dynamic range meant he could deliver full-force nu-metal authority on the album's heavier tracks while still finding room for the subtler rhythmic detail his playing has always included.

### Zildjian Full Setup: 14 Years of Refinement

John Otto's Zildjian cymbal setup on "Gold Cobra" is, in essence, the same lineup he first recorded with in 1997 — 14" hi-hats, a crash/ride/china spread built around the A and A Custom series. Fourteen years of touring and recording refined the specific models without changing the underlying voicing Otto had settled on early in his career.

With Wes Borland's guitar back at full aggression and the band consciously chasing its earlier commercial sound, the 18" China returns to heavier rotation than it saw on "Results May Vary," underlining the trash-accented breakdowns on "Shark Attack" and "Douche Bag." The A Custom crash's faster response continues to serve the album's more melodic passages, like "Why Try," giving Otto a full dynamic range across a record that moves between aggression and hooks more fluidly than the band's earliest work.

## Key Facts

- Released June 28, 2011 on Interscope Records — debuted #16 Billboard 200
- First album with Wes Borland back in the writing/recording lineup since Chocolate Starfish (2000)
- Harder, more direct nu-metal sound — a deliberate return to the band's aggressive template
- Key tracks: "Gold Cobra," "Shark Attack," "Shotgun," "Why Try"
- John Otto's fully mature OCDP kit and Zildjian cymbal setup, refined over 14 years
- Otto and bassist Sam Rivers remained the only members present on every Limp Bizkit studio album
- Mature OCDP custom kit — Otto's primary setup for over a decade by this reunion record
- Maple shells provide punch and low-end weight suited to the album's harder-edged material
- Same four-tom configuration Otto has used since his 1997 debut
- Double-kick configuration available live for the reunion tour's biggest moments
- Physical kit layout unchanged across 14 years despite the band's many lineup and genre changes
- Estimated kit value: $2,500–5,000 (OCDP custom kit, 2011 era)
- Estimated snare value: $400–700 (OCDP custom snare, 2011 era)

## Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: What drum kit did John Otto use on Gold Cobra?**

A: On Limp Bizkit's "Gold Cobra" (2011, Interscope Records), John Otto played his fully mature custom Orange County Drum and Percussion (OCDP) kit — maple shells with a single 22" bass drum on record (plus a double-kick configuration used live), 10" and 12" rack toms, and 14" and 16" floor toms, paired with his long-running Zildjian A and A Custom cymbal setup. Full drummer profile: [John Otto at MetalForge](/drummer/john-otto). Preceding album: [Results May Vary drum setup](/articles/results-may-vary-drum-setup).

**Q: Why is Gold Cobra considered Limp Bizkit's reunion album?**

A: "Gold Cobra" (2011) was the first Limp Bizkit studio album to feature guitarist Wes Borland in the writing and recording lineup since "Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water" (2000). Borland left the band in 2001, missing "Results May Vary" (2003) entirely, before rejoining for touring in 2004 and returning to the studio for this album. John Otto and bassist Sam Rivers remained the only members present on every Limp Bizkit studio album across this entire period. See: [Results May Vary drum setup](/articles/results-may-vary-drum-setup).

**Q: How did Gold Cobra perform commercially?**

A: "Gold Cobra" debuted at #16 on the Billboard 200 with roughly 27,000 copies sold in its first week following its June 28, 2011 release — a modest figure compared to the band's early-2000s commercial peak, but a solid result for a reunion album returning after eight years without a full studio release. See also: [Chocolate Starfish drum setup](/articles/chocolate-starfish-drum-setup).

**Q: What cymbals did John Otto use on Gold Cobra?**

A: John Otto used Zildjian A Series and A Custom Series cymbals on "Gold Cobra" (2011) — 14" hi-hats, 16" A Custom and 18" A Series crashes, a 20" A Series ride, and an 18" A Series China, essentially the same lineup he first recorded with on "Three Dollar Bill, Y'all$" in 1997. With Wes Borland's guitar back at full aggression, the China cymbal returned to heavier rotation than it saw on "Results May Vary." See: [John Otto at MetalForge](/drummer/john-otto).

**Q: How does John Otto's drumming on Gold Cobra compare to his earlier albums?**

A: John Otto's core approach on "Gold Cobra" (2011) — groove-first, single-kick on record, jazz-informed ghost notes — is essentially unchanged from his 1997 debut, but fourteen years of experience show in playing that feels instinctive rather than deliberately executed. With Wes Borland back, Otto's drumming also reasserts the aggressive template of "Significant Other" and "Chocolate Starfish" after the more introspective "Results May Vary." Full technique breakdown: [John Otto at MetalForge](/drummer/john-otto). Compare: [John Otto vs Shannon Larkin](/compare/john-otto-vs-shannon-larkin).

**Source:** https://metalforge.io/articles/gold-cobra-drum-setup

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*Last updated: 2026-07-05 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*