# The Great Southern Trendkill Drum Setup: Vinnie Paul's Most Emotionally Punishing Performance

> Complete breakdown of Vinnie Paul's drum gear on Pantera's The Great Southern Trendkill. The Pearl Masters Custom kit, Sabian HH cymbals, and Vater signature sticks behind the 1996 #4 Billboard 200 release tracked at Dimebag's Chasin' Jason Studios.

**Type:** Album Drum Setup
**Drummer(s):** [Vinnie Paul](/llms/drummers/vinnie-paul.md)
**Band / Album:** Pantera — *The Great Southern Trendkill* (1996)
**Genre:** Groove Metal

## Overview

Released on May 7, 1996, Pantera's "The Great Southern Trendkill" arrived as the band's most fractured, bleakest, and emotionally extreme record. It debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200 — not #1, as the common myth suggests, but a top-five debut for an album with no commercial concessions whatsoever. By 1996, the internal tension inside Pantera was no longer subtext. It was the record.

Vocalist Phil Anselmo, deep in his New Orleans orbit and battling addiction, recorded his vocals separately at Trent Reznor's Nothing Studios in New Orleans, while Vinnie Paul, Dimebag Darrell, and Rex Brown tracked the music in Texas. The instrumental sessions took place primarily at Chasin' Jason Studios — Dimebag's home studio in Dalworthington Gardens — with additional work at Dallas Sound Lab. Terry Date returned to produce alongside Vinnie Paul, with Dimebag also credited as co-producer. The geographic split between Texas and New Orleans wasn't just logistics. It was the sound of a band coming apart in real time.

At the center of that fracture was Vinnie Paul Abbott, who delivered one of his most emotionally varied performances. "Suicide Note Pt. II" is arguably the heaviest, ugliest track of his entire recorded career — a blast of pure violence anchored by relentless double kick. On the other end of the spectrum, "Floods" features some of his most patient, emotive playing: tom rolls that breathe, cymbal washes that swell, and a closing fill sequence that ranks among the most iconic in metal drumming.

The kit had evolved again. Vinnie was now firmly in his Pearl Masters Custom era, with Sabian HH cymbals (the endorsement that would carry him through the rest of his career), Pearl Eliminator pedals, and Vater Vinnie Paul signature sticks. This article breaks down every piece of gear, the unusual recording approach, and the production techniques behind Pantera's most divisive, most ambitious, and most emotionally complete record.

## Gear Breakdown

- **Drums:** Pearl Masters Custom (Black finish, maple shells)
- **Snare:** Pearl Free-Floating Brass Snare, 14" x 6.5"
- **Cymbals:** Sabian HH series — 14" hats, 16/18/19/20 crashes, 22" ride, 18" china, splashes
- **Hardware / Pedals:** Pearl Eliminator double pedal; Pearl 2000-series stands; Roc-N-Soc Nitro Throne; Vater Vinnie Paul 5B signature sticks
- **Heads:** Remo Pinstripe (kick batter), Remo Ambassador Coated (snare), Remo Ambassador X (tom batters)
- **Snare tuning:** Medium tension for crack and body; tight snare wire response for studio precision

### The Pearl Masters Custom: Vinnie's Mid-90s Maple Era

For "The Great Southern Trendkill," Vinnie Paul moved to a Pearl Masters Custom kit — his primary studio setup through the mid-90s before he eventually transitioned to Pearl Reference. The Masters Custom's all-maple shells gave Vinnie a warmer, more woody fundamental than the Pearl Reference Pure he'd used on "Far Beyond Driven," but with no loss in attack or punch.

The dual 22" x 18" bass drums remained the cornerstone of his sound. A step down from the cavernous 24" kicks of "Far Beyond Driven," the 22s were tighter, faster, and more articulate — a decision that fit the album's more savage, percussive material. On tracks like "Suicide Note Pt. II" and the title track, the double kick had to remain intelligible at extreme tempos, and the 22s delivered that clarity without giving up low end.

The rack toms — 10", 12", and 13" — combined with 16" and 18" floor toms gave Vinnie a full melodic palette. The closing tom run on "Floods" is one of the most quoted fills in metal history, and the Masters Custom's maple shells gave each drum a clear, singing pitch that allowed the descending melody to read perfectly through the dense mix. The black finish became one of Vinnie's signature visual statements for the era.

At Chasin' Jason — Dimebag's home studio — the room was smaller and more controlled than Pantego Sound. Terry Date adapted by leaning into close-miked attack and triggered reinforcement, with less reliance on the natural room sound that had defined the previous records. The Pearl Masters Custom's focused projection was a perfect match for that approach.

### The Brass Crack

For "The Great Southern Trendkill," Vinnie moved to a Pearl Free-Floating brass snare at 14" x 6.5" — a shallower, brighter drum than the 14" x 8" steel snare of "Far Beyond Driven." The brass shell gave the snare a sharper, more cutting crack with a more controlled decay, which suited the album's tighter, more violent material.

The free-floating strainer system — where the snare wires are tensioned independently of the shell — let Vinnie dial in extremely precise snare response. At 6.5" deep, the drum had less low-end body than the 8" deep steel snare, but it gained articulation. Every hit read clearly, even during the relentless snare patterns of "Suicide Note Pt. II" and "War Nerve."

Vinnie continued his approach of blending the natural snare sound with triggered samples, locking the attack to a consistent transient and using the brass shell's natural overtones for body and air. Combined with his trademark backwards-stick technique on the Vater Vinnie Paul 5Bs, the snare delivered the gunshot pop that defines the album's rhythm tracks.

On "Floods," that same snare shifts gears entirely. The dynamic restraint Vinnie shows in the verses — ghost notes, brushed-feel rim work, controlled cross-stick — proves the Pearl Free-Floating brass could whisper as easily as it could scream.

### Sabian HH: The Endorsement That Defined the Era

By 1996, Vinnie Paul was firmly established as a Sabian artist. The switch from Zildjian Z Custom (which he'd used on "Far Beyond Driven") back to Sabian wasn't a backward step — it was a recommitment to the brand that had cosigned his sound on "Cowboys from Hell" and "Vulgar Display of Power," now centered on the Sabian HH series.

The Sabian HH (Hand Hammered) line gave Vinnie a darker, more complex character than the brilliant Z Custom. The 14" HH hi-hats had a tighter, drier chick than the Z Custom hats, which suited Chasin' Jason's drier room. The crashes — 16", 18", 19", and 20" — covered the full range from quick accent to sustained explosion. Their slightly darker voice sat better against Dimebag's increasingly mid-scooped guitar tone.

The 22" HH ride had a defined ping with enough body to hold down ride patterns without disappearing. The 18" HH china — used for the trashy accents that punctuate "Drag the Waters" and "War Nerve" — added a more controlled bark than the Z Custom China of the previous record. Splash cymbals added quick color hits across the kit.

The Sabian HH setup would carry Vinnie through "Reinventing the Steel" and into his Damageplan and Hellyeah years. "The Great Southern Trendkill" is the record where that signature Sabian sound is first fully realized in the studio.

## Key Facts

- Debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200 in May 1996 — not #1, despite a persistent online myth
- Tracked at Chasin' Jason Studios (Dimebag's home studio in Dalworthington Gardens, Texas) and Dallas Sound Lab
- Phil Anselmo recorded vocals separately at Nothing Studios in New Orleans due to band tension
- Produced by Terry Date with Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell co-producing
- Pearl Masters Custom kit with dual 22" x 18" bass drums replaced the 24" kicks of Far Beyond Driven
- Pearl Free-Floating brass 14" x 6.5" snare delivered a brighter, sharper crack
- Sabian HH cymbals replaced the Zildjian Z Custom setup of the previous record
- Pearl Eliminator double pedal — era-correct; Vinnie later moved to chain-drive Eliminators
- Vater Vinnie Paul 5B signature sticks (Vater was Vinnie's signature stick endorsement from the early 90s onward)
- "Floods" features one of the most iconic tom-fill outros in metal history
- "Suicide Note Pt. II" is one of the heaviest tracks of Vinnie's recorded career
- Estimated kit value: $4,500-6,500 (1996)

## FAQ

**What drums did Vinnie Paul use on The Great Southern Trendkill?**
Vinnie Paul recorded The Great Southern Trendkill in 1996 on a Pearl Masters Custom kit in black finish. The configuration included dual 22 inch by 18 inch bass drums, rack toms at 10, 12, and 13 inches, and floor toms at 16 and 18 inches. The maple shells produced a warmer, woodier tone than the Pearl Reference Pure he had used on Far Beyond Driven, while the smaller 22 inch kicks delivered tighter, faster articulation that fit the album's more savage material. All drums were triggered for attack consistency, blending acoustic shell character with electronic reinforcement.

**What snare did Vinnie Paul use on The Great Southern Trendkill?**
For The Great Southern Trendkill, Vinnie Paul used a Pearl Free-Floating brass snare at 14 inches by 6.5 inches. The brass shell gave the drum a brighter, sharper crack with more controlled decay than the 14 by 8 inch steel snare of Far Beyond Driven. The shallower depth traded some low-end body for articulation, which let every hit read clearly even during the relentless snare patterns of Suicide Note Pt. II and War Nerve. The free-floating strainer system let Vinnie tune the wires independently of the shell for studio-precise response.

**What cymbals did Vinnie Paul use on The Great Southern Trendkill?**
Vinnie Paul used Sabian HH series cymbals on The Great Southern Trendkill in 1996. His setup included 14 inch HH hi-hats, 16, 18, 19, and 20 inch HH crashes, a 22 inch HH ride, an 18 inch HH china, and splash cymbals. The switch back to Sabian from the Zildjian Z Custom of Far Beyond Driven gave him a darker, more complex tone that sat better against Dimebag's mid-scooped guitar work. The Sabian HH setup would carry him through the rest of Pantera and into his Damageplan and Hellyeah years.

**Where was The Great Southern Trendkill recorded and why was it different?**
The Great Southern Trendkill was tracked primarily at Chasin' Jason Studios — Dimebag Darrell's home studio in Dalworthington Gardens, Texas — with additional work at Dallas Sound Lab. Phil Anselmo recorded his vocals separately at Nothing Studios in New Orleans, where he was living at the time. The geographic split was the result of band tension and Anselmo's personal struggles, not a creative decision. Vinnie Paul, Dimebag Darrell, and Rex Brown tracked the music together in Texas while Anselmo worked his parts on his own schedule in Louisiana. Terry Date returned to produce, with Vinnie Paul and Dimebag credited as co-producers.

**Did The Great Southern Trendkill debut at #1?**
No — The Great Southern Trendkill debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200 in May 1996, not #1. The #1 debut belongs to Far Beyond Driven (1994). The myth that all post-Cowboys Pantera records went to #1 is one of the most persistent pieces of misinformation in metal history. A top-five debut in 1996 was still an extraordinary commercial achievement for an album with no radio singles and no concessions to mainstream taste.

## Related Albums

- [Cowboys from Hell drum setup](/articles/cowboys-from-hell-drum-setup) — 1990, Vinnie Paul on Pearl Export; Pantera's mainstream breakthrough
- [Vulgar Display of Power drum setup](/articles/vulgar-display-of-power-drum-setup) — 1992, Vinnie Paul's ddrum Custom era; the groove metal genre-defining record
- [Far Beyond Driven drum setup](/articles/far-beyond-driven-drum-setup) — 1994, Pearl Reference Pure and Zildjian Z Custom era; the #1 debut
- [Vinnie Paul kit profile](/articles/whats-in-vinnie-pauls-kit) — complete career gear overview from Cowboys from Hell through Hellyeah

## Structured Data (LLM Reference)

**Person:** Vinnie Paul Abbott — drummer, Pantera, Hellyeah, Damageplan; born March 11, 1964, Arlington, Texas; died June 22, 2018; primary instrument drums; genre groove metal / heavy metal / hard rock; co-produced all Pantera studio albums
**MusicAlbum:** The Great Southern Trendkill — Pantera (EastWest Records America / Elektra, May 7, 1996); genre groove metal; debuted #4 on Billboard 200; notable tracks: The Great Southern Trendkill, War Nerve, Drag the Waters, Floods, Suicide Note Pt. I, Suicide Note Pt. II
**MusicGroup:** Pantera — American groove metal band; formed Arlington, Texas, 1981; members Vinnie Paul Abbott (drums), Dimebag Darrell Abbott (guitar), Philip Anselmo (vocals), Rex Brown (bass); active 1981–2003

**Source:** https://metalforge.io/articles/great-southern-trendkill-drum-setup

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*Last updated: 2026-06-26 · Source: [MetalForge.io](https://metalforge.io)*